The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus

Leonard Lehrman, Founder & Director
performs music that other choruses can't or won't
for reasons of difficulty, political and/or musical.
Since its founding in 1988, the Chorus has performed 74 times in NY & NJ.

Photo by Helene Williams, Court Street Music, Valley Stream rehearsal of Aug. 20, 2017

Photo by Theresa Press, Freeport Herald, Nov. 5, 2017

Photo by Donovan Berthoud, Valley Stream Herald, Mar. 2, 2017
at rehearsal Feb. 21, 2017 at Christ Lutheran Church, Rosedale

Musical Performances & Recordings 1988-2020

Click here for Karin Lipson's April 14, 2013 NY Times article on the Chorus
Click here for the most recent review of the Chorus, Aug. 31, 2019, by Pat Lamanna:
"I must not fail to mention the professionalism and soaring voices of the Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus.
Many of the pieces, especially the solos, required not just singing but acting;
all brought the music to life and wedded the melodies to the lyrics impeccably."

We Are Innocent (Lehrman's Rosenberg Cantata)
commissioned by National Committee to Re-open the Rosenberg Case
[recorded 12/1988 on Opus One LP #145 w/Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra]
--also available on CD



Complete performances with chorus:
Community Church of NY (Julius: Peter Schlosser; Ethel: Helene Williams) 6/19/1988
WQXR "The Listening Room," Robert Sherman, host (soloists as above) 12/8/1988
Marymount Manhattan Theater (soloists as above, w/Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra) 6/11/1989
--now viewable on youtube--Click here for the playlist, including 12 movements +prelude & interlude.
Plandome Unitarian Church (Julius: Ronald Edwards) 6/19/1993
Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck NJ (Julius: Gregory Mercer) 6/15/2003
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (Mercer) 6/18/2003

Excerpt performances with chorus:
Weill Recital Hall, Ezrath Nashim Benefit (Julius: Douglas Kiddie) 6/14/1989
Temple Sinai, Roslyn NY (Kiddie) together with other works 8/20/1989
complete broadcasts: WBAI 6/12/1989, WCWP (L.I.U.) 6/13/1993, WRHU (Hofstra) 6/14/1993
excerpts broadcast: WNYC 6/9/89, WKCR (Columbia) 6/17/1993

Performances with soloists (Schlosser & Williams) only:
Bryant Library, Roslyn 6/14/88; Roslyn Museum of Fine Art 10/6/1988;
Community Church of Boston 12/11/88; WESPAC, Ardsley NY 12/1988

Excerpt performances with soloists only:
NYU Law School Auditorium (Williams) 6/1987
Adelphi University (Edwards) 10/7/1996
Stephen Wise Synagogue (Edwards) 6/19/1997
Community Church of Boston (Williams) 6/22/2003


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Leonard Lehrman 10/26/1988
United Nations Association, at the United Nations - MPC Solo Quartet


Martin Luther King & Elie Siegmeister Birthday Concert 1/15/1989
with William Warfield, Ronald Edwards, Andrˆ© Solomon-Glover, Helene Williams & MPC,
Harlem School of the Arts; NYC prem. of I Have A Dream, world prem. of "Lonely Star"
broadcast over WQXR 1/16/1989, WBAI 1/15/1990; videotape at Library of Congress
Now viewable on youtube:
Part 1
Part 2 (the fugue: "No Man Is An Island, We Cannot Walk Alone")
Part 3 (including bow by Siegmeister)

National Council of Women, Time-Life Building Reception 6/12/1989 Lehrman's Sisters


Leonard Lehrman Birthday Concert
8/20/1989, sponsored by Nassau County Office of Cultural Development, Temple Sinai, Roslyn NY
including Bar Mitzvah Cantata, Instead of Mellowness,
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Sisters
and excerpts from We Are Innocent


A Requiem for Hiroshima music by Leonard Lehrman, words by Lee Baxandall
Last movement previewed Union Theological Seminary CALC 25th anniversary 7/22/1990
Entire work previewed w/Solo Octet & Piano on WQXR-AM, June LeBell, host 8/3/1990
Prem. at Riverside Church 8/5/1990 w/Voices Saintpaulia, Inoue Chamber Ens, MPC Solo Quartet
Broadcast on WBAI-FM 8/7/1990
Prem.with piano & organ by MPC for LICA at Malverne Community Presbyterian Church 9/3/1995



New World: An Opera About What Columbus Did to the "Indians"
music by Leonard Lehrman, libretto by the composer & Joel Shatzky
commissioned by The Puffin Foundation
Lincoln Center Library (After Dinner Opera Company; soloists only) & WQXR 10/12/1991
Temple Sinai, Roslyn NY 8/10/1992 (open dress rehearsal)
Heckscher Park, Long Island Composers Alliance (LICA) 8/11/1992 (staged world premiere)
--now on YouTube: click here for the playlist of 21 scenes
Donnell Library, N.Y. City 2/9/1993 (directed by Benjamin Spierman)
Excerpts performed by soloists: Golden Fleece Ltd. Square One Series 3/31/1990
Union Theological Seminary CALC 25th anniversary 7/22/1990, & WBAI 10/12/1990
Heckscher Park, 8/6/1991; WQXR "The Listening Room" 10/12/1991; WBAI 10/14/1991 & 2/8/1993
Haus der Kirche, Berlin 9/1/1992; Dresden Center for Contemporary Music 9/5/1992
Domaine Naturiste de Bˆ©lˆ©zy, Bˆ©doin, France 7/1989, 7/1990(+Chor), 8/1992, 7/1994


The MPC went on hiatus during Leonard Lehrman's Presidency of LICA (1991-98),
followed by his completion and production of Sacco and Vanzetti (1999-2001)
and wedding to Helene Williams (July 14, 2002). It was revived in 2003.


Abel Meeropol Centennial Concerts Great Neck House 2/9/2003; Queens College 2/23/2003
Music of Lehman Engel, Herbert Haufrecht, Martin Kalmanoff, Robert Kurka,
Leonard Lehrman ("Conscience" - Winner, 2002 Sunrise/Sunset Competition),
Abel Meeropol, Earl Robinson, Elie Siegmeister, Kurt Weill
+premieres by Siegmeister, Joel Mandelbaum and Leonard Lehrman,
[released on The Abel Meeropol Centennial Concert CD by Original Cast Records OC 6055]




Holocaust Memorial Concert, Temple Judea, Manhasset 4/3/2003
incl. Lehrman's Jewish Voices in Germany, I'd Like to Go Away Alone
Hashkiveinu, Mi Shebeirach, and Sisters

Music of Edith Segal
6/17/2004 Helene Williams and members of the Workmen's Circle Chorus
arranged, accompanied & conducted by Leonard Lehrman
National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case Annual Meeting
at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, 30 W. 68 St., NYC


Marc Blitzstein Centennial Workshop 1/29/2005
--part of the People's Music Network Songs of Freedom & Struggle Gathering
together with Helene Williams, Victoria Tralongo, Leonard Lehrman,
members of the Workmen's Circle Chorus
and the Solidarity Singers of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council
at the Renaissance School, 35-59 81st St., Jackson Heights, Queens

Marc Blitzstein Centennial Concerts
2/27/2005 Great Neck House 14 Arrandale Av., Great Neck NY
3/5/2005 People's Voice Cafe, 45 E. 33 St., Manhattan
3/6/2005 Queens College, Choral Rm, Aaron Copland School of Music
including 2 excerpts from Mahagonny in Blitzstein's translation
and I've Got the Tune - in Leonard Lehrman's 1970 adaptation
together with members of the Workmen's Circle Chorus
and the Solidarity Singers of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council
as well as soloists Helene Williams, Lorinda Lisitza,
Josh Minkin, Lars Woodul, Robert Osborne
accompanied by Leonard Lehrman, John Craven, and percussionist Don Levine
funded in part by The Puffin Foundation
and a Special Opportunity Stipend grant from the East End Arts Council & NYFA

[All of the above, except Lisitza, released on
The Marc Blitzstein Centennial CD, Original Cast Records OC 6127]

The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus
on WBAI 99.5 FM & wbai.org
6/17/2005 after 12 Midnight "Radio Unnameable," Bill Propp, producer
featuring excerpts from CDs including works by Meeropol, Blitzstein, Siegmeister, Lehrman


National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case Annual Meeting 6/23/2005
Leonard performs Marc Blitzstein's "Innocent psalm for the Bernstein baby" (1953)
in honor of the birth of Julian Meeropol Ambrose, the Rosenbergs' first great-grandchild;
Helene sings Edith Segal's "My Loved One"
and members of The Oceanside Chorale, the Christ Church Babylon Choir, and the MPC sing
the words of Abel Meeropol
(Leonard's "Conscience"; "Lost Forever"; and Earl Robinson's "The House I Live In")
arranged, accompanied & conducted by Leonard
at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, 30 W. 68 St., NYC


SUN. JAN. 15, 2006 3:00 PM
Long Beach Public Library Concert:
Mozart on Martin Luther King Day
honoring the Jan. 15 birthdays of Martin Luther King (1929)
and Elie Siegmeister (1909)
and the 250th birthday of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27)
with Helene Williams & Leonard Lehrman
and members of the Christ Church Babylon Choir
and Temple Isaiah of Great Neck Choir, featuring settings of Langston Hughes & James Baldwin
by Elie Siegmeister, Jay Anthony Gach, Hale Smith, & Leonard Lehrman
(co-sponsored by The Elie Siegmeister Society) and NYSCA Decentralization funds,
administered by the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport


SUN. FEB. 12, 2006 3:00 PM
[postponed to SUN. FEB. 26, 2006 3:30 PM]
Great Neck House Concert honoring
Lincoln's (197th) Birthday, Mozart's (250th)
and Black History Month
with Helene Williams & Leonard Lehrman
and members of the Christ Church Babylon Choir
and Temple Isaiah of Great Neck Choir,
featuring settings of Langston Hughes & James Baldwin
by Elie Siegmeister, Jay Anthony Gach, Hale Smith & Leonard Lehrman
Co-sponsored by NYSCA Decentralization funds,
administered by the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport



SUN. JAN. 20, 2008 10:30AM
together with The Choir of United Methodist Church
of Huntington & Cold Spring Harbor,
180 West Neck Ave., Huntington,
sang the Offertory Anthem:
"Conscience" by Leonard Lehrman & Abel Meeropol
in memory of Susan Blake, "the Social Conscience of Long Island"

THU. JUN. 19, 2008 6-8:30PM Tamiment Library, NYU
at the annual memorial meeting of
The National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case,
in memory of Susan Blake, 15 members of
The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus
performed "Conscience" and "Lost Forever"
by Abel Meeropol & Leonard Lehrman,
concluding with "The House I Live In"
by Meeropol & Earl Robinson, arr. L.Lehrman.


JAN. 2009 in honor of the Elie Siegmeister Centennial
we performed once again his cantata I Have A Dream
(and other works by Siegmeister)
Sun. Jan. 11 at Great Neck Library
Mon. Jan. 19 at United Methodist Church of Huntington/Cold Spring Harbor:


and Sun. Jan. 25 at St. Marks-in-the-Bowery, as part of Downtown Music Productions
with soloists Ivan Thomas, Lars Woodul,
Diana Solomon-Glover, and Helene Williams
conducted by founder/director Leonard Lehrman
with John Craven at the piano.



The Chorus sings Elie Siegmeister's "Anne Rutledge" on the 2008
Elie Siegmeister Centennial CD, Original Cast Records OC 6235.




THU. JUN. 18, 2009 6-8:30PM Tamiment Library, NYU
at the annual memorial meeting of
The National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case,
members of The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus
performed "Conscience" by Abel Meeropol & Leonard Lehrman

THU. AUG. 20, 2009 Charles Osborne-Leonard Lehrman Joint 60th Birthday Concert
at Bryant Library, Roslyn, NY, included the MPC [viewable on YouTube] in
Hold Fast to Dreams (Langston Hughes) by Lehrman
and Let All the Beauty We Have Known (Dana McLean Greeley, adapted by Edwin Swanborn) by Osborne

THU. JUN. 17, 2010 7-9 PM Musicians' Local 802, 322 W. 48 St., Manhattan
Earl Robinson Centennial at the annual memorial meeting of the
National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case,
members of The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus
and The New York City Labor Chorus
performed Leonard Lehrman's arrangements of Earl Robinson's
"The House I Live In" and "Joe Hill" (world premiere)
and the world premiere of "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been"
from the opera-in-progress, Alger, by Leonard Lehrman & Kim Rich.
View playlist with 7 items here.




SAT. APR. 27, 2013 3PM Hillwood Recital Hall,
Long Island University, Post Campus, Brookville, NY:
Lincoln Poetry & Music by Long Islanders
co-sponsored by Long Island Composers Alliance
including poetry by Newborn, Wallace and Wheat;
music by Feldman, King, Lehrman, Leslie, Mandel, Musolino,
Richter, Robinson, Rothgarber, Selbst, Siegmeister, Smith and Ziskin

SUN. MAY 5, 2013 2:30PM Great Neck Library:
Music by Great Neck Composers
including poetry by Wallace and Wheat;
music by Feldman, Gould, Kleinsinger, Kraft,
Lehrman, Musolino, Siegmeister and Weisgall

The following choral numbers from these two concerts, recorded in Great Neck May 5, 2013, are viewable on YouTube:
"Where Is the Song of the Artist on Long Island?" by Leonard Lehrman & George Wallace
"Anne Rutledge" by Leo Israel & Elie Siegmeister
Lehrman's setting of Max Wheat's Lincoln poem & Lincoln's Second Inaugural
"Abraham Lincoln Is My Name" by Herbert Feldman
"Old Abe Lincoln" by Earl Robinson & Alfred Hayes (arr. L.Lehrman)
"The Last Invocation" by Walt Whitman & Marga Richter
Patricia King's setting of Rexford Lincoln's "Love" (for Women's Chorus)





Hannah - US premiere of Leonard's anti-war feminist Chanukah opera
starring (L-R): Raphael Frieder, David Katz, Jonathan Kline, Moshe Bear,
Helene Williams, Fredda Mendelson/Janet Leuchter, Galit Dadoun-Cohen,
Meredith Greenberg, and Erik Contzius,
with organist Pedro D'Aquino (Joel Mandelbaum substituting, in rehearsal photo at HUC-JIR)
and the MPC conducted from the piano by the composer
--*TUE. DEC. 9, 2014, 8:00 PM Malverne Community Presbyterian Church, 12 Nottingham Rd., Malverne
--TUE. DEC. 23, 2014, 7:00 PM Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 1 W. 4th St., Manhattan


2015 Concerts in Memory of Emily R. Lehrman (Mar. 1, 1923-Jan. 13, 2015)

Songs of Conscience
*SUN. OCT. 18, 2015 2:30PM Freeport Memorial Library
*SUN. NOV. 1, 2015 2:30PM at Bryant Library, Roslyn NY



SUN. NOV. 22, 2015 Aaron Copland School of Music, Rm 264, Queens College CUNY
--2:15 PM dedication of plaque honoring Emily R. Lehrman
--2:30 PM premiere in concert of Rusalka
--opera by Alexander Dargomyzhsky after Alexander Pushkin
--English translation by Emily & Leonard Lehrman
starring (at left) David Anchel, Gregory Mercer; Helene Williams (as Rusalka, at right)
and (off-camera) Perri Sussman, Kathryn Wieckhorst and Jackie Bakewell
and the MPC conducted from the piano by Leonard Lehrman.
Click here for the complete performance.
Click here for the Dec. 3, 2015 Queens Chronicle review. Photo by Neil Chiragdin.


The Triangle Fire by Leonard Lehrman & Ellen Frankel, premiered Sep. 4 & 11, 2016
at the American Labor Museum, Haledon, NJ; and Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck NJ
in conjunction with the Solidarity Singers of the NJ Industrial Union Council

Click here for the complete Teaneck performance.

NY performances:
*SUN. MAR. 5, 2017 2:30PM, Long Beach Public Library
SUN. MAR. 12, 2017 3:00PM, Community Church of Manhattan 40 E. 35 St. (with Mary Rice)
THU. MAR. 23, 2017 6:30PM, Manhattan performance & screening of HBO film, by invitation only
SAT. MAR. 25, 2017 8:00PM, New York University, 32 Waverly, Room 220 (with Emily Misch)

[Photo of Cast & Lehrman by Helene Williams, 3/23/17 @HBO]

Click here for the complete NYU performance.


On Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 at 11AM Helene Williams and the MPC Solo Octet
performed a program in memory of Susan Blake and Max Wheat at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington.
Click here for videos of the complete event.
Music performed by the MPC: "Conscience" "Second Inaugural"

On Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 at 2PM the MPC sang 5 numbers in
A Musical Tribute to Herbert Rothgarber
at Oceanside School #8 in Oceanside, Long Island
Sponsored by the Maldeb Foundation and the Long Island Composers Alliance.
Event viewable on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/20171105RothgarberTribute.
Frontpage Freeport Herald review of the event posted here

In January 2019, The Metropolitan Philharmonic Chorus presented
the world premieres of Marc Blitzstein's Children's Cantata: "Workers' Kids of the World Unite!" (1934)
Leonard Lehrman's A Loveletter from Rosa Luxemburg performed by Helene Williams
and Lehrman's & Joel Mandelbaums's setting of Emily Dickinson's "Why Do They Shut Me Out of Heaven?"
along with music from The Cradle Will Rock, Threepenny Opera and West Side Story;
the complete score of the Brecht-Eisler Roundheads & Pointedheads,
translation & adaptation by Leonard Lehrman & Bill Castleman;
and the Finale from Elie Siegmeister's I Have A Dream Cantata

SUN. JAN. 13 4PM Puffin Cultural Forum, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck NJ, Adm. $10
TUE. JAN. 15 2:30PM Gallery of Community Church, 40 E. 35 St., NYC (preview tea). Donation Requested
SUN. JAN. 20 2:30PM Hall of Worship, Community Church, 40 E. 35 St., NYC. Donation Requested
SAT. JAN. 26 2:30PM Long Beach Public Library, 111 W. Park Ave., Long Beach NY FREE
The last in this series of concerts is posted on YouTube here.


In May, 2019 the MPC sang in two Holocaust Remembrance Day Concerts:
THU. MAY 2 7:00 PM at Temple Beth Sholom, Roslyn
[Click here for video.]
and SUN. MAY 5 7:00 PM at Trinity Church Roslyn
in music by Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, David Geppert & Leonard Lehrman
[Click here for video.]

On August 18, 2019, at 7PM the MPC sang music of Charles Osborne & Leonard Lehrman
in honor of their 70th Birthdays, at Trinity Church in Roslyn.
[Click here for video.]
Reviewed here by Pat Lamanna, Aug. 31, 2019.

In 2021, members of the Chorus participated Oct. 19 & 21 in the
Retrospective Preview* of Sacco and Vanzetti as part of
Hofstra University's Italian American Experience Lecture Series.

In 2022, the Chorus performed, together with soloists and
The Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra in the Blitzstein-Lehrman opera Sacco and Vanzetti
in its staged orchestral NY premiere Sep. 10 & 11 at Lehman College Studio Theatre
conducted by Leonard Lehrman, directed by Benjamin Spierman.
The Zoom launch of the video produced therefrom will be on Oct. 30, 2022 1-5pm.

*made possible with funds from the Puffin Foundation and the Decentralization Program,
a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts
with the support of the Governor's office and the New York State
Legislature administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.

=====

--Performances are co-sponsored by
The Prof. Edgar H. Lehrman Memorial Foundation
for Ethics, Religion, Science, and the Arts, Inc.,
co-sponsored by Maldeb Foundation.


Click to return to Leonard Lehrman's website.