Hailed as “one of the great amateur choruses of our time (New York Today) for its “full-bodied sound and suppleness (The New York Times),” The Dessoff Choirs and pianist Steven Ryan present two major 20th century works that focus on early American music and British folksongs. Gregg Smith’s “The Continental Harmonist” is based on compositions by early American composer, William Billings. “The Sprig of Thyme” offers a selection of traditional songs of the British Isles, drawing together long-standing favorites like the “Willow Song” and “The Miller of Dee” with such lesser-known gems as “O can ye sew cushions” and “The Sprig of Thyme.”

The Continental Harmonist Gregg Smith (1931-2016)
The Sprig of Thyme John Rutter (b. 1945)