The St. Cecilia Chorus was founded in 1906 as a women's chorus by Metropolitan Opera coach Victor Harris. Since its founding, the Chorus has evolved into one of the finest non-professional performing arts organizations in New York City, and has left its mark on American musical history. The Chorus also regularly performs with professional soloists and full orchestras.

In 1922, while still a women's group, the Chorus gained significant recognition when it appeared with The Philharmonic Society of New York under Willem Mengelberg, in the first New York performance of Mahler's Third Symphony. (View the full-size program). Since then, the Chorus has given world and U.S. premieres of many works, by composers including Mrs. H.H.A. Beach, Deems Taylor, and Virgil Thompson.

1959 saw a momentous event when David Randolph substituted for then-Director David Buttolph at one October rehearsal. In 1965, when Mr. Buttolph resigned, the Chorus recalled how much they had enjoyed making music with Mr. Randolph, and invited him to become their conductor. He occupied the St. Cecilia podium ever since, and has established an uncompromising standard of musical excellence and a commitment to progressive development.

Under David Randolph's direction, the Chorus grew in size and ability, and in 1969, met the challenge of its first concert in Carnegie Hall. For its debut concert given on March 31^st, the chorus performed works by Mozart, Zimmermann, Haydn and Purcell.  In addition to its now traditional twice-yearly Carnegie Hall concerts, some of which were broadcast live on WNYC Radio, the Chorus has appeared in other venues, including Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. It has performed with such other noted conductors as Lukas Foss, John Alldis, John Nelson, Romano Gandolfi (La Scala), Peter Tiboris, and Eve Queler (Opera Orchestra of New York).

A smash hit of the 1980 Broadway season was Amadeus, which was later made into a critically-acclaimed movie. In April 1981, prompted by the popularity of the play, The St. Cecilia Chorus performed a program in Carnegie Hall which featured the U.S. premiere of Antonio Salieri's Mass No. 1, juxtaposed with Mozart's "Great" Mass in C minor. The program was broadcast on WNYC. Amadeus author Peter Shaffer was in attendance and made a short speech from the stage of Carnegie Hall.

In December 1986, also in Carnegie Hall, the Chorus presented the North American premiere of a significant work by a talented but neglected female composer: "Oratorium nach Bildern der Bibel" by Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn's sister.

During his 37 years with The Masterwork Chorus, Mr. Randolph developed a specialty as a conductor of Handel's "Messiah" with The Masterwork Chorus, and his much-acclaimed interpretation of that beloved masterpiece became a seasonal tradition in New York City. In 1995, Mr. Randolph directed The St. Cecilia Chorus in "Messiah" for its very first time, much to the joy of the chorus members and audience. Its two 1995 "Messiah" performances at Carnegie Hall were a notable success, and by popular demand the work was brought back for successive performances on December 20th, 1997, December 10, 2005 and December 13, 2008.

In 1993, members of the Chorus made a recording with Liza Minnelli for the benefit of AIDS research. In 1996, a small group of Chorus members appeared as Christmas carolers in The Preacher's Wife, a major motion picture starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.

On May 12, 2010, New York’s classical music community lost an icon and was very saddened by the death of our Conductor David Randolph.  Mr. Randolph’s long and distinguished career was one of many distinctions.  Had he been alive to conduct Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on December 23, 2010, he would have celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of his conducting debut in Carnegie Hall, which occurred on December 10, 1960, when coincidentally, he conducted a performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.      

Mr. Randolph was part of a small, distinguished group, as he was among the oldest musicians to have conducted in Carnegie Hall.  At 95, Mr. Randolph surpassed a host of conductors, including Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini, who were 89 and 87 respectively, on their last appearances in Carnegie Hall.  The December 10, 2009 concert of the Mozart Great Mass in C minor and Hummel Mass in B flat was Mr. Randolph’s 164^th and final Carnegie Hall appearance. The 2009-2010 season was his 45^th year as conductor of The St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra.