Choral Arts New England has selected the first recipient of the David Hoose Commissioning Grant. The inaugural grant recipient is Nightingale Vocal Ensemble of Boston, Mass., for the commissioning of Strange Land, composed by Gregory W. Brown.
John Oliver was the founder and director for 45 years of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (TFC), the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Through his active development and advocacy, the chorus became one of the premiere symphonic choruses in the world, praised for its performances in a wide variety of repertoire, including not just large symphonic and operatic works but also smaller works both accompanied and a cappella.
Choral Arts New England is delighted to announce the funding of 15 project grants totaling $33,000. Award recipients represent choral organizations from five of the six New England states.
The 2026 Alfred Nash Patterson Grants will be used to fund initiatives to expand choral opportunities across New England, as well as unique performances of pieces that give insight into important perspectives — traditional and contemporary Yiddish music, Alzheimer’s Stories, Trans Requiem, and Anthracite Fields, to name just a few.
Our 2026 grants cycle has begun! Alfred Nash Patterson Grants have been awarded continuously since 1985, and have funded nearly 350 different projects to the tune of over $450,000. The grants support choral music in New England, and can be awarded to New England choruses, both volunteer and professional; parent organizations of New England choruses; and New England organizations that provide support to choral music.
The 2026 application is available now on this website, and will be open until February 28, at which point our review process will begin.
Congratulations on receiving a David Hoose Commissioning Grant! These grants are awarded by Choral Arts New England from the David Hoose Honorary Fund, which is managed by the Boston Foundation.
One of the conditions of your grant is that you give credit to Choral Arts New England on all published materials and announcements regarding your project. Doing so helps support all New England choruses and singers by spreading the word about our activities.
The credit statement should consist of either or both of:
Applications close at midnight on October 31 for the inaugural David Hoose Commissioning Grant. Don’t miss your opportunity to earn $5,000 to help bring bold, expressive choral music into the world!This grant is designed to encourage meaningful compositions that broaden the accompanied choral repertoire. If you have a commissioning project in the works, you might qualify, as long as:
Choral Arts New England’s 41st Annual Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 3 pm at First Congregational Church, Winchester, MA. Stay tuned for more information!
Building on 45 years of supporting choral compositions and performances throughout the region, Choral Arts New England (CANE) is pleased to now offer the David Hoose Commissioning Grant, a biennial $5,000 grant supporting the commission of meaningful new choral music with instrumental accompaniment. This grant supports new compositions that explore choral music’s unique capacity to help us understand our history, reflect on our present, and envision our future.
Choral Arts New England will begin accepting applications for the 2025 cycle of the Alfred Nash Patterson Grant on January 1, 2025. More information about this opportunity can be found here.
2026 Alfred Nash Patterson Grant Recipients