Praised by The New York Times for its “incisive, agile strength,” Downtown Voices is a semiprofessional choir made up of volunteer singers and GRAMMY®-nominated members of The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Directed by Stephen Sands since its 2015 inception, Downtown Voices has performed works by Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Pärt, Webern, Ginastera, Janáček, James MacMillan, and Philip Glass, in addition to premiering Spire and Shadow by Zachary Wadsworth, a large-scale commission for the 250th anniversary of St. Paul’s Chapel.
The group made their Carnegie Hall debut in October 2022 with the Buffalo Philharmonic conducted by JoAnn Falleta for the Lukas Foss Centennial Celebration. Other recent performances include Orff's Carmina Burana at The Ross Farm, Compline by Candlelight and Lux Aeterna concerts at St. Paul's Chapel, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew. In past years, the ensemble has hosted Community Carol Sing concerts, Arvo Pärt’s Passio, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Dvořák’s Mass in D, and Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia. Downtown Voices has been featured several times with Andrea Bocelli and can be heard on the epic recording Philip Glass: Symphony No. 5 released by Orange Mountain Music.