Kol Shirah

Kol Shirah (the Voice of Song) is our adult volunteer choir. They are led by Dr. Mike Langlois, through partnership of vision and collaboration with Cantor Susan Caro. They rehearse regularly throughout the year, participating monthly in our Erev Shabbat services and are a very important part of our High Holy Day worship. In addition, they share with us each year at least two sermons-in-song, usually in the winter and in the spring. If you love to sing, we would love you to be a part of us – there are no auditions, and we will help with music reading skills if you come with your voice and your passion. Kol Shirah is a truly wonderful all-volunteer synagogue choir!

Here is a great article about why singing is so powerful – come try out Kol Shirah!

Kol Shirah is directed by Dr. Mike Langlois, who guides and inspires our choir soulfully to be a meaningful part of our music and prayer leadership. 

The NVHC adult choir was founded in 1968 by Mitch Bender and a few dedicated singers. Mitch remained the Director until 1982. Carol Fram joined the choir during that time as an accompanist, playing the piano for rehearsals and Shabbat services, and the organ for the High Holy Days. She also sang in the choir when another accompanist was available. In 1985, Carol volunteered to take over from her college friend, Joette Alkire, who served for two years after Mitch. Carol, who majored in music education in college, had trained in choral directing and was a natural fit for our choir.

During Carol’s tenure, the choir grew into a much larger group, where it has remained. Kol Shirah participates in the worship life of NVHC as well as in the greater Jewish community. Kol Shirah has sung with area synagogue choirs in various concerts in the greater Washington DC area. Kol Shirah was a part of the recording of the CD of Jose Bowen’s Jazz Service at Georgetown University. In concert together with a choir of the Vienna Presbyterian Church (VPC), Kol Shirah performed Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Bloch’s Sacred Service, Haydn’s Creation, and Handel’s Judas Maccabeus.  In the spring of 2017, we celebrated Carol Fram’s retirement with a wonderful concert celebrating her leadership of more than 35 years. 

We are blessed that beginning in 2017, the tenure of Dr. Mike Langlois continues to lead Kol Shirah on an inspired path of prayer and music.