The New York-based choir's season begins on November 12 with a performance of music by Gabrieli, Monteverdi, and Heinrich Sch‹tz at St. Bartholomew's Church. On March 5, 2006, in a program titled "Unexpected Choral Works," the choir will perform works by Bolcom, Poulenc, Stephen Foster, Virgil Thomson, and Schubert at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University. On May 19, the group will sing music by Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and others at Immanuel Evangelical Church.

James Bagwell, the newly named music director of the choir, will lead all three events.

In addition, the choir will perform with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony at Carnegie Hall on March 5, 2006, appearing in Charles Ives' A Symphony: New England Holidays.

For more details and tickets, go to www.dessoff.org or call 212-831-8224.