In the beginning . . .

"These ladies and gentlemen sang with correct intonation, firm attack, and a great deal of expression; and if they continue in the road upon which they have entered with so much promise, they will do some capital work before many seasons have passed."
                    New York Daily Tribune, December 4, 1873

"Dr. Damrosch has redeemed the honor of our city by giving us a choral body that we believe is unsurpassed by any in the country for artistic excellence."
                    Art Journal, November 17, 1877

"[Tchaikovsky] spoke of the amiability of the chorus of the Oratorio Society in following his beat."
                    Musical Courier, November 8, 1893

". . . and a first performance of the standardized Star Spangled Banner."
                    Evening Mail, December 6, 1917

And now . . .

"Handel handled with style . . . The OSNY chorus was up to these demands, producing sounds that were rousing in the extreme."
                    New York Daily News, May 11, 1992

"The Oratorio Society of New York sang its first Handel Messiah 121 years ago and hasn't missed a beat since–the annual performance at Carnegie Hall has become as much a part of the city's Christmas decorations as the tree at Rockefeller Center."
                    New York Post, December 22, 1993

" . . . the nearly 200-member chorus sang with plenty of enthusiasm."
                    New York Post, May 11, 1996

". . . with thrilling choral work from the Oratorio Society of New York."
                    New York Times, November 28, 1998

". . .The Americans swam in the beautifully melodious cantata by the great Czech as if it were water from flowing from a clear spring."
                    The Evening St. Petersburg, July 28, 2004
                    (Performance of Dvořák's Stabat Mater at Smolny Cathedral)