The Chester River Chorale is welcoming new and returning members for its upcoming performance season. Everyone who loves to sing is invited to join in song on Monday, January 3. Following on the heels of two sold-out performances of A Chestertown Holiday, the CRC will be preparing for upcoming concerts in March and May.
Rehearsals are held Mondays from 7 to 9:15 p.m. at First United Methodist Church on the corner of High and Mill Streets in Chestertown. Registration for both new and returning members begins at 6 p.m. on January 3.
There is no audition for membership in this 75-voice chorus. The goal of the CRC is to offer a comfortable situation for singers of all levels of ability to enjoy singing while developing their musical skills and knowledge. Interested singers may audition for a smaller ensemble, the Chester Chamber Singers, drawn from the CRC membership. This group meets for extra rehearsals to tackle more challenging music.
Now in its 12th year, the CRC is directed by Douglas D. Cox, former Assistant Director of the Soldiers’ Chorus of the United States Army Band. Sammy Marshall, who continues to work with the Field Band, worked with Cox for 12 years as accompanist for the Soldiers’ Chorus and serves as the CRC’s Accompanist.
On Friday, March 18, the CRC will present Welcome Spring! at Kent County High School. Falling on the weekend of the vernal equinox, the program will celebrate the reawakening of spring—and, of course, the season of love. The CRC will be joined by several guest artists performing “The Spring,” the first movement of Joseph Haydn’s oratorio The Seasons. The subject of courtly love will add a little heat to the evening with the music of Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, and others.
On Friday, May 27, the CRC will help kick off the Chestertown Tea Party with a concert at the Prince Theatre on the theme of Independence Forever! This performance will feature diverse music of our national political and cultural heritage and will include a special guest artist—local Gospel singer, Karen Somerville.
For student singers, the CRC offers two kinds of scholarships. Scholarships for high school and college students are available without audition to cover the membership fee of $40 per semester. Larger scholarships are also available for qualified college students by audition. Interested students should contact CRC for more information.
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