Spring has finally sprung and the Chester River Chorale is ready to sing out hallelujahs and hosannas as it presents A Soulful Spring on Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown.
Local guest artists joining the celebration are Pam Ortiz and her band, and the Sombarkin’ trio of Karen Somerville, Lester Barrett, Jr., and Jerome McKinney.
The program features a sometimes solemn, sometimes, sometimes joyful, always rocking Gospel Mass with solos from Sombarkin’ members and songs written and sung by Ortiz—including “Ballad of Courage” and “Rattle Them Chains”—intertwined.
Chester River Choarle presents A Soulful Spring on Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown
Suggested donations at the door are $15, with children free. No tickets will be sold. The Chorale has been performing to full houses for the past several years, so patrons are urged to come at least 15 minutes early to be assured of being seated.
The first song is an old Shaker hymn inviting all to “Come to Zion.” The program closes with soprano Somerville soloing in a special arrangement of the Gospel standard “I’m Gonna Live the Life I Sing About.”
In between the Chorale and its guest musicians collaborate on such songs as Sombarkin’s take on the African-American spiritual “Wade in the Water” and Ortiz’s haunting tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, “Poet’s Grave,” based on the writer’s 1849 burial in Baltimore at age 40.
The audience will get to join in on the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” sometimes called the “Negro National Anthem.”
Douglas D. Cox, artistic director, and Sammy Marshall, accompanist, are the professional backbone of the 80-plus members of the Chorale who are amateur singers drawn mainly from Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. No audition is required to join.
Cox said he was thrilled that “these local guest artists so generous with their time.” The program, he added, had been in preparation with Ortiz and Sombarkin’ for almost a year.
“We’re extremely excited to sing together with the Chorale as a group,” Somerville said. “The camaraderie is terrific.”
“Every song writer loves to have their music take flight with a new group. We are so happy to have a chance to play with the Chorale and hear our music expanded with all those voices,” Ortiz said.
Visit www.chesterriverchorale.org for more information, or call 410 928 5566.
The Chester River Chorale is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization funded in part by the presenting sponsor ship of Yerkes Construction Co., and grantors including the Hedgelawn Foundation and the Kent County Arts Council, and by an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. The CRC’s Mission is to provide opportunity and inspiration for amateur singers to strive for artistic excellence. CRC performances entertain diverse audiences and enrich the cultural life of the community.
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