Concord Chorale is celebrating five decades

The Concord Chorale will kick off its 50th year celebration with a pair of concerts this weekend, including one at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Courtesy of the Concord Chorale
The Concord Chorale will kick off its 50th year celebration with a pair of concerts this weekend, including one at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Courtesy of the Concord Chorale
The Concord Chorale vocal ensemble warms up for a performance titled "Behold, I Bring you Glad Tidings" at South Congregational Church in Concord on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (ELIZABETH FRANTZ / Monitor staff) Elizabeth Frantz
Singers with the Concord Chorale vocal ensemble rehearse sections of pieces ahead of their performance titled "Behold, I Bring you Glad Tidings" at South Congregational Church in Concord on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (ELIZABETH FRANTZ / Monitor staff) Elizabeth Frantz

Sue O’Donnell has a lot of fond memories singing with the Concord Chorale.

There are the trips to places like Israel, Austria, Hungry and Spain, countless concerts in and around Concord and a certain flight back from a conference in Chicago where members of the group serenaded other passengers with their beautiful singing voices. And of course, the people.

“It’s certainly part of the fabric of my life,” O’Donnell said. “The music and the people, they’re a very big importance to me.”

As the longest tenured member of the Chorale, O’Donnell has watched the group grow from an idea to its first concert to the 83-member part of the community that it is today. O’Donnell is one of the original members – and the only one still active – as the Chorale embarks on its 50th anniversary season, beginning this weekend with a pair of concerts.

The very first concert was held on May 9, 1969, in Memorial Hall at St. Paul’s School. There were 35 singers involved in that showcase that was mostly performed in front of friends and family.

“It was slow at first,” O’Donnell said. “We were not very well known and we’d take anybody who wanted to sing.”

So it’s only right to celebrate 50 years with a year-long celebration.

Along the way, there have been lots of new members, directors, musical helpers and board members, and O’Donnell has seen it all. But there are also plenty of singers who have been there for 35, 40 and even 45 years.

“We started to get some interest from people in surrounding communities, so it got bigger and we got better,” O’Donnell said.

It all started when a group of singers who were traveling to other parts of the state to sing in similar chorale groups, felt it was time for Concord to have its own place for people to explore their vocal outlet. They got together, found a musical director and accompanist and started to rehearse. It led to that first concert – and many more since then.

“I have wonderful memories of concerts we’ve given where the music was just so absolutely gorgeous and beautiful,” O’Donnell said.

The Chorale has gone through its fair share of changes over the years. Once it became a sought-after group to join, those interested had to audition for a spot, with the group now holding a pair of open sings each year to attract new members into the fold.

“I was looking for a group, but really the right group,” said longtime member Deb Yeager. “I needed a creative outlet and music to be part of my life.”

The members have a wide range of musical pedigree. Those like O’Donnell and Yeager have no formal training, but have sung all their lives. Others took voice lessons growing up, while some pursued their secondary education degrees in music. But what all the members share is a passion for singing and performing.

“I do this for fun, but I never consider myself a “musician,” ” Yeager said.

And that’s really the beauty of the Chorale – it doesn’t matter what your background or training consists of, if you can sing, then it’s the group for you.

“Some of the reasons I’ve stayed in the Chorale for so long is, for one, the music is very good, but the second thing is the friends I’ve met,” O’Donnell said.

Yeager agreed.

“That’s a big part of it, just as much as the music,” she said.

Doug Phelan is in his second season with the Chorale after moving to Concord, and so far, so good.

“I’ve been musical my whole life, but never been part of a classic choir,” he said.

But if you have no desire to perform infront of a large crowd or you only like to sing in the shower, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy what the Chorale members specialize in. Yes, we’re taking about attending one of their concerts.

This weekend’s performances are all about Mozart. They will be presenting two works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – his “Great Mass” in C minor and the “Paris” Symphony.

“We want to make sure that we keep the challenge high and rise to the occasion,” Yeager said.

“It’s one of his biggest works,” Phelan said.

Under the direction of Kristofer Johnson, in the midst of his eighth season as music director, the Chorale will perform “Great Mass,” which calls for a double chorus, in conjunction with the Phillips Exeter Academy Concert Choir.

The Phillips Exeter Academy Chamber Orchestra will join with the choirs as well, conducted by Peter Schultz and Rohan Smith. Soloists joining for this performance will be sopranos Erin Smith and Annamarie Zmolek, tenor Matthew Corcoran, and bass Mark Andrew Cleveland.

The final collaborator for Mozart will be Sylvia Berry, expert in Mozart and renowned fortepiano and harpsichord professional, who will deliver a pre-concert lecture prior to Sunday’s concert in Concord at 2:15 p.m., open to all with a concert ticket.

The Concord concert will be held at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission, and students are free.

You can purchase tickets from Chorale members, from the Capitol Center for the Arts, or at Gibson’s Bookstore and Merrimack County Savings Bank in Concord.

The Chorale will also be offering a concert in Exeter on Saturday at 7 p.m.

There will be two more performances during the year long celebration, as well as a trip abroad during the summer. The fall show will feature a piece written by Nicholas White, director of chapel music and organist at St. Paul’s School, specifically for the Chorale.

For more info on the Concord Chorale, visit concordchorale.org.

Author: Tim Goodwin

Share This Post On

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Our Newspaper Family Includes:

Copyright 2024 The Concord Insider - Privacy Policy - Copyright