The Tusculum Community Chorus will be bringing a variety of vocal stylings from early American hymns to Irish and Scot folk music during its spring concert on Monday, April 24.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum campus. There is no admission charge to the performance. Under the direction of Kathy May, the Tusculum Community Chorus includes both members of the campus community and the region coming together to share their love of vocal performance.
The chorus’ repertoire for the spring performance includes some early American hymns, “I Will Arise” and “Wondrous Love,” as well as the spirituals, “The Morning Trumpet” and “Soon-Ah Will Be Done.”
In honor of its upcoming trip to Scotland and Ireland, the chorus will be performing four songs from the Celtic part of the world, “My Gentle Harp,” “Loch Lomond,” “Tell My Ma” and “The Parting Glass.”
A bit of whimsy will be included in the concert, as the chorus will be singing two fun pieces, “Walk Him Up the Stairs” from the musical “Purlie,” and The Neighbor’s Chorus from the opera, “La jolie Parfumeuse” by Jacques Offenbach.
Matthew Brickey, the chorus’ accompanist, will be featured in two beautiful choral selections, “Blessed Are the Pure of Heart” and Faure’s lovely “Cantique.”
May is in her second year of directing the chorus and says she hopes to continue for many more. She has expressed her appreciation of the chorus members and their flexibility with rehearsal schedules this year as the director has also been preparing for Greeneville High School’s “South Pacific” performance and her retirement from public school education later this spring.
The Community Chorus was founded in the spring of 1996 with 35 singers as an avenue for people in the community and Tusculum to come together to enjoy a shared love of vocal performance. Over the years, more than 300 different singers have participated in the group and there are currently 50 vocalists in the chorus. The concert is part of Tusculum Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2016-17 performance and lecture series.