GREENEVILLE – The Tusculum University Community Chorus, which has entertained local audiences since 1996, is going global with five performances in Europe in June.
This photo shows many of the members of the Tusculum University Community Chorus who are participating in the trip.
About 30 members of the chorus, along with friends and family members, will join director Kathryn May for 11 days in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. They will perform a cappella concerts at impressive venues such as Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria, and San Giovanni Battista Church in Meduna di Livenza, a municipality near Venice.
At two concerts, the Tusculum group will share the stage with choruses from the country it is visiting but perform separately. In one instance, the choruses will join forces to perform a song for the audience.
“Our hosts like us to sing a mix of American music, so we include modern pieces along with country gospel pieces and several spirituals,” May said. “We also incorporate plenty of traditional choral music to provide a comprehensive experience for the audience.”
The trip aligns with one of May’s goals when she took over as the Tusculum chorus’ director in 2015 – for the group to travel together. In 2017, choral members flew to Ireland and Scotland.
“These trips build camaraderie among our group members,” she said. “They also give the group an opportunity to sing in venues we can’t experience in the United States. When we visited Ireland and Scotland, for example, we performed in St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.”
The Tusculum chorus holds two public concerts a year on the campus and performs at the annual community Thanksgiving service in Greeneville. The chorus’ membership consists of Tusculum students, adult members of the community and high school juniors and seniors.
May taught choral music and theory for 37 years in the Greene County and Greeneville school systems before retiring in 2017. She has since taught music at Tusculum, East Tennessee State University and Walters State Community College.