Community men's chorus Chiaroscuro to give Spring Concert on May 21
ADRIAN — As part of its 10-year anniversary celebration, the Adrian-based community men’s chorus group Chiaroscuro will present its Spring Choral Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 21, in Holy Rosary Chapel located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in Adrian.
The concert will feature a variety of music including selections performed by the chorus over the past 10 years. Sacred songs, art songs, Scottish songs, cowboy songs and pieces from musical theater will be performed by the chorus, a news release said.
Formed in 2013 with 13 singers, Chiaroscuro is a men’s chorus whose members come from diverse walks of life, the release said. The name of the choir is Italian for light/dark and is used in vocal music to describe a vocal technique that results in a warm, resonant sound with “great brilliance and carrying power.”
There is no cost to attend Sunday’s concert. Freewill offerings will be accepted. The Adrian Dominican Sisters campus is at 1257 E. Siena Heights University. Immediately following the concert, a reception in honor of the members of Chiaroscuro will be provided, the release said.
The men in the chorus are professional and amateur musicians from a diversity of professions, representing a wide range of ages. A few of the men hold degrees in music; many have sung in school, church and/or community choruses at some point in their lives; and some have joined with no prior musical experience.
“All have a love of singing,” the release said.
Men who sing in the group must be able to match pitches (carry a tune) and be willing to work to learn their vocal parts outside of rehearsals. The singers rehearse once a week on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Adrian, 1245 W. Maple Ave.
Some performances from Sunday’s program include the premiere of “There is a Balm in Gilead,” which is a spiritual piece arranged for the men’s chorus by local composer the Rev. Philip Devaney. Male members of the audience will be invited to join the chorus in Peter Wilhousky’s arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Chiaroscuro is under the direction of artistic director and founder Susan Matych-Hager, professor emerita of music from Siena Heights University and the 2010 winner of the Maynard Klein Award for artistic excellence and a lifetime of leadership in the field of choral music, presented by the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) of Michigan.
Information regarding Chiaroscuro’s performance schedule and auditions for membership can be found at www.ChiaroscuroMensChorus.org or on the Chiaroscuro Ensemble Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Community men's chorus Chiaroscuro to give Spring Concert on May 21
