Fairmont State Community Choir is back and belting the high notes
Sep. 15—FAIRMONT — Fairmont State University's Community Choir is back after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director John Morrison began rehearsals Tuesday evening and will continue them each Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. in Wallman Hall, Room 229, from Sept. 13-Nov. 8.
Morrison said he is looking forward to the semester.
"It's very exciting — it's liberating. It's a warm feeling to see everyone again and see familiar faces of people who were in the Community Choir before. Even just as I was carrying stuff in and walking through the door, there was just so much joy of people getting to see each other again — besides just the singing aspect to it," Morrison said.
Morrison said the semester will end Nov. 11, when the Community Choir will perform eight songs they will be working on. The Collegiate Choir will also perform at the concert and Morrison said they will likely perform a few songs together.
At Tuesday's practice, they went over the majority of the songs they are working on, with the Romanian folk-dance song Chindia by Alexandru Pascanu being his favorite. He said practice went well.
"I was very impressed working with them tonight because it's almost like no time has passed, even though so much has happened in the world since then," Morrison said.
Alto singer Ashley Bainbridge said she is looking forward to the rest of the semester and being able to practice skills she doesn't get to use often.
"I like being able to use the creative side of my brain in a way that I haven't been able to in a while. It's been a while since I tried to site read and I forgot how fun that is, especially when I get it right," Bainbridge said with a laugh.
She said she likes being able to support the arts and does often at Fairmont State frequently because her children are involved with the school's Academy of the Arts.
"I do also love that I can support the arts in a different way because my kids come here all the time for their classes," Bainbridge said.
The Community Choir is open to singers of all levels and vocal ranges, ages 18 and older. The Community Choir rehearses for various concert performances and collaborative performances with other choirs.
They are still taking new members. The choir is open to singers of all experience levels, vocal ranges and levels, ages 18 and up. The ability to read music and prior choral experience are not required, but are encouraged.
Regular attendance is expected, so that members are prepared for the end of semester concert.
The concert will be held at Fairmont State University's Wallman Hall Theatre on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m..
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