Happy anniversary! Chatham Chorale concert celebrates 50 years in church marking 300
Choristers share a bond.
Singing together means more than just occasional performances. Like any group activity — the sharing, the studying, the physical energy — creates a web of experiences and memories. A bond of common interest, and devotion.
The pandemic hit singers likely hardest of all musicians. Early super-spreader outbreaks linked to large groups of vocalists became a symbol of vulnerability. Mask-wearing made singing somewhat safer, but existentially challenging.
Even recently, as concerts began to return gradually, several large-scale vocal performances have had to be postponed.
But now the Chatham Chorale is ready to sing. And they have a 50th anniversary to celebrate as well.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Chorale, directed by Joseph Marchio, will give four performances at the First Congregational Church of Chatham, which is celebrating its own 300th anniversary. The varied program has the first Cape Cod performance of American composer Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living” as its centerpiece, a contemporary version of the traditional, including a "Sanctus" inspired by the Hubble telescope.
The Chorale has gathered online, and for performances over the holidays with the Cape Symphony, but these concerts have the feeling of a return to normal for the 100-or-so singers.
This summer: Festival plans for Vineyard concerts & wine, Provincetown theater, Cape chamber music
“Our last real concert was December 2019,” Marchio says. “During the pandemic, once we realized we weren’t going to be able to sing together, I started weekly Zoom sessions. Then we came back for ‘Holiday Pops’ with the Symphony, but COVID started working its way through the group again.
“So we had to cancel a January performance,” he says. “This feels like our return.”
A select group of instrumentalists, including Cape Symphony concertmaster Jae Cosmos Lee, will join the Chorale. Julian Petrallia will perform on the recently refurbished church organ. Longtime Chorale collaborator Joan Kirchner will join as soprano soloist, and Marchio will lead the performances.
Physical and financial health both key for Chorale
The four concerts are a sign of the Chorale’s enduring popularity. “The church will seat 250,” Marchio says, “we’re doing it without social distancing.”
Audiences will be required to show proof of vaccination, with mask-wearing optional but recommended. The Chorale members are all vaccinated and boosted.
The pandemic Zoom sessions kept the group together — “we did a lot of vocal exercises,” Marchio says, “and lots of solos from opera and Broadway” but were hardly enough to keep the singers in performance condition.
“I was worried about tension in the throat and jaw, from the masks,” Marchio says. “Watching some of the mouth and tongue positions, it made me nervous.”
Looking for ideas?: Spring reading: History, fantasy among 5 new books by Cape Cod authors
A few months of live rehearsals have helped restore underused techniques. And fortunately, the group’s performance future looks secure; subsequent Chorale performances are already planned for June.
Of the group’s finances, Marchio says, “the Chorale is healthy. The board president (Bud Ferris) came up with a cautious three-year plan, trying to keep costs down. We have 100 total members, but I think 65 to 70 is the perfect number for performances in the chancel of the church.”
The church has anniversary, too
Not to be overlooked is the 300th anniversary of the First Congregational Church itself. And it’s not just the number: Despite the pandemic limitations, the congregation, first established in 1720, has substantially renovated the church, and refurbished its organ.
Coming up: 'Shared creation': More art for Ukraine, more theaters reveal seasons, more arts news
“The church sanctuary did not change,” says Marchio, who is church pastor. “But we built a 25-foot addition, and put the organ pipes up above it. And where there was carpet is now hardwood — it’s a fabulous acoustic.”
The new organ will be introduced with three separate recitals later this spring, with performances by Petrallia, Marchio and Scott Dettra.
But first, a long-delayed anniversary concert, and a chance for audiences to hear Forrest’s “Requiem,” which had its premiere in 2013.
“We’re in a world where ‘Requiem for the Living’ just carries a different meaning,” Marchio says. “I don’t always immediately take to something, but I did with this. And the Chorale did, too.”
The Chatham Chorale
What: Concert of Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living”
When: 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: First Congregational Church of Chatham, 650 Main St.
Admission: $35, free for students and under age 18
Tickets and information: https://chathamchorale.org/ or 774-212-9333
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Chatham Chorale concert marks 50th anniversary in 300-year-old church
