Rehearsals begin for Fort Walton Beach Chorus' 47th spring show 'Forever Country'

Ebonee Burrell, The News Herald
·3 min read

FORT WALTON BEACH – The Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus is trying to locate new and former choir members to help put on its spring show production.

The 47th annual spring show is one of two productions that welcome the community to be a part of the musical performances. This year's theme is “Forever Country,” paying tribute to songs from country music stars like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Mattie & Tae, and featuring everything from classic country tunes to modern pieces.

New and former choir members of all voice ranges are welcome to join the choir. Starting Jan. 31, rehearsals will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at First Christian Church, 201 St. Mary Ave., until production week. The chorus will be accepting new members until Feb. 21.

In other news:'It doesn't take much': Destin eatery organizes 'Adopt a grandparent' for Valentine's

“It’s a non-audition choir, so if anyone has a love for singing then we invite them to join,” said Jessica Dugas, marketing chairperson for the chorus. “We’re just trying to actively recruit people to join the chorus because we love to see the talents within our community.”

"Forever County" will be performed May 12-14 at the Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium, 107 U.S. 98. Tickets for the spring show are currently for sale at local outlets in Niceville, Navarre and Shalimar and online at fwbc-chorus.square.site.

Since 1975, the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus has aimed to bring entertainment to the Emerald Coast through local talents within the community. The annual shows are organized to provide scholarships to local graduating high school seniors pursuing a degree in music.

The Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus Memorial Scholarship was established in 1993 in dedication to late long-time chorus members, and the organization has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to date.

“Since we are a nonprofit organization, it's our goal to give back to the community, so any money we get goes to those scholarships and funding the shows for us to have it,” Dugas said.

Jessica Dugas and Kim Wolf with the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus sing a carol during Fort Walton Beach's Light Up The Night Christmas tree lighting event held at the Fort Walton Landing on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.
Jessica Dugas and Kim Wolf with the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus sing a carol during Fort Walton Beach's Light Up The Night Christmas tree lighting event held at the Fort Walton Landing on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.

In the past year, Dugas said the chorus has seen a rise in engagement and participation since the pandemic and noted that last year’s season had a successful turnout. The chorus recently announced it was invited to perform at the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall this fall as a part of the Distinguished Concerts International New York City tour. Those interested in attending must be a part of the spring show.

“I feel like we’re building ourselves back up again since the pandemic. I’ve seen a rise in engagement not only on social media but in the community,” Dugas said. “We’ve seen really good turnouts in our last season, and we even got to perform at last year’s Christmas Tree lighting event.”

For more information about the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus or the spring production, email fwbcc1975@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Fort Walton Beach Chorus begins rehearsals for 47th annual spring show