Seaway Chorale and Orchestra returns with full concert

Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News
·2 min read
The Seaway Chorale and Orchestra will perform “Joy to the World,” a Christmas concert, Dec. 2 and 3 at Flat Rock High School.
The Seaway Chorale and Orchestra will perform “Joy to the World,” a Christmas concert, Dec. 2 and 3 at Flat Rock High School.
Utz
Utz

FLAT ROCK -- After a nearly sold-out concert in 2019, the Seaway Chorale and Orchestra was essentially silenced by the pandemic.

But, the 50-member ensemble is back.

“Joy to the World,” its first full concert in three years, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 in the Flat Rock Community Auditorium at Flat Rock High School, 25600 Seneca. Tickets are $15 each for adults and $10 each for students. Tickets are available from chorale members, at www.seawaychorale.org or by calling (734) 552-3645. Tickets also will be sold at the door.

“We are so excited to be back to normal, singing a full concert with staging, lights and props. We hope people are ready to come back to see and hear us again, because we are ready to see them,” Chris Utz, chorale president, said.

“Joy to the World” will showcase new and favorite Christmas songs, including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

“The program will consist of favorite Christmas music and some songs in new arrangements, including two by our talented director, Anthony Lai,” Utz said.

The Seaway Orchestra will accompany the Seaway Chorale. The groups began 45 years ago.

“For many people in the Downriver area over the last 45 years, this concert has been the way they start their holiday season,” Utz said. “It is a brief escape from the stresses of everyday life. The joy that we feel singing comes through and is contagious. Nothing feels better than when our energy is reflected back by our audience. We guarantee they will leave with smiles on their faces and humming at least one tune.”

The chorale is still regrouping following the pandemic.

“Our last full performance was December, 2019. It was nearly sold-out, about 600 people each night. We were unable to safety perform until fall of 2021, when we took advantage of the generosity of several local churches who hosted concerts. We performed successfully with masks and managed to do concerts in the fall and spring with no COVID cases,” Utz said. “We currently have 50, down from our last full concert, but up from our numbers immediately after COVID.”

The ensemble is planning a spring concert. “Almost Anything Goes” will be offered May 5-6.

“It will feature a wide range of music from multiple genres,” Utz said.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Seaway Chorale and Orchestra returns with full concert