US Army veteran joins Choral Artists of Sarasota for a 'Veteran’s Day in Song' performance

Special to the Herald-Tribune
·3 min read
The Choral Artists of Sarasota features 32 of Southwest Florida's most notable professional singers. Eight singers ages 16 to 22 also participate with the group each year as part of the organization’s educational outreach.
The Choral Artists of Sarasota features 32 of Southwest Florida's most notable professional singers. Eight singers ages 16 to 22 also participate with the group each year as part of the organization’s educational outreach.

Sgt. Major (ret.) Bob McDonald, a baritone and veteran of the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, D.C., will be joining Choral Artists of Sarasota for a “Veteran’s Day in Song” performance on Nov. 11 at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave., in Sarasota.

Choral Artists also will sing the National Anthem for the official city celebration of Veterans Day at JD Hamel Park on Saturday at 11 a.m. “Our soloist, Bob McDonald, will sing ‘God Bless America’ at the official city celebration,” Artistic Director Joseph Holt said, adding that the group is presenting a “Gallery of Honor” at Church of the Redeemer, highlighting the veterans in our area.

Sgt. Major (ret.) Bob McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, DC., will be joining Choral Artists of Sarasota for “Veteran’s Day in Song” on Nov. 11 at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.
Sgt. Major (ret.) Bob McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, DC., will be joining Choral Artists of Sarasota for “Veteran’s Day in Song” on Nov. 11 at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.

“This exhibit will be on display at Gillespie Hall at Church of the Redeemer, available prior to and following the performance," Holt said.

Tickets for Choral Artists' 45th season-opening event are $40, general admission; $20 for veterans with ID; and $5 for students. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900.

The concert program includes a medley featuring “Songs of the Soldier,” including “Chester,” “When Johnny Comes March Home,” “Over There,” “This is the Army Mr. Jones,” “Arirang,” “The Green Beret” and “God Bless the USA.” The program begins with a tribute to Armistice Day, the precursor to current Veterans Day, with a setting of “In Flanders Fields.” Conductor Holt will also lead the group in his arrangement of the Armed Forces Salute.

The Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 2023-24 season schedule includes:

· Christmas Celebration: Featuring an evening of holiday harmonies and festive favorites, including African-American spirituals. Sunday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m., Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Tickets: $40; students $5.

· Choral Cinemagic: Featuring popular movie music, including from the James Bond films, “Momma Mia!,” “Sister Act,” and a medley of all-time favorites. Sunday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota. Tickets: $40; students $5.

· Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight: Featuring the Florida premiere of “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight” by Florence Price, a depiction of the man burdened by the tragedies of the modern world, based on the poem by Vachel Lindsay, an African-American composer whose works were lost during the middle of the 20th century and later discovered in an attic in 2009. Sunday, March 10, 7 p.m., Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Tickets: $40; students $5.

· Considering Matthew Shepard: Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a modern-day “Passion” (modeled after the great “Passions” of J.S. Bach), tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of Oct. 6, 1998. In partnership with Embracing Our Differences, Project Pride, ALSO Youth, and the First Congregational Church UCC. Sunday, April 14, 7 p.m., Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Tickets: $40; students $5.

· Memorial Day Concert: The Choral Artists teams with the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble in a concert that also serves as the kickoff for the group’s tour to France to participate in the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. Sunday, May 26, 4 p.m., Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Tickets: $30-60; students $5.

The Choral Artists of Sarasota features 32 of the region’s most notable professional singers. Eight young singers, ages 16 to 22, are also invited to join the group each year as part of the organization’s educational outreach.

Submitted by Su Byron

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Army veteran joins Choral Artists for 'Veteran’s Day in Song' concert