2 minute read
On the Road with The Blackhawk Chorus
www.BlackhawkLivingCA.com @BlackhawkLivingCA #BlackhawkLivingCA
By Linda Kralik, Resident since 1984 Berkshire Hathaway/Drysdale Properties
This month I bring to you something completely outside the realm of real estate. It is a tribute to The Blackhawk Chorus, who just finished their 6th Chorus Tour with the sights of Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
The Blackhawk Chorus was established 27 years ago as a branch of Blackhawk Women. There were 12 brave ladies meeting at the home of the director and founder, Diane Gilfether. I was blessed to be one of those 12 original singers, and there are still 3 other original members to this day. As the Chorus grew. and men were incorporated into the mixed voices, it no longer was a part of Blackhawk Women and became a stand alone group.
Over the years the Chorus would tackle more and more difficult pieces and would reach a semi-professional level of performance. It was then, in 2003 that it was decided to take our show “On the Road” with European Tours of Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. In 2005 we toured Italy and sang the noon mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, a thrill for this little farm girl!! In 2008 we covered most of Great Britain and Scotland singing at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and watched the Scottish Tattoo, another thrill of a lifetime. In 2011 another tour began with the celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee then took us to Wales and Ireland. 2015 found the group wandering the hills and coast land of Spain where we captivated audiences at every performance.
So, this year the tour had an Americana flavor as we performed in Boston at Faneuil Hall, the meeting hall where the revolution over the Tea Tax began. From Boston we proceeded to Philadelphia where the meetings occurred in Independence Hall, which formed our government. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were both signed here. And the Liberty Bell, which rang for our freedom, is preserved here as well. We had the pleasure of a dual concert with two local choir groups; one, a gospel choir from St. Thomas African Episcopal Church, established in 1792 as the first black church in America, and the second group was an all women’s chorus, The Buck’s County Women’s Chorus. These were two separate performances a few days apart.
And finally, after a stop at the Gettysburg battlefield, where we stood as a group where President Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg address, we completed our tour in Washington, D. C. It was a fabulous trip, enjoyed by all, revering our Founding Fathers in voice and song.
