PRIME SEASON
One voice, together The human voice can do amazing things – especially when it’s speaking in the universal language of music. This is perhaps most apparent with Sean chorale music – a style McCarthy of performance that is ultimately about creating togetherness. The focus becomes the variety of harmony and unity amongst the singers in the ensemble and the enjoyment that the performers share with an audience. Whether they are presenting Johann Sebastian Bach or an Elton John medley, chorale members invest great time and energy into learning, rehearsing, and eventually performing their brand of captivating sounds. A majority of the
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S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
chorus members are volunteers inspired by their love for singing. “A chorus is a group of people doing something together,” says John Graef, President of the Greater New Bedford Choral Society. “For any given singer the satisfaction comes with experiencing the music with other people. There’s a great pleasure with that. The singers are able to create something by doing it together. This music is about harmony. “Back when composers composed, they did so with the idea of creating sounds that go together in a musical context. You have to be able to sing your part when someone else is singing their part with
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another set of notes. You also have to be able to start and stop together. It requires discipline and there’s a pleasure that comes from getting it right.” Graef has advice for what to listen for at your first chorale performance. “You hear the different sections – the altos, sopranos, tenors and bass – and enjoy the sound that’s being produced by them. What you want to experience is the sense of togetherness coming from the singers.” It’s not a sensation felt only by the audience. “Chorale music is a feel-good experience for all involved,” says David Imhoff, President of the South Coast Community Chorale, based in Fall River. “The audiences say that they can they can see the joy and excitement on our faces while we’re singing. If we have a soloist
