Much-Loved Holiday Concerts Return to Chatham’s United Methodist
Chatham, MA / December 1, 2018 – The Chatham Chorale and Chambers Singers once again offer a bounty of seasonal music in the beautiful space and great acoustics of Chatham’s United Methodist Church, on Saturday, December 15, at 3:00 pm and Sunday, December 16, at 2:00 and 5:00 pm. Led by Music Director Joe Marchio, the singers will be joined by Chorale accompanist Donald Enos on piano and organ and the string players of Quartett Giocosa in a program of traditional and surprising selections from many eras, to lift spirits and warm this holiday season.
“I’ve made it a special mission this year to seek out terrific new arrangements of Christmas favorites,” says Marchio. “It’s remarkable how many gifted composers working today have revisioned this beloved body of music into exciting new forms—on this program are pieces arranged by Mack Wilberg, David Herman, Dan Forrest, and Mark Hayes.”
That’s not to say tradition is overlooked. Audiences will hear the classic David Willcocks arrangements of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Handel’s Messiahis represented by the thrilling chorus “For Unto Us a Child Is Born,” and Marchio will lead a singalong of Franz Gruber’s “Silent Night.”
Bringing a fresh instrumental twist to the music are the women of Quartett Giocosa: Heather Goodchild Wade and Irina Fainkichen (violins), Irina Naryshkova (viola), and cellist Elizabeth Schultze. The players met in the Cape Symphony and have performed as a quartet since 2017. As well as accompanying the Chorale, the Quartett will play the Scherzo from Aleksandr Borodin’s String Quartet no. 2.
The Chamber Singers contingent is featured in the Renaissance gem “Cantate Domino” by Heinrich Schütz, new arrangements of “Who Are These Like Stars Appearing” and “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and the second movement of Schubert’s Magnificat in C Major, D. 486 (joined by the full Chorale in the two outer movements).
Chatham Chorale is one of Cape Cod’s longest-established choral ensembles, for 48 years presenting an annual concert series with programs ranging from choral masterworks to Broadway, pops stylings, and premieres of new works by regional composers. The Chorale also regularly collaborates with the Cape Symphony—as earlier this month in the Holiday Pops concerts—and sings in service to the community.
Tickets ($25 open/$30 reserved) can be purchased at www.chathamchorale.org/tickets, by phone (774-212-9333) or at the door the day of the concert. Students and those under 18 admitted free with a ticket; call the number above. For more information, visit www.chathamchorale.org