HANOVER — Anyone missing choral music this holiday season is in for a treat at 2 p.m. this Sunday.
That’s when the Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley will premiere its Virtual Choir Showcase on YouTube Live and Facebook. The program features past performances by a dozen beloved area choir groups including North Country Chordsmen, the VoxStars, Harmony Night, Bel Canto, Cantabile, the Handel Society, Full Circle and the Juneberry Chorus. The program is roughly 90 minutes long and the link can be found at choralartsuv.org.
“I think it’s going to be a really wonderful concert,” said Johanna Evans, president of the nonprofit organization, adding that it will include pieces performed a capella and with orchestras, among other formats. “It’s a great range of music. (There’s) a little something for everybody.”
The Choral Arts Foundation began reaching out to choirs throughout the Upper Valley in July to gauge interest about putting together the virtual concert. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many groups were already anticipating that they would not be able to hold traditional live holiday concerts with audiences.
“We got enough positive energy about the idea then to start to get the ball rolling,” Evans said. “The nice thing is when you started that far out, it doesn’t take a lot of work along the way.”
Group members communicated via a Google doc about the selections they were submitting so the pieces would span a variety of styles. They sent the files to Evans by mid-November and she put them together to form the virtual concert. While some of the submissions are video, others are audio set to a slideshow of photographs.
“There’s some visual variety along with the music and I think it will make for an even more engaging show than what I initially intended,” Evans said.
Between selections, choir directors and members will speak.
“What we’re sort of hoping is people who can’t make it to every concert in a regular season, we’re hoping most of this music will be new to everybody,” Evans said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
