2023-02-22

South Shore Chorale to perform March 4-5

BRIDGEWATER – The South Shore Chorale is making its return to the stage.

The 59-member-strong group, based in Bridgewater, will perform at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church March 4 and the Central United Church in Lunenburg March 5. Both concerts will begin at 2 p.m. The theme of the concert is, Awakenings – Songs of Hope and Light.

The concert will feature classics by Kirchner and Di Lasso, as well as arrangements of contemporary composers such as Stan Rogers, Rajaton and Old Man Luedecke.

Advanced tickets are available at the Bridgewater Pharmasave, Buchanan's House of Music in Mahone Bay and Kinley's Pharmacy in Lunenburg, as well as members of the Chorale. Cost is $15 each or $20 at the door.

Peter Robson, chairperson and singer with the South Shore Chorale, said the concert will include a variety of songs from the classic, We Rise Again, to Luedecke's original, Chester's Boat Song, and a French piece written in 1560.

Robson said this range is one of the factors that sets this choir apart from many others, along with the fact they are a big group and "instead of being four-part harmony, we have enough members to subdivide those and we sing quite a bit of eight-part harmony which is more complex."

The group has been practising once a week since Jan. 8 for this concert weekend.

Leading the chorale will be director Amelia McMahon, now of Halifax. McMahon took over the choir last November from long-time director John Scott (12 years). She started off her tenure with the choir by leading them through Scott's program for their Christmas concerts.

McMahon grew up in Nova Scotia and has recently returned to the province. She has been teaching voice for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Voice from McGill University and studied choral conducting at the Université de Sherbrooke.

She has also performed and recorded with artists such as Juno award winners Ranee Lee and Joel Miller.

She has also sung with a group called, Vocalypse in two operatic productions. She is on the voice faculty at the Maritime Conservatory of the Performing Arts, co-conducts the award-winning Halifax chamber choir, Eastern Horizon and she is a member of the Halifax Camerata Singers.

Following this weekend of concerts, work on the next set of concerts that will be held May 14-15, the Mother's Day weekend will begin. Practises will take place Mondays at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Bridgewater. Interested singers should please register beforehand either online (www.facebook.com/southshorechorale) or 902-531-2745. Spaces are limited.

The local group, Mirth, will also be guest performers at this set of concerts.

The South Shore Chorale is a not-for-profit, non-audition choir that began in 1984. The group provides many opportunities for residents to experience choral music from various genres. Membership is open to anyone aged 17 or older. Fees are reduced or waived to ensure financial access to young people and others with limited means.