After three seasons silent, members of the Gilmer Arts Community Chorus are anticipating returning to the stage and letting their voices ring out at an upcoming fall concert.
The community vocal ensemble needs more area singers for that fall concert, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 21, at the George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse, 135 Dalton Street.
Chorus auditions will be held at the playhouse beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug 24.
“If you’re experienced with high school or college choral groups or sing in a church choir, please consider joining our chorus of music lovers from all over the area,” said chorus member John Rathbone. “Our members, who come from Pickens, Gilmer and Fannin counties, really enjoy singing and preparing for our concerts each spring and fall.”
The auditions are open to the public, and music does not need to be brought along. A selection to sing will be provided, noted conductor Charles Bryant.
“We can play the audition in any key because we’re trying to find out what voice range people might be in,” Bryant said.
Rathbone said the community chorus performs a range of choral works including popular and sacred music, showtunes and folk, traditional and holiday selections.
This year’s fall concert selections will not have any sort of unifying theme, but the program will include several “fun” classical selections, as well as pieces by composer Randall Thompson, noted Bryant.
“Some interesting pieces we’ll be doing that are kind of different are ‘I Bought Me a Cat’ and ‘Three Madrigals.’ Those are classical style pieces, but they also have some humor in them,” he added.
The Gilmer Arts conductors are well known in choral circles throughout Georgia, noted Rathbone.
Bryant’s experience includes teaching multiple school bands and choruses, as well as membership in the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, the 113th Army Band and as a soloist in the Cherokee Choral. He’s been a choral director for 46 years.
His fellow conductor, Charles Claiborne, has taught Atlanta-area high school choruses and directed music programs at Cumberland United Methodist Church in Smyrna, Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Kennesaw and Kodak United Methodist Church in Kodak, Tenn. He’s also a former conductor of the Smyrna Community Chorus and former assistant conductor of the Atlanta Choral Guild.
The community chorus usually performs two concerts a year, but both the 2020 and 2021 spring shows, along with last year’s fall concert, were all canceled due to the continuing pandemic.
“We absolutely need new members. It’s been such a long period of time between rehearsals, the core (membership) might change a bit,” said Bryant.
If singers are chosen for the concert, they will begin weekly rehearsals at the downtown Ellijay playhouse Tuesday, Aug. 31. Rehearsals are at 7 p.m.
Chorus members pay a $20 registration fee to help cover costs for music and supplies for the season, Rathbone noted.
“We often form a men’s chorus or a women’s chorus and an a cappella ensemble. If you love to sing, and to be challenged to sing well by some of the area’s best choral directors, come sing with us,” he added.