CONTACT: Susan Chadwick
603-930-2527
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pemigewasset Choral Society celebrates the holiday spirit
with three performances of Sing Out My Soul.
Gilford, Moultonborough, Plymouth, NH—The Pemigewasset Choral Society (Pemi Choral) invites you to begin your holiday season with this year’s concert series, Sing Out My Soul. Join us in Gilford at the Gilford Community Church on Thursday, December 1st at 7:30 pm; at our new location in Moultonborough at Moultonborough Academy High School on Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 pm; and in Plymouth at The PSU Silver Center on Sunday, December 4th at 4:00 pm. Entrance is by donation.
Pemi Choral is one of the oldest community choruses in New Hampshire with members from all over the Lakes Region and Central New Hampshire. With the number of singers back to its pre-pandemic membership, Pemi Choral is once again 90-voices strong. Music Director Will Gunn, says, “The pandemic has taught us many lessons, but I believe the biggest one is to show gratitude for those things that we often take for granted, like singing in person!”
Sing Out My Soul is a holiday-themed concert that incorporates a mix of traditional Christmas classics with newer pieces. The concert title is taken from one of the newer pieces, based on a poem by Welsh poet William Henry Davies. The opening line of the poem calls us to let joy come from deep within, and to sing your song of joy.
A focal point of the concert is three versions of Ave Maria, a traditional Catholic prayer often sung at Christmas. Director Will Gunn has selected three different settings: one by R. Nathaniel Dett, a Black American-Canadian composer, who uses jazz harmonies; one by Spanish composer Javier Busto, whose setting is more ethereal and modern; and finally, an energetic version by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, sung in Russian.
Also included in the concert is a gospel Hallelujah, a Choral Reflection on Amazing Grace, variations on traditional classics such as Angels We Have Heard on High, and several favorite audience sing-a-longs. Violinist Caterina Yetto accompanies the chorus on several numbers, as do Plymouth Regional High School students Dash Ough on drums and Quinn Amsden on bass.
“The holidays mean many things to different people–family traditions, somber reflection, and joyous celebration. I hope the audiences come in with a sense of peace and reflection, and are ready to rise to their feet for the joyous ending,” says Gunn.
The Pemigewasset Choral Society, celebrating its 50th season, is a regional community chorus based in Plymouth, NH, with a wide-ranging musical repertoire. Members come from communities throughout the Lakes Region and the White Mountains and include a diverse range of ages from high school students to those in their 80s. They perform concerts in December and in the Spring, and welcome new members at the beginning of each semester. For more information, please visit pemichoral.org
