Chiaroscuro men's ensemble to stage Winter Choral Concert; benefit concert in Ann Arbor

Brad Heineman, The Daily Telegram
·3 min read

ADRIAN — Two concerts are on the schedule in March for Chiaroscuro, Adrian’s community men’s chorus group.

The first of the two planned performances is coming up this weekend for Sunday, March 3. The Winter Choral Concert will start at 3 p.m. inside the First United Methodist Church, Adrian, 1245 W. Maple Ave. Doors to the sanctuary will open at 2:30 p.m. A freewill donation will be accepted.

The concert will feature a variety of music and songs including works that will be presented at an upcoming concert in Ann Arbor — March 16 — featuring three combined men’s choruses.

During the March 16 performance, Chiaroscuro, Ann Arbor’s Measure for Measure and Birmingham’s Langsford Men’s Chorus will join forces to present a beneficial concert at Ann Arbor’s First Congregational Church, 608 E. Williams St., from 4 to 6 p.m.

The Adrian-based community men's chorus, Chiaroscuro, is pictured during its December yuletide choral concert that was held Dec. 13, 2023, in Holy Rosary Chapel, located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
The Adrian-based community men's chorus, Chiaroscuro, is pictured during its December yuletide choral concert that was held Dec. 13, 2023, in Holy Rosary Chapel, located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Tickets for the “Raising Voices, Raising Hope: Brothers in Song” benefit concert can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/Brothers-Song. Costs are $20 per person and additional donations will be collected. All proceeds from the benefit concert will go toward the First Congregational Church’s global humanitarian aid efforts.

Some of the song titles concertgoers can expect to hear Sunday when attending the Adrian concert include a processional sing “Dem Herrn” by Michael Praetorius; “Spaseniye Sodelal (Salvation is Created), Opus 25, No. 5" by Pavel Chesnokov; “There is a Balm in Gilead,” a traditional spiritual arranged by composer and pastor, Philip Devaney; “Alleluia” by Ralph Manuel; “The Water is Wide,” a Scottish folk song arranged by Miles Ramsey; “A-Roving,” an American sea shanty arranged by Norman Luboff; “Down in the Valley,” a Kentucky folk song arranged by George Mead; “Fisherman’s Son,” composed by Jimmy Rankin and arranged by Larry Nickel featuring violinist Holly Veter; “I Have Had Singing” by Ron Jeffers; “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” by William Steffe and arranged by Peter J. Wilhousky; and “The Awakening” by Joseph M. Martin.

More: Chiaroscuro, Adrian-based community men's chorus, holding new member auditions in January

Chiaroscuro, a nonprofit community ensemble, is under the direction of artistic director and founder, Susan Matych-Hager, Professor Emerita of music from Siena Heights University and the 2010 winner of the Maynard Klein Award for artistic excellence and a lifetime of leadership in the field of choral music, presented by the American Choral Directors Association of Michigan.

The chorus was founded in February 2013 and spent most of its concert season in 2023 celebrating one decade of being a part of the Adrian and Lenawee County community. The name of the choir is Italian for light/dark and is a term used in vocal music to describe a technique that results in a warm, resonant sound with great brilliance and carrying power.

The goal of the ensemble is to sing meaningful choral music with “beautiful tone that engages the minds and touches the hearts of the listeners,” a news release from Chiaroscuro said. The men in the ensemble include both amateur and professional musicians who come from a diversity of professions and represent a wide range of ages.

The singers rehearse once a week on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Adrian on Maple Avenue. New members are welcome to join the ensemble during audition periods in January, June and September.

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Matych-Hager, in addition to directing Chiaroscuro, is an award-winning and nationally known glass artist and jewelry designer. She serves as the director of glass at the Adrian Center for the Arts where she teaches glass classes. She has taught all levels of music from kindergarten through university age, directing choirs for more than 60 years.

Information about the chorus’ performance schedule and membership auditions is available at ChiaroscuroMensChorus.org or on the Chiaroscuro Ensemble Facebook page.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Chiaroscuro to stage Winter Choral Concert; benefit concert in Ann Arbor