Community men's chorus, Chiaroscuro, to present Yuletide Choral Concert Wednesday, Dec. 13
ADRIAN — Holiday music lovers will be treated to songs of the season and other arrangements during a Yuletide Choral Concert coming up at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, presented live by community men’s chorus, Chiaroscuro.
The holiday vocal concert will be staged at Holy Rosary Chapel, located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian. Doors open at 7 p.m. There is no cost to attend, and a freewill offering will be accepted.
The concert will feature a variety of music including seasonal selections composed and arranged for a four-part men’s chorus.
Continuing with 2023’s yearlong celebration of the 10th anniversary of Chiaroscuro, many of the songs have been selected from the chorus’ previous repertory, a news release from Chiaroscuro said. Local musician Kerwin Leader will be a guest artist for Wednesday’s concert and will provide a pipe organ prelude and postlude.
Members of the chorus were asked to submit their favorite pieces for consideration for the program, particularly compositions that were appropriate to the season. In addition to the favorites selected, several new works have been added to the repertory including Ralph Manuel’s “Alleluia.” The audience will be invited to participate in the opening and closing Christmas carols.
Chiaroscuro was formed in February 2013 by director Susan Matych-Hager, Professor Emerita of Music at Siena Heights University and 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 (ACDA) of Michigan. Its members, both amateur and professional singers, come from diverse walks of life, the release said, and together the chorus strives to achieve the highest quality musical experience.
A few men in Chiaroscuro hold earned degrees in music, many have sung in school, church or community choruses at some point in their lives, and some have joined with no prior musical experience.
“All have a love of singing,” the release said.
Men who sing in the group must be able to match pitches and be willing to work to learn their vocal parts outside of rehearsals.
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.
“Chiaroscuro seeks to touch the hearts and minds of the listener with beautiful, expressive singing,” the release said.
Chiaroscuro maintains an active performance schedule. The chorus was one of 13 male choruses selected by recorded audition to perform in March at the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses Seminar held at Albion College. In just a couple of months, in March 2024, Chiaroscuro will join two of those adult male choruses to present a joint concert in Ann Arbor.
The men have performed several times at Artalicious, downtown Adrian’s two-day art festival held in September.
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The chorus encourages men who love to sing to join them during their membership drive during upcoming January Tuesday rehearsals beginning Jan. 9, 2024. The singers rehearse once a week on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Adrian, 1245 W. Maple Ave.
New members are accepted in January, June and September. 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: Community men's chorus, Chiaroscuro, to present Yuletide Choral Concert
