Sheepscot Valley Chorus Invites New Members for its Spring Season to sing the Forrest “Requiem for the Living” and Ellington favorites The Sheepscot Valley Chorus is heading into its spring season with its first rehearsal slated for Tuesday, January 17 at 7:00 PM, and new members are most welcome to join. The chorus has been singing for thirty-six years and is directed by Linda Blanchard, with accompanist Sean Fleming. The fall season will lead up to a concert in the spring that will feature Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living,” and “Ellingtonia,” a medley of songs by “Duke” Ellington. The “Requiem for the Living” by Dan Forrest, composed in 2013, is scored for mixed choir and orchestra with solos for boy soprano and tenor. Combining both liturgical and non-liturgical texts, this powerful five-movement work projects a wide range of meaningful expression, from a biting essay on the vanity and pain of mankind to a plea for mercy, and finally a celebration of eternal light. The work has received more than a hundred performances world-wide within a year of its composition, including performances in Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and multiple performances at Carnegie Hall. “Ellingtonia” features many “Duke” Ellington favorites, including: Azure Caravan Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me Don’t Get Around Much Anymore I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart I’m Beginning to See the Light I’m Just A Lucky So And So In A Sentimental Mood It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it ain’t got That Swing) Love You Madly Mood Indigo Satin Doll Solitude Sophisticated Lady Prelude To A Kiss Take The ‘A’ Train New singers are welcomed in without audition. While it is helpful to have some basic ability to read music, there are practice CD’s made available to help members to learn their parts. Every rehearsal has some laughter and camaraderie, even – or especially – during the final weeks preparing for concert. Last fall the SVC collaborated with the beloved Coastal Chorale, which had formally ended its over twenty-year run. The SVC gained former Coastal Chorale singers and expanded its audience to include Chorale fans from the Pemaquid Peninsula. The Sheepscot Valley Chorus rehearses Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM in the fellowship hall of the First Congregational Church in Wiscasset. Come sing!