April 1, 2012 @ 3:00 pm Sheepscot Valley Chorus spring concert, conducted by Linda Blanchard and accompanied by Sean Fleming.
December 2, 2012 @ 3:00 pm The Sheepscot Chorus presents a program of Christmas selections, directed by Linda Blanchard, and accompanied by Sean Fleming, piano and organ.
December 7, 2013 @ 3:30 pm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Soloists and Orchestra Highlight Sheepscot Christmas ConcertContact: Linda Blanchard 207-380-2768 lindamaine@mac.com Sheepscot Valley Chorus performs their Christmas concert Saturday, December 7, 3:30 p.m., at Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church. Featured on the program is the lovely Christmas Oratorio of Camille Saint-Saëns, sung in English with a professional orchestra of strings, harp and organ. Soprano Nina Tilander and baritone John David Adams, soloists in last season’s Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, are joined by mezzo-soprano Andrea Graichen, tenor Timothy Neill Johnson, and alto Jamie Knobloch for this special performance. French composer and organist Camille Saint-Saëns is best known for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, and his opera, Samson and Delilah. A child prodigy like Mozart, Saint-Saëns wrote the Christmas Oratorio at 23 years of age in 1858, completing it just ten days before its Christmas debut in Paris. The work’s intimate, lyrical setting of the Christmas story has made it an audience favorite. Soloists and orchestra also will join the Chorus for traditional carols and beloved Christmas works such as O Holy Night, Patapan, Stille Nacht (Silent Night), Holst’s Christmas Day, and I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Sheepscot Chorus is lead by director Linda Blanchard and accompanist Sean Fleming, both of Damariscotta. Advance tickets may be purchased at Maine Coast Book Shop, Sherman’s Books, and Treats. Tickets are $15 at the door, $12 in advance, and free to students. For more information, please visit our website at sheepscotvalleychorus.org.
April 26, 2014 @ 7:30 pm The Sheepscot Chorus, under the direction of Linda Blanchard and accompanied by Sean Fleming, presents Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, at the Second Congregational Church of Newcastle, on April 26 at 7:30 and April 27 at 3:00. The Requiem will feature bass-baritone John David Adams. Immerse yourself in the beautiful, serene, profound and moving Fauré Requiem. This transcendent and ethereal requiem has been described as a “lullaby” for the departed and is one of the great enduring masterworks of French repertoire. Shorter works will also be featured on the program, including several selections from Victor Herbert’s “The Fortune Teller”, Eric Whitacre’s “Animal Crackers Vol. I”, and “It’s A Grand Night For Singing” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “State Fair”. Finally, recipients of the Sheepscot Chorus annual scholarship will be featured.
April 27, 2014 @ 3:00 pm The Sheepscot Chorus, under the direction of Linda Blanchard and accompanied by Sean Fleming, presents Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in D minor, Op. 48, at the Second Congregational Church of Newcastle, on April 26 at 7:30 and April 27 at 3:00. The Requiem will feature bass-baritone John David Adams. Immerse yourself in the beautiful, serene, profound and moving Fauré Requiem. This transcendent and ethereal requiem has been described as a “lullaby” for the departed and is one of the great enduring masterworks of French repertoire. Shorter works will also be featured on the program, including several selections from Victor Herbert’s “The Fortune Teller”, Eric Whitacre’s “Animal Crackers Vol. I”, and “It’s A Grand Night For Singing” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “State Fair”. Finally, recipients of the Sheepscot Chorus annual scholarship will be featured.
September 16, 2014 @ 7:00 pm - November 16, 2014 @ 12:00 am Sheepscot Valley Chorus Welcomes New Singers The Sheepscot Valley Chorus begins their 34th season when rehearsals commence Tuesday, September 9th, 7:00-9:00 at the Wiscasset Congregational Church on Route 1. With a long history of community music making, the Chorus welcomes and encourages new singers to join us. Singers wishing to participate may call director Linda Blanchard at 207-380-2768, or simply come to the first rehearsal, voice at the ready. Our major works this fall are the beautiful and lively Magnificats (Song of Mary) of baroque composer Francesco Durante and classical composer Franz Schubert. The Durante has been attributed erroneously to Pergolesi (who was Durante’s student), so music lovers may be familiar with the work under Pergolesi’s name. Singers will enjoy working on these works together, as the differences between the baroque and classical settings are quite striking, with much variety. Both pieces will be accompanied by a professional orchestra and feature professional soloists. The second half of the program will include a mixture of classical works and lighter holiday fare. Sheepscot Valley Chorus is directed by Linda Blanchard and accompanied by Sean Fleming, both of Damariscotta. The Chorus will perform their concert Sunday, December 7th at 3:00 p.m., as part of the Harbor Lights Festival in Boothbay Harbor. Please join us!
December 7, 2014 @ 3:00 pm The Sheepscot Valley Chorus will present a concert of celebration, changing seasons, and the joy of hope and renewal – music ancient, music contemporary at the Congregational Church, Boothbay Harbor, on Sunday December 7, 2014 at 3:00 pm. Some highlights include Franz Schubert’s Magnificat (1861) and Francesco Durant’s Magnificat (1700). Franz Schubert, of Austria, was an “unrivaled master of lyrical beauty”. The mystery of such beauty must be left – kept – and sensed in a spiritual sense of our thinking. Francesco Durante, of Naples, Italy, was a leading composer of church music. The linking of church and state were one and the same: wealth given of God. Alford Burt’s music will also be featured. This American composer, a Second World War Veteran, translated the ageless message of seasonal transitions to modern romantic jazz – a meter of harmony and companionship. Christmas Carols by British composer, John Rutter will also be performed. Rutter’s music carries a strong sense of American jazz –a binding dissidence that is heard in the compositions of Duke Ellington and Sarah Vaughn. Under the direction of Linda Blanchard, accompanied by pianist Sean Fleming, the chorus will perform a beautiful program of music, rooted in history and traditional praise. Soloist, Soprano: Nina Tilander, Alto: Sue Hunt, Tenor: David Myers, Jr. and Bass: John David Adams. Instrumentalists include Dina Liva & Carol Preston, Violin; Linda Theriault, Viola; Christina Chute, Cello; and Quinn Gormley, Percussion. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15, or in advance, for $12, from Treats in Wiscasset, Sherman’s Book Store in Boothbay Harbor, or Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta.
April 25, 2015 @ 7:30 pm The Sheepscot Chorus and St. Cecilia Chamber Choir join forces to present Felix Mendelssohn’s epic oratorio Elijah, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, April 26 at 3:00pm, at St. Patrick’s Church in Newcastle, Maine. Gathered under the baton of Artistic Director Linda Blanchard, the combined group will be accompanied by the a professional orchestra and four outstanding soloists for this magnificent work – composed in the spirit of Baroque greats Bach and Handel. Elijah is deemed by many, along with Handel’s Messiah, to be one of the most spectacular large-scale choral works ever composed. It demands technical brilliance in every aspect: from the precision required of the soloists in all four arias, to the magnitude of skill and cooperation from the orchestra, as well as the volume of voices to bring the choruses to full and powerful fruition. The oratorio premiered in 1846 in Birmingham, England, where it was an instant triumph, and conducted by Mendelssohn himself, who would pass away the following year at the young age of 38. The extraordinary work depicts the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, whose spirit is tested by a plethora of natural disasters including floods, earthquakes and droughts. In addition to death, sacrifice, and questions of his own faith, the prophet is gently guided by the God of the Old Testament to ultimately regain prosperity for the citizens of Israel, find peace within himself, and, in a stunning finale, ascend to heaven by fiery chariot. The drama of these cataclysmic scenes, exemplary of the era’s romanticism, is perfectly conveyed by the magnificence and grandeur of the music. Mendelssohn’s composition is ripe with exquisite melodies, contemplative recitatives, and stirring choruses. Performing the title role is New York baritone Josh Miller, frequently lauded for his meticulous characterisation and rich, resonant voice. Appearing alongside Giles are three exceptional soloists: A frequent soloist with numerous ensembles in New England, the talented soprano Mary Sullivan, a longtime member of The Choral Art Society and the St. Mary Schola early music ensemble Andrea Graichen, the wonderful tenor David Myers, Jr., and the amazing boy soprano Benjamin Pugh. Don’t miss this exciting concert. Tickets will be available soon for this wonderful event.
April 26, 2015 @ 3:00 pm The Sheepscot Chorus and St. Cecilia Chamber Choir join forces to present Felix Mendelssohn’s epic oratorio Elijah, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, April 26 at 3:00pm, at St. Patrick’s Church in Newcastle, Maine. Gathered under the baton of Artistic Director Linda Blanchard, the combined group will be accompanied by the a professional orchestra and four outstanding soloists for this magnificent work – composed in the spirit of Baroque greats Bach and Handel. Elijah is deemed by many, along with Handel’s Messiah, to be one of the most spectacular large-scale choral works ever composed. It demands technical brilliance in every aspect: from the precision required of the soloists in all four arias, to the magnitude of skill and cooperation from the orchestra, as well as the volume of voices to bring the choruses to full and powerful fruition. The oratorio premiered in 1846 in Birmingham, England, where it was an instant triumph, and conducted by Mendelssohn himself, who would pass away the following year at the young age of 38. The extraordinary work depicts the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, whose spirit is tested by a plethora of natural disasters including floods, earthquakes and droughts. In addition to death, sacrifice, and questions of his own faith, the prophet is gently guided by the God of the Old Testament to ultimately regain prosperity for the citizens of Israel, find peace within himself, and, in a stunning finale, ascend to heaven by fiery chariot. The drama of these cataclysmic scenes, exemplary of the era’s romanticism, is perfectly conveyed by the magnificence and grandeur of the music. Mendelssohn’s composition is ripe with exquisite melodies, contemplative recitatives, and stirring choruses. Performing the title role is New York baritone Josh Miller, frequently lauded for his meticulous characterisation and rich, resonant voice. Appearing alongside Giles are three exceptional soloists: A frequent soloist with numerous ensembles in New England, the talented soprano Mary Sullivan, a longtime member of The Choral Art Society and the St. Mary Schola early music ensemble Andrea Graichen, the wonderful tenor David Myers, Jr., and the amazing boy soprano Benjamin Pugh. Don’t miss this exciting concert. Tickets will be available soon for this wonderful event.