The Old North Festival Chorus has released registration and rehearsal details in anticipation of its 43rd upcoming holiday concert season. Chorus Director and Minister of Music Maria van Kalken announced this week that registration will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Old North Church’s sanctuary. The first rehearsal will directly follow at 7:30 p.m.
Singers are not required to audition but are expected to have experience of some kind. The chorus and van Kalken highly encourage interested high-school students to consider joining. All participants will be required to purchase the music provided at registration in addition to the nominal registration fee.
Following the initial sign-up and rehearsal, weekly Wednesday rehearsals will take place every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. As the concert dates approach, rehearsals could extend an additional 30 minutes. The holiday program concert will have two showings on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. respectively. Van Kalken used her 35 years of experience as chorus director to assemble the musical selections for this year’s concerts. This season’s program include: Magnificat in D and Christus Part 1, both by Felix Mendelssohn; Fantasia on Christmas Carols, by Ralph Vaughan Williams; World of Joy, by Gary Fry; and O Little Town of Bethlehem, arranged by Dan Forrest. Soloists include Holly Cameron, soprano; Gabriela Fagen, mezzo-soprano; Kevin Hayden, tenor; and Andrew Scoglio, baritone.
The chorus does have a request for all potential vocalists, which is pertinent to COVID-19.
“As we continue to emerge from COVID and return to pre-pandemic activities and behavior, it is expected that all who participate in our choral activities are vaccinated and as current as possible with boosters,” van Kalken said in a press release. “We kindly ask that you bring proof of vaccination when you register, even if we have recorded this information in a previous season.”
She added that masks are more than accepted but not required. Unlike previous years, the chorus is not requiring COVID testing on the day of rehearsals. However, van Kalken asks that members do not attend rehearsal if they have respiratory symptoms.
The Old North Festival Chorus is supported, in part, by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council as administered through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.