ALTON - The Great Rivers Choral Society (GRCS), an adult choir of mixed voices serving the Riverbend area of Southern Illinois, is pleased to announce the kickoff of the 2019-2020 season.
The concert series begins in the fall (Oct. 12-13) with “A Colloquium of One: Listen.” Music Director Raynard Brown suggests the musical selections will “resonate with the emotions of all people, in all of its forms and celebrations. The music in this concert will inspire, inform, and invoke dreams or memories of a better time, a better place, a better world.”
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This will be the first performance of the GRCS under the leadership of Brown, who is excited to take the chorus in new directions. “I think we’re going to have some really phenomenal experiences,” he declared. “From what I’m hearing, I think this chorus is going to make a wonderful impact on the community.”
Raynard Brown’s extensive experience in conducting has confirmed in him the belief that choral music, like all human endeavors, is “rooted in the foundations of truth, honesty, community, working together, and listening to each other’s hearts.” This conviction supports the Winter concert series (Dec. 14-15), “A Soliloquy of Wintertide: Escapade.” Selections will include “holiday musical favorites about what it means to belong to a family, and how in times of strife, reconciliation and joy we bond together to help and heal each other,” according to Brown. He added, “This program honors Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the winter season.”
The third and final concert of the season will take place April 25-26, 2020. “Tapestry of Sound: Fusion” will cover many crowd-pleasing songs from the best of Broadway, the toe-tapping sounds of R&B, the melodious sounds of soul, to the top-40 hits of an era from the past. “Expect a concert full of costuming, grand staging and magnificent choreography,” advised Brown.
Regarding the concert season, Brown predicted, “It’s going to be an unforgettable experience. Because this is not just a bunch of individual people delivering individual notes; these people endeavor to create a moment that touches the heart, the soul and the mind. It’s all about that spiritual, emotional impact.”
All concerts are free to the public, with a free-will offering taken during the performances.
The full concert calendar is:
A Colloquium of One: Listen
Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Evangelical United Church of Christ, 1212 W. Homer M. Adams, Godfrey, Illinois
A Soliloquy of Wintertide: Escapade
Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 3 p.m.
St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 717 State Street, Alton, Illinois
Tapestry of Sound: Fusion
Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Godfrey First United Methodist Church, 1100 Airport Rd., Godfrey, Illinois
ABOUT GREAT RIVERS CHORAL SOCIETY
Great Rivers Choral Society, Inc., which was founded in the fall of 2001, is an adult chorus of mixed voices whose objective is to foster and encourage music education and appreciation in southwestern Illinois. The choir is made up of 40-60 volunteer artists from all age groups and walks of life who enjoy singing and are looking for a means of expressing collectively their vocal talents.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please visit grcs-sing.org.
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