By Janice Malone
NASHVILLE, TN — Now in its landmark 50th season, the Nashville Symphony Chorus will return to the stage for the annual Voices of Spring concert 3 p.m. this Sunday, March 23, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The concert is free and open to the public. But this is only the first of several highly anticipated events this spring as the ensemble continues a year-long celebration commemorating five decades of memorable performances from the choral repertoire.
So what can the audience expect for this very special presentation? “It’s going to be a great afternoon filled with a variety of outstanding music,” says Chorus Director Kelly Corcoran. “Each year the Voices of Spring concert provides an opportunity to feature an entire program of choral masterpieces, and for this special 50th anniversary season, I wanted to select a repertoire that highlights the talent and flexibility of this group.” The two-hour concert will feature many highlights, one being 45 students from the Nashville School of the Arts Festival Choir performing with the chorus group,” Ms. Corcoran says, “The students are part of a partnership that’s an education initiative between the Symphony Chorus and young students. This program is full of variety, showcasing not only the technical achievements and range of the Chorus, but also their ability to connect with the audience emotionally and truly touch each listener.”
Voices of Spring will showcase half a dozen works, including Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil, Debussy’s Salut Printemps and Britten’s Voices for Today. “After intermission the chorus will perform All Night Vigil. This is truly a real highlight of the show,” says Corcoran proudly. “This is a massive choral work that’s 60 minutes long, and it’s done acapella style. This piece features the Nashville Symphony Chorus without any accompaniment. It’s an amazing piece that showcases the full spectrum of the Chorus’ talents.” The program kicks off an exciting two-month stretch for the Chorus that features three events in Nashville and a visiting performance in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Chorus was formed in 1963 by Nashville Symphony conductor Willis Page to perform Handel’s Messiah at War Memorial Auditorium.
The all-volunteer ensemble is comprised of individuals from every part of the Middle Tennessee community, including judges, lawyers, educators, professionals, servers and conductors, young and old alike. Of the group’s 205 current members, 12 have performed with the Chorus for at least 25 years, while one member, Richard Hatfield, has been with the group since its inception 50 years ago! “I’ve been singing with choral groups since I was in high school and later in college,” says Mr. Hatfield, who’s a long time school teacher in the Nashville school district. Mr. Hatfield is also a graduate of Tennessee State University, who later obtained his master degree from Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville. He continues, “I later became a member of a community chorus. They would often include high school choirs too. When the Symphony Chorus was officially formed many members of the community chorus were invited to become the first members of the brand new Nashville Symphony Chorus and I’m still here. Being a member for 50 years has been a great opportunity for me. It’s the experiences and the quality of those years that I love. I feel that being a part of such a significant organization, and the quality of the works that all of us in the chorus has done, is what makes it all worthwhile for me.”
Three weeks following the Voices of Spring concert, the Chorus will hold an open rehearsal and question-and-answer session at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Monday, April 14, for local students as part of a new educational outreach initiative designed to cultivate a passion for choral music in young singers in Middle Tennessee. The group will then head north, joining the Cincinnati Symphony to perform Mahler’s Eighth Symphony on Saturday, May 17, during the Cincinnati May Festival, widely considered America’s premier choral festival.
To wrap up the 50th anniversary festivities, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will close out the season with Johannes Brahms’ soul-stirring Requiem, May 29-31 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The program for the season finale will also include Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, which adapts a text from novelist James Agee, and Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. The Nashville Symphony has released 19 recordings on Naxos, which have received 14 GRAMMY® nominations and seven GRAMMY® Awards, making NSO one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. With more than 140 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, while its extensive education and community engagement programs inspire 100,000 children and adults each year.
SPECIAL NOTE: On May 14, 15, and 16th the Nashville Chorus Group’s been invited to perform at the prestigious Cincinnati May Festival (www.cincinnatimayfestival.com). The festival is one of the premiere choral music festivals in the country. The Chorus group needs 5 more singers to travel with them to this event. Do you have the talent to make the chorus? If so, anyone of any age and any profession is invited to audition. Full details can be found at: chorusauditions@nashvillesymphony.org
To reserve seats for the free Voices of Spring concert, visit NashvilleSymphony.org/voices-of-spring, or call the Schermerhorn Symphony Center box office at 615.687.6400. Tickets for Brahms’ Requiem are available at NashvilleSymphony.org, via phone or the box office. For information about the open rehearsal on April 14, please contact the Nashville Symphony’s Education Department at education@nashvillesymphony.org or 615.687.6500.