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South Holland Master Chorale returns to active singing

Suburban singers prepare for two December concerts

information provided by the South Holland Master Chorale

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (October 30, 2021) – After more than a year and a half of absence, members of South Holland Master Chorale announced their return to active singing. The group is eagerly preparing for upcoming holiday performances.

Chorale
Albert Jackson leads members of South Holland Master Chorale during a masked and socially distanced rehearsal at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Homewood. The group is preparing for upcoming Christmas concerts. Marilyn Bourgeois is rehearsal pianist for the Chorale. (Photo provided)

Concerts are planned for two dates in December. The Sunday, Dec. 5, performance at 4 p.m. will be hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Church, 17951 Dixie Highway, Homewood. The Sunday, Dec. 12, concert at 4 p.m. will be hosted by St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, 500 Northgate Drive, Dyer, Indiana. The Chicago Gargoyle Brass Ensemble will join the Chorale for a program of traditional and contemporary holiday favorites by Robert Shaw, Philip Stopford, Ralph Vaughn Williams, and others. The holiday programs will feature the magnificent “Gloria” by John Rutter.

Concerts are free of charge, with freewill donations accepted. In line with health recommendations and out of an abundance of caution, audience members will be required to wear masks at both concerts.

Making a musical comeback

The last public concerts the Chorale performed were in December 2019. The group canceled rehearsals in March 2020 during the early days of COVID quarantine. Throughout the lockdown, Chorale members kept in touch through emails, phone calls, and regular statements from the Chorale board and director Albert M. Jackson.

“Those were tough times for everyone,” remembers Jackson. “The Chorale has really become like an extended family, and it was very difficult not to be able to meet and support one another.”

Even when conditions began to ease, the Chorale board was hesitant to begin rehearsals out of concern for the health of the members and their families. Regular rehearsals finally began on Sept. 13, with the requirement that all participants be fully vaccinated and masked during rehearsals. Singers also are directed to maintain social distance while singing.

Excitement and joy

Jackson says the return to singing together has brought palpable excitement to the choristers. “While we are steadfastly taking all the best preventive and protective measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID virus,” said Jackson, “we are joyfully engaging once again in rehearsals and preparation for our Christmas concerts.”

Beyond the two concerts in December, the Chorale also expects to continue their regular season in spring 2022.

More information about the South Holland Master Chorale and their upcoming performances is available online:

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South Holland Master Chorale
South Holland Master Choralehttps://southhollandmasterchorale.org/
South Holland Master Chorale grew from a group that began in the early 1970s at what was then Thornton Junior College, later renamed South Suburban College. The Chorale now receives financial support from the Village of South Holland, from which it takes its current name. Over its long existence, the Chorale has performed throughout the Chicago south suburbs and Northwest Indiana, presenting major works both classic and contemporary.

1 COMMENT

  1. Fantastic!!!!! The combined gifted voices of a large-member choir, such that they are, is nothing short of Heaven. Not to be missed.

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