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Greetings!
Spring is in the air! Although the official start of spring is a few weeks away, the recent warm weather has brought the first leaves and buds to the roses and other flowers in our gardens. As a continuation of our 30th Anniversary: A Season of Roses, The Chapel Hill Community Chorus is looking forward to sharing our concert My Rose with you in Memorial Hall on May, 14th.
Steve Dobrogosz, a native of Raleigh, will travel back to North Carolina from his home in Sweden to attend the U.S. premiere of his composition My Rose, A Shakespeare Oratorio. We are very excited to host Steve and even more excited to welcome him as the pianist for our concert! A short summary of the work can be found below.
This month's CHCC Update also features a bio on one of this spring's soloists, an update from Cantari, and a long-time member reflection from Ann O'Hale.
Enjoy the flowers,
Bill Kodros
President, CHCC Board of Directors
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| Symphonic Concert: My Rose, A Shakespeare Oratorio |
My Rose is a two-hour composition for chorus, four soloists, orchestra, and jazz piano. Steve Dobrogosz cites Shakespeare's timeless texts, along with a fruitful collaboration with the Opus Project Choir Foundation, as the inspiration for this work.
My Rose was completed in an astonishingly short period of four days! Various musical styles including musical theater, classical, and jazz infuse the music with a popular and timeless quality. The composer calls it "romance with a
touch of humor.
Steve Dobrogosz says of the piece, "Everything romantic I have ever wanted to say, I think I have said it now. It is all about love. 'All you need is love' would be a great subtitle for this. When I wrote this, it came out all at once, I could barely write it down. That was a special feeling. When I finished it, I felt this was the best thing I had ever written." My Rose is dedicated to the composer's wife, Katarina. |
| Cantari Update | |
Cantari has welcomed several new singers as the group has been busily preparing for a series of spring concerts to be performed in May. The concert theme, I Am the Rose of Sharon: Music from the American Revolution to the Age of Twitter, aptly characterizes the variety and freshness of the program, which will feature American music by composers including William Billings, Stephen Foster, and Stephen Paulus.
Cantari members are excited to be offering a preview of selections from this repertoire at Wine and Roses, a gala and fundraiser that CHCC will host at the Sienna Hotel in Chapel Hill on Sunday afternoon, March 20, in honor of our platinum patron Florence Peacock.
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Celebrating 30 Years: Member Reflections
|  Ann O'Hale joined the chorus in 1994 as a way to remember her father. We've asked Ann to share her thoughts about the chorus and what it means to be a member.
When did you join CHCC?
Ann: I joined the chorus around 1994, originally as a way to remember my Dad. Dad was a wonderful Irish tenor and he and I sang together throughout my childhood. Often while doing the dishes!
Dad died in 1993 and I missed singing with him so I looked for another outlet and was lucky enough to find the Chapel Hill Carrboro Community Chorus. It has been a delight to sing with the group and I have rarely missed a semester over the years.
What is your favorite piece of music performed with the Chorus?
Ann: I have loved so many pieces of music, especially Carmina Burana and Leonard Bernstein's mass.
What value do you believe the CHCC brings to the Community?
Ann: The Chorus is such a vibrant and congenial group of folks and I think it gives some very lovely entertainment opportunities and helps us all celebrate being part of this community.
Do you have a favorite memory you'd like to share about your time in the chorus?
Ann: One of my favorite memories is the trip the Carolina International Chorale took to Italy several years ago - a once in a lifetime trip to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and a tremendous singing experience.
What else do you want us to know about CHCC?
Ann: The chorus rehearsals are usually one of the highlights of each week! |
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Recognized for musical excellence, the Chapel Hill Community Chorus is an organization open to qualified singers who desire to bring the beauty of choral music to our community and beyond. |
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| Friends of the Chorus |
Interested in supporting your community chorus?
For a $50 dollar donation you can place a business card sized ad in our Spring program insert. If you are interested in placing an ad please contact
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Local Rose Gardens
| | Plan to visit these local gardens to get your fill of beautiful roses this spring.
UNC Chapel Hill Rose Garden
Gene Strowd Community Rose Garden
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
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Featured Performer: Anna Kirby
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Anna Kirby, Soprano, is a North Carolina native. Ms. Kirby's voice has been described by critics as a "soaring, shimmering soprano... a standout, stealing vocal honors all around." In 2004, Ms. Kirby performed as Iris in the East Coast premiere of Lee Hoiby's The Tempest, and was praised by The Independent Weekly as possessing a "robust sound which must not be ignored." She has performed with Capital Opera, Greensboro Opera, Long Leaf Opera, North Carolina Opera's Opera About Town, and The Durham Savoyards, Ltd. Roles include Madame Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Marguerite in Faust and Micaela in Carmen.
Ms. Kriby's ensemble talent was highlighted in the all women's quintet, Isabella, and she was a guest soloist with the Women's Voices Chorus of Chapel Hill, NC. Ms. Kirby has also enjoyed engagements as sopraono soloist in Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Creation, Pergolesi's Magnificat, and Rutter's Requieum. She is thrilled to be sining in CHCC's upcoming performance of Steve Dobrogosz's My Rose.
Anna holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from UNC-Greensboro and recently completed a Master's Degree in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. Ms. Kirby teaches voice lessons and resides in Durham, with her husband Carl, and their daughter, Olivia.
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Get the Word Out
| | | Please don't forget to pass this newsletter on to others that may be interested in learning more about the Chorus. Simply click the "Forward Email" link found at the bottom of the screen. |
CHCC Poster Wins Award
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Congratulations to
Jennings Co
who's design for CHCC's Spring 2010 concert A Choral Sampler won Gold at the February 25
Triangle Addy Awards!
 Jennings generously designs our concert posters each semester pro bono. Thanks Jennings and keep up the great work!
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