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Grafton – Come celebrate the season at Apple Tree Arts Holiday Pops concerts Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. showcasing the talented 29-member Community Chorus performing a selection of upbeat, contemporary and traditional holiday music in a fun, cabaret setting with light appetizers and cash bar at the Great Hall, One Grafton Common in Grafton. Tickets cost $20 and are available at https://appletree75.eventbee.com/event?eid=143072124 or call 508-839-4286 or visit Apple Tree Arts office. Space is limited.
“We’re excited to present a festive, Holiday Pops concert featuring an eclectic variety of music including traditional carols, contemporary composers like Eric Whitacre and his challenging ‘Glow’ piece, ‘Amazing’ by Pinkzebra, an upbeat inspirational song with pop-styled vocal harmonies and ‘Joy,’ by Joe Raney, a gospel style carol celebrating the Christmas story,” explained Chuck Brown, music director.
The Chorus, under the direction of Brown with the accompaniment of Theresa Atkinson, has been rehearsing weekly since September.
“We try to do something different at each of our concerts because we don’t want to be labeled as a chorus that only performs classical or Broadway music,” Brown said. “When people attend our concerts, we want them to be exposed to different styles of music, we try to make it a learning experience for them and the Chorus members. We become better singers when we learn a variety of music.”
Additional songs the Apple Tree Arts Community Chorus will perform include “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” sung by the men of the Chorus with swinging melodies and a walking bass line; “The World for Christmas,” a unique a capella piece that will be sung by a small ensemble and Tim Hayden’s dramatic choral arrangement for “Mary Did You Know” with a pop-country style and bridge of wonderful harmonies. A few more holiday themed additional selections will be sung.
New members are welcome to join Apple Tree Arts Community Chorus to help create inspirational music for the greater Grafton community. The non-audition chorus is open to all adult and high school-age singers. Members are from Grafton, Millbury, Sutton, Upton, Westborough and Whitinsville. The group takes a short hiatus after the winter concert and starts meeting again in mid-January to rehearse for a spring concert.
Apple Tree Arts, a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization has grown to serve over 1,500 children and adults annually with early childhood music classes, group keyboard lessons, private music and voice instruction, ensembles, theatre arts programs, community events and concerts. For more information, visitwww.appletreearts.org.
