A Message from Maria van Kalken,
Director of the Old North Festival Chorus...

Rehearsals for the 43rd annual Festival Chorus Holiday Concerts will commence on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, in the Sanctuary at Old North Church in Marblehead. Registration begins at 7pm and a rehearsal will follow at 7:30pm; please arrive early to register. All singers are welcome!

Subsequently, rehearsals take place from 7:30pm to 9pm on Wednesday evenings and will extend to 9:30pm as the concert dates approach. Two (2) performances will take place – one on Saturday, December 2 at 8pm, and the second on Sunday, December 3 at 7:30pm. I am delighted to share my selections for this season’s program: Magnificat in D (performed in 2016) and Christus, Part 1 both by Felix Mendelssohn; Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams; World of Joy by Gary Fry; O Little Town of Bethlehem, arranged by Dan Forrest; and other seasonal favorites!

Our extraordinary quartet of section leaders/soloists includes: Holly Cameron, soprano; Gabriela Fagen, mezzo-soprano; Andrew Scoglio, baritone – all three of whom are familiar to those who participated last year – and Kevin Hayden, tenor. We are delighted to welcome Kevin back to serve as tenor soloist and section leader for the Festival Chorus and the Old North Church Senior Choir.

As we continue to emerge from Covid and return to pre-pandemic activities and behavior, allow me to review our current policy… It is expected that all who participate in our choral activities are vaccinated and as current as possible with boosters. We kindly ask that you bring proof of vaccination when you register, even if we have recorded this information in a previous season. We are not requiring masks to be worn at rehearsals or performances this year, but we are mask friendly! Anyone wishing to wear a mask should feel free to do so without judgement. We will continue to rehearse in the sanctuary – distanced from one another – out of respect for those who prefer this additional precaution. Further, we are no longer requiring Covid testing on rehearsal evenings, but ask that if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, please test at home, wear a mask if you are negative, and stay at home if you are positive! While we intend to stay current and watchful with protocols, please be reminded that singing poses a different risk factor (for all) compared to non-singing activities. It is likely that testing will be required during the week of our performances.
 

If you'd like to fill out the Registration Form in advance of the September 27 rehearsal, kindly download the PDF below!  This form contains information about the cost of music as well as the registration fee.
 

I can hardly wait to get started and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Maria

 

Please direct any questions to:

 vankalken@gmail.com

​

The Old North Festival Chorus is supported, in part, by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council as administered through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

 

Old North Church is accessible for the physically impaired.