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Maria van Kalken, Director of the Old North Festival Chorus and Minister of Music at Old North Church, has announced Registration and Rehearsal details for the Annual Lenten Choral Concert, and extends a warm and enthusiastic welcome to all singers to join!

 

Celebrating her 37th season as Director of the Festival Chorus, Maria has planned a beautiful choral concert to take place on Sunday, March 29, at 7:30pm, Palm Sunday. Members of the Old North Senior Choir, soloists, singers from the Old North Festival Chorus, and the Old North Festival Orchestra, will present this 60-minute concert in the sanctuary at Old North Church in Marblehead. Featured soloists will include sopranos Anne Burgett and Holly Cameron. The choral centerpiece of the Lenten Concert will be John Rutter’s stunningly beautiful Requiem; excerpts from Pergolesi’s sublime Stabat Mater, and other works of the season will be performed.

 

This event marks the beginning of Holy Week and was established to offer members of the Marblehead community a program of musical reflection by candlelight. Over the years, the ensemble has more than doubled from the original forty singers to over eighty, and presents challenging and extraordinary choral masterpieces.

 

All interested singers, from high school aged and beyond, are encouraged to join – those who have performed in past Festival Chorus Christmas and Lenten concerts, as well as newcomers. There are no auditions for the Chorus, and it is not necessary to be a member of Old North Church or the Festival Chorus to join, but previous choral experience is required. Registration and the first rehearsal will take place on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall of Old North Church; subsequent rehearsals will take place every Wednesday evening until the performance on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

 

For those wishing to borrow or purchase a Rutter Requiem score, they will be available at Registration. Scores for other choral selections – to be announced – will be provided at Registration. The cost of new Requiem scores will be $20.  In addition, there will be a nominal registration fee of $20 to help defray production costs.

 

Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday evening, from February 18 through March 11 (February 18, February 25, March 4, March 11), and again on Wednesday, March 25, from 7:30pm to 9pm; in addition, there will be a rehearsal on Monday, March 23 (note: there is no rehearsal on Wednesday, March 18).  Saturday rehearsal sessions will be announced as needed. A mandatory Dress Rehearsal with the Orchestra will take place on Saturday, March 28, from 10am to 1pm. The performance will take place in the evening of Palm Sunday, March 29, at 7:30pm (preceded by a warm-up rehearsal at 6:30pm).

 

All interested and experienced singers are welcome. Please forward any questions to Maria van Kalken, Director, Old North Church Festival Chorus & Minister of Music, Old North Church, at: vankalken@gmail.com