“If you haven’t been following the Kearsarge Chorale, you’ve been missing out – missing out on 15 years of the magic of their music,” according to long-time audience member Linda Barnes of Salisbury. In this fifteenth anniversary year, concerts are to take place on May 25 and November 23.
Weekly rehearsals have been underway since mid-February for the spring concert at Kearsarge Regional High School, An Afternoon at the Theater. This matinee will include show tunes from West Side Story, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Godspell, My Fair Lady, Phantom of the Opera, and more. More than 30 singers who come together include tenor Paul Currier from Andover, and others from Bradford, Salisbury, New London, Elkins, Sunapee, Sutton, Newbury, and Warner. Those participating range in age from about 30 to nearly 90.
David Almond, then organist and choirmaster for New London’s First Baptist Church, in 2008, invited area singers to join in a tribute to the great English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams. The result was so powerful and rewarding that many of the singers wanted to continue as a group. The group soon became known as Kearsarge Chorale, and was incorporated as a non-profit in 2009 with a mission to provide an outstanding musical experience for the enjoyment and education of singers, and enrichment of the broader community.
Community enrichment indeed. Since inception, fall and spring concerts have been offered in New London at venues including First Baptist Church, Colby Sawyer College, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, and currently Kearsarge Regional High School. Newport Meeting House, New London Hospital, and Wilmot Community Center have also featured Chorale singers.
Under current Artistic Director, Alex Ager, Kearsarge Chorale’s music has ranged from 16th to 21st century — classical to pop. Ager is the K-12 music teacher for the Sunapee School District where he teaches elementary general music and middle and high school band and choir. Previously, he was the K-8 music teacher at Andover Elementary/Middle School for five years. With a Master of Music in Music Education from Boston University and Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Plymouth State University, Ager joined the chorale in the fall of 2017 as a singer in the bass section and has been Artistic Director since 2019.
The Chorale’s current collaborative pianist is founder David Almond, who served as Artistic Director for six years. He has spent a lifetime in music as an organist, choir director, conductor, composer, and arranger. He has served as organist/choir director at different times for First Baptist Church and St. Andrew’s Church (both in New London), and now as organist at First Congregational Church in Hopkinton. Donald Cox of New London served as Artistic Director of the Chorale between Almond and Ager.
Salisbury singer Linda Barnes (mother-in-law to the audience member of the same name), now the Chair of Kearsarge Chorale, was one of those singers in the tribute to Vaughan Williams 15 years ago and recently commented that going to rehearsal on winter evenings is sometimes difficult. “But by the end of the evening, I am joyful, relaxed, and filled with pride at the camaraderie and achievements of our group.” She also pointed out the health benefits of singing: exercising the brain as well as the body, fostering deep breathing, reducing stress levels and enhancing the immune system.
While the number of singers varies for each concert, Barnes is joined by more than six who have been with the group from the beginning. A recent high number of singers, along with soloists and instrumentalists, was for the 2017 performance of the Messiah with 63 Chorale members and 52 in 2022 for another Messiah performance. Thirty-four singers were on stage in November 2023 for the concert called The Road Home that included the piece Sing Gently, written by Eric Whitacre during the pandemic for a then-virtual choir.
What do audience members experience? For one listener, the first word that comes to mind is “community.” There is something for everyone, the very young alongside seniors, sharing in the joy of the performance. The audience is collectively enriched by the communication between the performers and those in attendance, and experiences a range of emotions stirred by the powerful songs. For another listener, the immediate response to the November concert was of “beautiful singing” that led to “joy, emotion and a sense of peace, and a sense of belonging and community.”
In agreement is one of the Chorale’s younger members, alto Hannah Herrick of Newbury, who stated: “Singing with the Chorale has given me a creative outlet during the early years of motherhood, allowing me to pause the rhythms of life with little kids to do something that is just for me and to engage with the community in a meaningful way.”
For all audiences, singers and musicians, there is a sense of pride that our small community is able to feature such amazing, local talent in live performance. As the only group of its kind between Hanover and Concord, it is a gift. Join your neighbors on Saturday, May 25 at 3 PM at Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton for a program of Broadway, movie and other popular musical works. You can also follow the Kearsarge Chorale on their website at www.kearsargechorale.org and their Facebook page. Those interested in singing with the Chorale in the fall for a November 23 concert should contact kearsargechorale@nullgmail.com.