Messiah Sunday Dec. 11 3:00 p.m.

The Messiah, one of those signature events that binds community together, will be performed by Itasca Community Chorus, Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. at the Greenway Auditorium. 

Parts I and III with 65-member chorus, including the Deer River Madrigal Choir.

Local soloists Jenny Graupmann (soprano), Maria Anoni (alto), John Schroeder (tenor), and Jason Thurm (bass). 

Orchestra:  violinists Mary LaPlant &Deb Lasik, cellist Becky Loomis, oboist Kim Young, ,Mike Wourms on trumpet.  Organist Jan Bilden and Cathy Shields on harpsicord .

Public participation on “The Hallelujah Chorus” 

$8 for adults at the door and free to students and children (courtesy of Lake Country Power’s Operation RoundUp)

Funded in part by an Arrowhead Regional Arts grant

Christmas Carol Sing-a-long, Dec. 2

Friday evening, Dec. 2 from 4:30-8:00 pm, Itasca Community Chorus members will lead the community in Christmas caroling throughout the downtown. The art galleries in Grand Rapids that doing such a wonderful service of marrying the visual and audio arts will also be open.
Also, available that evening are flyers for the Messiah performance Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. at the Greenway Auditorium.
A string orchestra featuring Mary LaPlant and Deb Lasik on violin, Becky Loomis on cello, Kim Young, oboe and Mike Wourms will accompany the choir.

To fund the performance and keep the ticket price at only $8.00, members of the chorus are selling $1.00 tickets for the queen-size Christmas quilt, activities books, and other prizes. So please, help support your Itasca Community Choir: sing with us Dec. 2, donate for a chance to win one of the prizes to be given at the concert, attend the concert Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. at Greenway Auditorium.

Itasca Community Chorus in Service & Song

Itasca Community Chorus serves up spaghetti and Italian song, Oct. 25 from 5-7:00 pm at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. $7.00 tickets are available from choir members or at the door. Funds raised through the dinner and quilt raffle will help off set concert expenses not covered by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Grant.

Thanks to all of our loyal supporters, Itasca Community Choir is able to raise the funds to stage a massive community sing of Handel's Messiah, Dec. 11 at Greenway Auditorium in Coleraine.

Local high school choirs and Itasca Community Choir are working hard on the choruses. Vocal soloists Jenny Graupmann (soprano), Maria Anoni (alto), John Schroeder (tenor), and Jason Thurm (bass) complement a full chorus. A number of the Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus have swelled our ranks and with the capable leadership of Cheri Troumbly, Eileen Grosland, and rehearsal accompanist Cathy Shields, the chorus looks forward to another successful season.

Messiah Community Sing

Itasca Community Chorus meets Tuesdays at Zion Lutheran Church from 7:00-9:00 p.m. All who ever wanted to sing the Messiah and who can commit to regular rehearsals on Tuesday evenings from now until December are welcome.

The core chorus of 60 trained voices welcomes novices and looks forward to an exciting community event at the Greenway Auditorium Dec. 11. Soloists have been contracted, instrumentalists are committed, and the dynamic leadership under director Cheri Troumbly and accompanist Cathy Shields looks forward to an exciting semester of building this friendly community of singers.

For further information, contact Cheri at 245-2392.

First Rehearsal--Messiah Community Sing

What a fantastic first rehearsal tonight! I'm so proud of all of the singers for giving it their best shot, and putting their best cord forward. And Cathy, you did a wonderful job, as always. If it sounded this good at the first rehearsal, the possibilities are endless! Just think...we'll have at least a whole other choir singing with, then add the soloists, instrumentalists, organ, harpsichord, black tuxes...the works (minus the bling, of course). Can't wait!

Cheri

Itasca Community Chorus Potluck

Let's convene for good food and a good time, Aug. 30 at Harris Townhall. Please respond to Lisa Staber on Facebook. Bring a dish to share. See you there.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Michael Smith Choral Workshop

All Itasca Community Chorus singers are invited to participate in the Michael Smith Choral Workshop,Sunday, Aug.21 at Zion Lutheran Church at noon. Michael Smith is a longtime friend of Lee and Mary Jo and currently a choral director at Concordia College in Moorhead. It's a great day to start a new season. Please join us.

Don’t Forget: Reply to Mary Jo lmjess@mchsi.com

Tuesday, August 16: Sign up for Michael Smith Choral Workshop.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21: NOON AT ZION
Sandwich Lunch followed by Workshop till 3:00

Tuesday Noon Concerts Deliver the Best

July 26th!! Yikes, our summer is flying by. Each Tuesday noon we've feasted on incredible music provided by our generous musicians.

This Tuesday noon you'll find us at the Assemblies of God Church at 1585 E US Highway 169. Swing Delivery with Jim Mason and his ever-evolving group of talented musician friends will woo us with the Big Band era and favorites like "In the Mood," "Mr. Wonderful," "Lullaby of Birdland," and "Big Band Boogie." In its 10th year this 12-piece combo just keeps making its music better and better.

Tuesday Aug. 2 the Itasca Music Club will deliver "A Collage of Sound" at the Community Presbyterian Church at the 700 block on North Pokegama. These local instrumental and vocal teachers are set to deliver a program ranging from Vivaldi and Rachmaninoff to a Rhumba by Sanucci.

Aug. 9 features Dr. Mary Ellen Patnaude Haupert at the keyboard. Zion Lutheran at 2901 S HWY 169 hosts this one. Mary Ellen will be delivering a program of Spanish music and she invites one and all to come dance with her.

Closing out the season will be Marvin Havard, Cheri Troumbly and friends, and New Generation.

Itasca County's wonderful musicians just keep delivering so please come, enjoy, and help us all make this another wonderful season.

Psst! Just the other day Jan Holmgren confirmed a date for the Swedish Trio con Brio in June of 2012.

June 14 Arthur Pryor, the Music of JP Sousa Concert

Arthur Pryor—a name often forgotten but a style that still sets feet dancing. Arhur Pryor served as lead trombonist, composer, and arranger for John Phillip Sousa’s ragtime band. The Liberatti of the slide trombone, Pryor completed six coast to coast tours before tiring of life on the road. He also immortalized much of Sousa’s music by serving as recording coordinator and furthering the work of the Victor Talking Machine.
Tom Patnaude, longtime solo trombonist, and Jim Mason, accompanist par excellence bring Arthur Pryor’s music to life for the Grand Rapids Summer Series audience, Tuesday June 14 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at noon.
Treat your friends to a free 30-minute concert followed by a $6.00 luncheon served by the church women.

Keep Singing

Are you interested in singing Broadway songs in the spring of 2012? If so, here's a really strong argument.


Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey explains.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42441573#42441573

Support the arts! All of the arts!

Faure's Requiem & Spring Songs

Sunday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m. Itasca Community Chorus will present Faure's Requiem & Spring Songs at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. To complement organist Gwen Degner's accompaniment, director Cheri Troumbly has assembled a small orchestra.

Mary LaPlant, known for her virtuoso violin performances will be doubling on the viola. Add Deena and Olivia Skaja (French horn& violin). Trumpet Mike Wourms is reknowned for his soaring notes as is soprano soloist Jennifer Graupmann. Bill Schnell's baritone and Becky Loomis's mellow cello tugs at the heart.

Gabriel Fauré composed the Requiem, following the deaths of his father and mother. The transcendent joy of the requiem is tribute to the cathartic value of music. Faure was interviewed by Louis Aguettant on July 12, 1902. The following excerpt on the Requiem was originally published in Comoedia (1954, p. 6). The English translation is taken from Robert Orledge's biography: "It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience... perhaps I have also instinctively sought to escape from what is thought right and proper, after all the years of accompanying burial services on the organ! I know it all by heart. I wanted to write something different."

To complement the Requiem, Director Troumbly has chosen water songs. Like the spring thaw these choral settings bring us "Down to the River to Pray" and send us on our way singing like "A flat Crickets and BFlat Frogs."

Thanks to supporting grants form Operation RoundUp (Lake Country Power) and ARAC/McKnight grants funded by MN legacy dollars, tickets are free for students and only $5 for adults.