Choral News and Events
With YOU Grande Prairie Choral Arts can accomplish its goals.
We are grateful for the generous support of our patrons and donors. Thanks to you we are able to keep our ticket prices affordable to all, while maintaining a tradition of excellence.
Children’s Choral Workshop
A chorus for children grades 1-3
Conducted by
Mary Ellen Pinzino, Director of the Come Children Sing
Institute.
No audition required
Who: Children in 1st – 3rd Grades
When: Tuesdays, 4:30 – 5:30, beginning February 21,
2012
Where: Faith United Protestant Church
10 Hemlock Street (Hemlock & Indianwood),
Park Forest, IL 60466
Tuition: $60 for 10 week workshop
Space is limited!
Please print the registration form and submit with your check to the Grande Prairie Choral Arts.
Holiday CD Available
A Grande Prairie Christmas CD is available to purchase at
CD Baby,
Amazon and
iTunes
A fantastic addition to your holiday music collection. This live
recording captures the magic and wonder that the Christmas season
brings.
Grande Prairie Choral Arts Auditions
Come Sing With Us! Grande Prairie Singers are always looking to add quality voices to our ranks. If you are interested in joining GPS, and would like more information, please call our office at 708.481.8684 or contact us by email. We are always happy to add new voices to the group!
Frankfort Vocal Coach Brings New Energy to Grande Prairie Singers
Artistic director Jo Rodenburg heads into her second season with the
choir, ready to make this 34-year-old musical group 'a force in this
area.'
Frankfort resident Jo Rodenburg has long and interesting ties to Grande
Prairie Choral Arts. Years ago, when the group was known as the Park
Forest Singers and had a stellar reputation for a community chorus,
Rodenburg was a visiting soloist on many occasions.
From there she moved into the role of vocal coach for some of its
members. Soon, a mutual friend introduced her to one of the group's
baritones, Tom Ziegler, whom she eventually married.
Fast forward a few decades. Rodenburg's vocal coaching evolved into a
highly regarded Chicago-based studio for emerging operatic talent.
"It's mainly post-graduate voice majors who need polish and direction,"
said Rodenburg, whose focus is to help them decide what it is each
singer offers as an artist and what his or her goals are.
At the same time, she was aware that the recently renamed Grande Prairie
Choral Arts group was struggling to find a director, as well as its role
as a community chorus in the Southland. Yet the more she thought about
it, the more she knew that the questions she asked her students were the
same questions the choral group needed to address.
And Rodenburg thought she might have some answers.
"They needed to have the joy and pride of what they have to offer the
audience. They had been a force in this area. They needed to have a
vision for where they were going," she said.
With only a two-year stint in conducting in a church setting (but a
career in vocal performance), Rodenburg approached Grande Prairie Choral
Arts about being its director. And they knew better than to look a gift
horse in the mouth. They hired her, and things started looking up.
"I thought our first season together was a wonderful growing
experience," Rodenburg said.
Rob Calhoon, a Homewood resident and professional musician, currently
serves as president of the board overseeing the choir, and he is excited
about the new energy the Grande Prairie Singers have under her artistic
leadership.
"Two of the great things about Jo is that she a great vocalist, but
she's also a great vocal teacher. The special way in which Jo teaches
people how to use their voices has the singers energized again," Calhoon
said.
That energy is encouraging people to talk to former choir members about
coming back and enticing new singers to join.
"When you sound good, you're more likely to enjoy yourself," Calhoon
said.
The 2011-2012 season boasts an ecclectic mix of music that should
delight a wide variety of audience members. Rodenburg has selected
Bach's Magnificat with professional soloists for the Christmas concert
Dec. 11 along with a "sampler platter" of holiday music. The Christmas
concert also might include a few offerings from the soon-to-be formed
children's choir for children in first through third grades. (This is
Calhoon's pet project; check the group's website for audition details.)
The Romantics program on March 4, 2012, will feature Schubert's Mass in
G, as well as other selections by or in honor of German composers and
their romantic music.
"We have some real rock stars in our men's section," Rodenburg said.
"This will show them off."
The final concert on May 20 will be a Bluegrass Mass by Carol Barnett
with additional soloists and a live bluegrass band, thanks to the
artists at
Down Home Guitars.
Read article on the Frankfort Patch website.
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