Summing Up 2020 - A Note from Our President

What a ride this year has been!  The Huntsville Master Chorale began 2020 with our annual fundraiser, “Mosaic of Love,” sharing the stage with the wonderful In the Mood swing band and a record number of guests. No sooner did we step off the risers, than COVID-19 took center stage and has simply refused to leave.

While corporate singing was discouraged by health officials, our fearless leader, Dr. Patricia Hacker, was sure we could still have a singing season. Chorale members accepted her challenge, rehearsed via Zoom, and learned to record themselves on audio and video. Patricia, Dennis Clements and Peter Hannah learned to assemble those recordings into virtual choir performances for audiences to enjoy digitally.

We purchased special resonance masks and sang in small groups outside and in spacious venues that were deemed safe. We also upped our social media presence and committed to finding new ways to engage with our patrons. Our annual Composition Contest has been expanded internationally and the submissions are rolling in. This is truly exciting!

2020 is coming to an end, but the pandemic is not… at least not yet… and so we remain flexible. You can be confident that the Huntsville Master Chorale will flex our creative muscles to ensure that music-making continues no matter what obstacles are thrown our way.

We appreciate your support as the Chorale has grown in unanticipated ways this year. Your Facebook “likes” and “shares,” your kind words through emails, notes, and phone calls, and your financial gifts mean the world to us. We are looking forward to enjoying beautiful choral music together again very soon!

With gratitude,

Sherry Smith

Things may look (and sound) a little different, but we think you will enjoy what we have in store.

The Huntsville Master Chorale is conducting our 2020-21 concert year with virtual auditions and online rehearsals. We are featuring a series of virtual performances, bringing beautiful choral music right into your living room.  And our annual Composition Contest is going on as planned, but this year we are opening it up to participants across the US and Canada. The winner gets the $1,000 prize and The Chorale will perform the winning piece in an upcoming concert.

We hope to be performing live in the spring, but our number one priority is to keep both our singers and audiences safe. We will reevaluate in the coming months, but our fervent hope is to celebrate 2021 with big band music at Mosaic of Love and a final concert in May. However, if we have learned anything recently, it is to remain flexible and creative. Stay tuned...

In the meantime, enjoy our latest offering, A Song of Hope and Peace, written by Gertrude San Souci (1873-1913) with words by Edward Lockton (1876-1940).

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