Singing for the Summer!

Happy first day of summer, music nerds! If you’re a choral music nerd in the Boston area, there’s something you should know about, if you don’t already!

It’s hard to believe, but in a few days, it’ll be exactly one year since McDoc and I arrived in Boston! In many ways, the year has raced by, but I also feel like I’ve been here longer than that, given all the wonderful people I’ve met and the amazing breadth and depth of musical activity I’ve found here.

One of the first things McDoc and I did upon arriving (after an urgent call to our new landlord when we didn’t find the key to our apartment where the rental agent promised to leave it — we needed to relieve the suffering of one very unhappy car-ride-hating kitty!) was to make our way to the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, not far from our new home, to attend a “Summer Sing” put on by Masterworks Chorale, a Boston-area choral group about to enter its 70th season. We found out about it before we even left Detroit, from a friend-of-a-relative-of-a-friend, and McDoc was particularly jazzed about it, as he loves choral singing like nobody’s business, and had not had room in his schedule for it at all during his first two years of ~~sadistic hellish torture~~ residency training.

What, exactly, is a Summer Sing, you ask? Well, it’s basically where you condense what would otherwise be two or three months of rehearsal into one hour, and then put on a show — all very informally and just for fun, of course! In other words, it’s a quick and easy way to feed your choral music addiction outside of the regular choral season. 😉 We attended several of them last summer, and they were indeed a gateway drug — we ended up auditioning successfully for the Chorale when they started rehearsing in September. 🙂

Each evening is led by either our fantastic music director, Steven Karidoyanes, or one of several esteemed guest conductors, and features professional soloists, too, so it’s like being a performer and an audience member at the same time — what a treat!

Masterworks Chorale in concert. The Summer Sings are somewhat less formal -- tuxes not required! ;)

Now, summer is upon us again, and it’s time for a new season of Summer Sings. This time McDoc and I are not only singing, but serving as volunteer staff! The season opened last Tuesday night with Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. Tomorrow night, we’ll sing the beautiful Fauré Requiem, and if you’re in the Boston area and would like to come sing, I may just be the one selling you a ticket!

The Vital Details:

Masterworks Chorale Summer Sings
Tuesdays at 8 pm through August 3
Noble and Greenough School
10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA 02026 (Google Map)
Tickets: $10 General Admission, $9 for Seniors;
$5 Student Rush with valid high school or full-time college ID
Discounted admission for 3, 6, or 8 sings available at the door!
Plenty of scores available to borrow, at no extra charge!

Here’s the roster of repertoire for the rest of the summer: