The Healdsburg Chorus has several upcoming shows, including its first-ever performance in Sebastopol. The chorus will be performing in Sebastopol on April 24 and in Healdsburg on April 30 and May 1. The shows mark the return of the groups’ spring shows, which in the last two years have been derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In collaboration with the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, the chorus will present a concert in the center’s main hall on April 24 at 3 p.m. The following weekend, the chorus will perform at the Raven Performing Arts Theater on April 30 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m.
Tickets for each show are $20 and can be purchased at https://www.healdsburgchorus.com/.
The chorus will perform a collection of songs about nature including, “And Nature Smiled,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Old Devil Moon,” “Singing in the Rain,” and “Ching a Ring Chaw,” among others.
“After canceled seasons and an altered performance schedule due to COVID-19, we’re thrilled to return to the Raven Performing Arts Theater and to perform in Sebastopol for the first time,” chorus president Janet Ziedrich said in a statement. “We have a whole new program to share with the community this spring.”
Typically, the chorus puts on a series of concerts each spring, however, it’s been difficult to keep up with the tradition since the pandemic.
In early 2020, the choral group was preparing for their spring concert when COVID hit and like everything else in the world, they were forced to shut down.
“For singers, that is a difficult thing to do. There’s such an excitement about singing together and learning new music and it was very difficult for people and also because we’re an older chorus, there are people who are no longer with us and there are others who’ve gotten old and don’t believe they can do this anymore, so this was another situation where it’s lost time and there’s a sadness that goes along with it,” Healdsburg Chorus board member David Gill told SoCoNews last year.
When asked if they did any virtual activities or concerts during COVID, Gill said they did not do any virtual performances for a number of reasons, including cost and difficulty.
Now, the group of singers is back at it and the group is always looking for new members. Rehearsals for each new season start in late August and are held every Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Healdsburg Chorus has been a community choral institution for over 34 years and is directed by Healdsburg resident David Martin and accompanied by Stephen Riedel. The chorus is composed of community members, non-professional singers and music enthusiasts.
