The Healdsburg Chorus is getting back to work and is starting rehearsals on Aug. 23 for their holiday concert series.
After a one-year hiatus, the Healdsburg Chorus is starting back up again and will begin holiday concert rehearsals on Aug. 23 under a new director and accompanist.
The chorus, which has been singing together for over 33 years, is also looking for new members as they prepare for the popular winter concerts.
“We’re very excited at the thought of singing again,” chorus president Janet Ziedrich said in a statement. “Our members have really missed the music and their friends and we look forward to making the holidays merry for our community in December.”
The chorus is preparing for the holiday concert series — which will be held Dec. 3-5 at the Raven Performing Arts Theatre — under the new leadership of director David Martin.
“There is new leadership all around. There is a new board of directors that was installed just prior to COVID shutting us down and we have a new director David Martin stepping in and a new accompanist who will be with us for the first time starting in August,” said chorus spokesperson David Gill.
The former director had to step away due to a health condition and Martin was able to take the role.
Martin, who’s a Healdsburg resident, taught music at the San Mateo Union High School District and at the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District for 33 years and retired in 2013.
He received his bachelor’s degree in music from San Francisco State University and has conducted bands, orchestras and choirs domestically and internationally in Singapore, Australia and Japan.
The new accompanist, Emma Webb, is a student at Sonoma State University who’s finishing up her degree. Webb has been playing the piano for 15 years.
“We are thrilled to have them working with us and we look forward to a great season,” Gill said.
Dusting off the cobwebs and getting ready for the holiday concert
In early 2020, the Healdsburg Chorus was preparing for their spring concert and then the COVID-19 pandemic 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,” Gill said.
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.
“First of all, it is very hard to do. We investigated different software that was produced to do this but decided that it was just too expensive to undertake and we tried to stay in touch as best we could, but we really went on a hiatus,” Gill said
During the winter season, the chorus put out information on their 2019 holiday concert and suggested that folks watch the video of that year’s concert.
“It was particularly a good concert,” Gill said.
In preparation of the annual holiday concert series, Martin is working on putting together a medley of music for all to enjoy.
“David (Martin) is sorting through music now and he presented a tentative lineup to us. It’s not the traditional holiday songs, but some unusual and some humorous (songs). It is the spirit of the holidays and all of the holidays. It teaches us new music and lets us entertain the community,” Gill said.
After a year of no chorus work, Gill said knowing that the chorus is going to resume work is exciting.
“I’ve only been with the chorus for a couple of years since I moved up to Sebastopol from Oakland where I was still singing with Berkeley Broadway Singers … then I found the Healdsburg Chorus and it’s just a terrific group of people,” said Gill.
Not only does Gill serve as the chorus spokesperson, but he also serves on the group’s board, which has eight other members.
Gill noted that it seems like the overall chorus group is a bit smaller this season. Some folks are still a bit hesitant to come back out and some people have moved on to other activities.
“That is why we’ve put out a call for new members. The chorus has been around for 33 years and really is a staple in the community,” Gill said.
He said they’re looking for people who like to sing and for folks who could sing in other sections and memorize their music, but you don’t have to read music.
Gill said a lot of people, including him, learn the music by ear. He said anyone of any age who can sing can join.
“We actually love it if we can diversify and get younger singers. I don’t know if we’ve had high school, but we’ve had some college students and it makes us oldsters feel young again,” he said.
Rehearsals for the fall season will begin on Aug. 23 and will be held every Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with additional sessions in the weeks prior to the holiday concerts.
For more information about singing with the chorus or to support its performances in the community, visit www.healdsburgchorus.com or email hb*******@gm***.com.
