Choral group spreads joy

For 40-plus years the Blue Ridge Chorale has been serenading the Culpeper area, and this year the tradition continues as the choral group performs at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Dec. 14 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The group, consisting of 30 singers, puts on shows during the spring and fall seasons with the Christmas concert wrapping up the fall schedule.

“It seems appropriate to present Christmas music at the end of the first season,” publicity chairperson Mary Dale said. “We don’t always do a religious Christmas concert, but this year it is. It’s very much the traditional service of carols and lessons that goes on in many churches. And we want to contribute to the general festivities of the season.”

This year’s selections, chosen by Chorale Director Virginia M. Erwin, are patterned after a traditional service of lessons and carols. Since the choir has been perfoming for so long it has a large library of music to choose from, and this year has picked fan favorites such as selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” “Ave Maria,” “Scot’s Nativity” and “Shepherd’s Pipe Carol.”

“It’s a very good selection of quite, loud and joyful and more thoughtful music,” Dale said.

Along with the adult choir, Blue Ridge Chorale also integrates a children’s choir and a chamber choir. The children’s choir will do two selections by itself this season, one with the regular choir and also one with the congregation.

“It’s not just fun, it requires a lot of practice,” Youth Choir Director Cathy ter Weele said. “The other challenge is that we have a wide age range.”

The children’s choir ranges in age from 7 to 13, and the choir has many siblings in its midst, including ter Weele’s two daughters. The children’s choir received a boost this summer, according to Dale, as it hosted a children’s singing workshop at Yowell Meadow Park with Wanda Osborne.

“It helped get our name out there,” ter Weele said. “We had a couple of singers transition over to the choir.”

Dorothy Jones will accompany the youth choir on piano while choir member Megan Duby will play the flute on one selection.

One of the choir’s calling cards under Erwin has been to invite the congregation to sing along, and this concert will be no different.

“At Christmas time it’s familiar carols, and it’s a nice thing to do,” Dale said.

The choir enjoys its performances, but it takes plenty of practice to meld together the four part comprising the concert — the tenors, altos, sopranos, basses. The group begins practicing every Monday after Labor day and rehearses weekly. But while it’s hard work, Erwin keeps the sessions light.

“She makes the rehearsals fun,” Dale said. “She keeps things light. She’s strict and she’s demanding, but she’s also realistic in the sense of us being a community choir. We’re not the Mormon Tabernacle. She adjusts her methods of teaching and encouraging us to suit the people she’s working with. I think in that sense she does a good job.”

The proof will be at the concert, one that has traditionally been well-attended by the community.

“People at Christmas time are interested in the traditional activities and I hope that one of them is our concert,” Dale said.

The choir will also be performing Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Theatre in Washington, Va. Tickets for that show are available at the door or by calling 675-3502 or visit brcsings.com. For Culpeper tickets, they will also be sold at the door Sunday but can be purchased by calling 937-2574 or visiting the Web site.

Jeff Say can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 115 or at .

Want to go?
What: Blue Ridge Chorale, Good Tidings of Great Joy
Where: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
When: Dec. 14, 4 and 6 p.m.
Also playing: Dec. 12 at The Theatre in Washington, Va.

Q & A with
the director
The Star-Exponent recently conducted an e-mail interview with Virgnia Erwin, Chorale Director of the Blue Ridge Chorale concerning the chorale’s annual Christmas concert and other topics.

Star-Exponent: How much preparation goes into the Christmas concert?

Virginia Erwin: That’s a hard question to answer because in truth, I’m preparing for next Christmas as we speak! I do that by attending as many holiday concerts as I can — it’s a great way for me to get ideas for new repertoire. Then, of course, I read the choral journals and research online for music ideas. In the middle of hot summer, I’m choosing the music and theme for our next Christmas concert. So, to answer your question, concert preparation for me is year-round!

CSE: What’s your favorite part of the concert?

VE: This concert, “Good tidings of Great Joy,” is one I’ve wanted to do a long time. Patterned after the historic “Lessons and Carols” of the great Cathedrals in England, this concert will tell the story of one very special night in Bethlehem. The music is beautiful and I hope the audience will come away with a profound sense of peace.

CSE: Families have a lot of traditions during the holidays, are you hoping your concert becomes one of them for audiences and their families?

VE:  As you know, the Blue Ridge Chorale has been singing concerts in Culpeper and beyond for 41 years! It’s interesting to me, as a Charlottesville resident, that so many folks in Culpeper are surprised when we tell them this. That being said, we do have a loyal audience of music lovers that come year after year, and for that we are grateful. We always reach out to the community because one of our missions is to always attract new singers and new audience. As a music teacher for 30 years, I have seen first-hand the transformative power of music. Our singers learn through proper breathing techniques to integrate body and mind. Concert listeners can also experience emotional uplift.

— Jeff Say