The Greater Freeport Community Chorus, led by Virgil Bozeman IV, will present “Sing Joy! Contemporary Settings of Traditional Carols” on Dec. 14 and 15 at concerts in Cumberland and Brunswick. Courtesy photo
BRUNSWICK — The Greater Freeport Community Chorus will present “Sing Joy! Contemporary Settings of Traditional Carols” Saturday and Sunday at Cumberland and Brunswick.
The 70-voice chorus will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Congregational Church in Cumberland, 282 Main St., and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle St., Brunswick. The group is directed by Virgil Bozeman IV and accompanied by pianist Kellie Moody.
Among the dozen pieces to be performed are traditional Christmas favorites “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “Joy to the World” and “Jingle Bells” — but all will be presented with a twist.
“In the Bleak Midwinter” is a carol based on an 1872 poem by Christina Rossetti and first set to music in a 1906 hymnal. The setting the chorus will perform is a nontraditional one composed by Michael John Trotta. Chorus soprano Katie Sullivan will accompany on flute, accenting fragments of the melody.
“Joy to the World,” a carol with lyrics written by Isaac Watts in 1719, is an arrangement published only this year by the pseudonymous Pinkzebra. David Blackwell’s arrangement of “Jingle Bells” is a twist on another favorite.
Guest bassoonist David Joseph will accompany on “A Ketterling Carol,” a setting of a Sara Teasdale poem. Two Hebrew pieces are on the program, including “S’Vivon,” a Betty Bertaux arrangement of a traditional song celebrating the Hanukkah dreidel.
The program ends with a suite of carols from “The Many Moods of Christmas,” with the audience invited to sing along.
Residents of about 20 Midcoast towns participate in the Greater Freeport Community Chorus.
Concert admission is $10 for adults, free to anyone under 18. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Visit the chorus on Facebook or at gfccsings.org for more information.
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