The Easton Choral Arts Society, under the direction of Maestro Wes Lockfaw, will open its 40th concert season with Made in the USA, on Friday, October 13, 7:30 PM and Sunday, October 15, 4:00 PM at Christ Church, Easton. The fall concert is a revue of grand and glorious American choral music dating from the 18th century to the present. Maestro Lockfaw has chosen to inaugurate the new season with a thrilling selection of best loved songs that will please audiences both young and mature.
Beginning with Now Shall My Inward Joys Arise by William Billings, the all American concert will also feature spirituals and Stephen Foster songs, and continue with memorable Broadway tunes from George and Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter. Highlighting the festive concert will be a parade of spectacular pieces from the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The 1940’s will be represented by the music of Randall Thompson and Johnny Mercer and, for the final series, the chorus will sing modern compositions from Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein whose 100th birthday will take place later in the season.
This year’s Christmas concert will follow the fall concert on the first weekend in December with Benjamin Britten’s hugely popular Ceremony of Carols along with seasonal favorites. This concert will also be sung at Christ Church Easton.
As the archives tell the story, there has been great joy and challenge in presenting beautiful music through the years. Easton Choral Arts has sung a wide variety of glorious music, represented by selections from many different eras, styles and composers. Yes, the society has brought musical joy and beauty to our community since 1977, and it continues this tradition into a new season with three remarkable programs.
Tickets for each concert are $25 and are available at www.eastonchoralarts.org or our Ticket Hotline 410-200-0498. Students will be admitted free, (reservation required). Tickets will be $30 at the door. Seating is limited so advance ticket purchases are recommended. Season tickets are available at www.eastonchoralarts.org.
ECAS was founded in 1977 by organist Florence Ruley of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, a group of caring singers was organized to commemorate the installation of a new bishop. The experience was so rewarding that they continued with the idea of singing two to three concerts a year. As public appreciation and awareness of the Easton Choral Arts Society was growing within the community, its presence was marked by a new and thoughtful broadening of the repertoire, featuring guest soloists, and professional instrumentalists.
In 2010, Wes Lockfaw became Easton Choral Arts Society’s fifth Artistic Director. A very talented and accomplished organist, pianist, and choral director, Wes Lockfaw has led music ministries in seven states as well as having served as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and piano instructor in a college environment. In January of 2009, he accepted the position of Organist and Music Director at Christ Church Episcopal in Easton, Maryland where he directs ensembles ranging from children to adults.
Thanks to community support, Easton Choral Arts is keeping the spirit of its mission alive — to bring great choral masterworks programs to audiences of all ages on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Easton Choral Arts Society, Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization funded in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
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