Kentucky Bred: Lexington Chamber Chorale Day is October 17
In recognition of Lexington Chamber Chorale’s long history of providing professional choral music to Lexington, the Mayor’s office has recognized October 17, 2015 as a day honoring the Lexington Chamber Chorale. The proclamation celebrates the Chorale’s many achievements include partnerships with world renown artists and composers, and the broad range of challenging choral music it continues to present.
Lexington Chamber Chorale will open its 25th Anniversary Season with Poet Laureate George Ella Lyon in Kentucky Bred at Second Presbyterian Church — a concert celebrating the songs and stories of Kentucky featuring Kentucky Poet Laureate George Ella Lyon. It is the first concert in a four concert season series plus a special holiday program this December presented with the Lexington Philharmonic.
“It is fitting that our first concert of the season features songs and stories of Kentucky, our home, which has been very supportive of the chorale in the first 25 years. We welcome Kentucky Poet Laureate, George Ella Lyon, who will read from her works,” said Gary L. Anderson, Lexington Chamber Chorale founding director and conductor. The Kentucky Bred program features Kentucky’s stories represented in song with dulcimer accompaniment and original poetry read by George Ella Lyon, 2015 Kentucky Poet Laureate. Musical selections on the program include songs from the Kentucky mountains including “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” and “Shady Grove,” and Civil War Songs based on Kentucky history including “Shiloh” and “Lorena.” Lyon joins the program “honored to be part of the Lexington Chamber Chorale’s Kentucky Bred concert” and looking forward to celebrating the “Commonwealth’s rich heritage of song!”
Anderson conceived the programming for the 25th Anniversary Season to reflect the Chorale’s history with “creative soundscapes of our ties to Kentucky music and literature featuring poet laureate George Ella Lyon, a reimagined collaboration with award-winning Swedish percussionist, Anders Åstrand, and UK Professor of Percussion, Jim Campbell, and an evening uniting old and new favorites to demonstrate our commitment to championing classic and contemporary works.”
In addition to its regular season of concerts, Lexington Chamber Chorale is set to collaborate with the Lexington Philharmonic in presentation of its special holiday concert, Gloria. Lexington Chamber Chorale provides the choral forces for holiday works including Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, and more.
Subscription tickets are on sale now. Lexington Chamber Chorale will open its 25th Anniversary Season with Poet Laureate George Ella Lyon in Kentucky Bred at Second Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 17, 7:30pm.
For more Hamburg area news, subscribe to the Hamburg Journal weekly digital newsletter.
This story also appears on page 18 of the October 2015 print edition of the Hamburg Journal.
