Striking the Right Note

Cape chorales to suit every singer

By Johanna Crosby

The Cape’s chorales are a labor of love – for everyone concerned.

“You have to be dedicated,” says Charles Bihler of Brewster, a member of the Chatham Chorale, one of the Cape’s long-standing chorale groups. A retired music teacher from Sturgis Charter School in Hyannis, Bihler spends as many as six nights a week in rehearsals when the group is preparing for a concert. Having joined the chorale in 2000, he now sings not only in the hundred-member chorale but also in its twenty-member Chamber Singers, who perform four concerts a year.

Singing with others who share his love of music is empowering, he says. “It’s an infection I caught when I was younger.” In addition to the social aspects of participating in the chorus, he enjoys the challenge of learning new music.

New – and unique – music is one of the keynotes of the Chatham Chorale, which in May will be featuring giant puppets – sixteen feet tall – as part of its spring concert.  The chorale is remounting its production of “Missa Gaia” (“Earth Mass”) by Paul Winter on May 17 and 18 at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis. The work is an exploration of the riches and beauty of the Earth with a special emphasis on the natural world of Cape Cod. The music/dance extravaganza will feature a jazz ensemble and the puppets of Karen Dowcett’s Big and Small Puppet Works of Yarmouthport.

“Chorale singers are a very special sub-group of musicians,” Bossi says. “You may have average musical gifts. But you can be a part of something bigger that is above average.”

The Cape has a wealth of choral groups, each with its own identity. While some focus on singing classical works, others tend toward popular music. What they have in common is the desire to promote the beauty of choral music, whether it’s Bach, Gershwin or the Beatles. And there’s a chorus to suit almost anyone’s musical taste, whether one likes to sing or sit in the audience. In addition, it’s not uncommon for singers to belong to more than one choral group.

“Making music while having fun is the guiding principle of the Cape Cod Chorale. “Our goal is to sing as best we can within our constraints,” says musical director Chris Roberts, who started the group twenty-five years ago.

The Falmouth Chorale and Orchestra has been performing great choral masterpieces in the Falmouth area for more than forty years. The chorale has a commitment to performance excellence that is intended to be a “cultural flagship” for the town of Falmouth and the Upper Cape. Under the direction of John Yankee, who is also the conductor for the Falmouth Mostly All-Male Men’s Chorus, the sixty-plus member chorale performs primarily great choral masterworks.

The Outer Cape Chorale and Chamber Singers – the most recently formed of the chorales – was founded in Provincetown in 2002 by its conductor Jon Arterton for the purpose of “bringing the joy of singing to as many people as possible.”

To that end, its concerts are free. “We pass the hat and rely on the kindness of strangers,” Arterton says.

To read more of this story, see the May issue of Cape Cod VIEW on newsstands now. Don't miss a single issue of the VIEW, subscribe today.