Exciting Opportunity to Join Greenwood Festival Chorale’s Vibrant Season

Greenwood

The Greenwood Festival Chorale is gearing up for another vibrant season and is inviting both amateur and professional singers to join in the artistic journey. Vocal placement interviews will be held at 7 p.m. on August 27 at the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood. The chorale performs several concerts each year, including a much-anticipated Christmas concert on December 10, and it’s looking for new members to expand its harmonious family.

Steve Skinner, the chorale’s artistic and musical director, emphasizes that anyone who can match pitch is welcome. “If you have a pulse and can match pitch — the two p’s, you can do this,” Skinner said. “If you can learn, we’re golden. Music reading is a skill that can be learned and taught. We can learn and teach along the way, as we sing.”

Rehearsals and Requirements

The Greenwood Festival Chorale rehearses every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, located at 108 E. Cambridge Ave. Skinner underscores the importance of rehearsal attendance, stating, “You must come to rehearsals. That’s a non-negotiable.”

The chorale attracts a diverse group of singers from Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Edgefield counties, covering high school age students to seniors. The group’s repertoire is varied, including classic works like those by Handel, contemporary choral pieces by Dan Forrest, folk songs, and spirituals.

Meet the Members

Keith Martin, a 63-year-old bass singer from Honea Path, joined the chorale in September 2023. Martin, a welder, has a background in congregational singing and family gatherings around the piano. “I don’t read a lot of music, but with the chorale, it has been a thrill to succeed with challenging music,” Martin said. “We’ve sung pieces with a lot of life and I really enjoyed our Christmas concert last year. There are chorale members who read music well and they are very helpful. If you have an ear for music, you’ll be all right.”

Goals and How to Join

With the current membership hovering around 50 singers, Skinner aims to increase that number. He invites interested singers across all ranges — low, medium, and high — to register for voice placement interviews. These interviews will help identify individual vocal ranges and are scheduled for August 27, beginning at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood. “There’s a voice range for everybody,” Skinner noted. “There are simple ways to expand your vocal range.”

Potential members can secure their time slots for the voice placement interviews through the chorale’s website: gwdfestivalchorale.com or via this link.

For more information or inquiries, Steve Skinner can be reached at (864) 943-2518.

Community Involvement

The Greenwood Festival Chorale is a cherished part of the local cultural arts scene, contributing to community events through its performances. Besides their winter concert, the chorale also performs in early spring as part of First Presbyterian’s cultural arts series, Festiva, and closes the season with a lighter music concert in late spring.

Singers are expected to adhere to a dress code for performances: tuxedos for men and all-black attire for women. This uniformity adds to the professional appearance and atmosphere during their concerts.

Skinner appreciates the power of teamwork in chorale music, stating, “Teamwork is the thing I like best about chorale music. Second to that is the product. We have people from all walks of life, professional singers and musicians to the other end of the spectrum. Musical training is not required to do this. I am available to coach, and a lot of people take advantage of that, coming in to work through some things.”

With another season on the horizon, Skinner and the Greenwood Festival Chorale look forward to welcoming new faces and voices to their enriching and community-focused musical ensemble. Don’t miss the opportunity to find your voice and contribute to the local arts scene.

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For additional inquiries or to learn more, please visit the chorale’s website or contact directly.