Performed December 7th, 2025, 3pm and 7pm, at Fredericksburg Baptist Church
participated in
Messiah
The 53rd(?) annual performance by Fredericksburg Community Chorus, directed by Chris Ryder (photographed above in dress rehearsal). The concerts were 3pm and 7pm, with 13-piece paid orchestra with harpsichord and organ, and about 80 singers including 12 soloists. The choruses were And the Glory, Purify, Oh Thou that Tellest, Unto Us, Glory to God, Surely, Stripes, Sheep, and Hallelujah.
UMW Spring Choral Concert
Chris Ryder directs all three University of Mary Washington choirs combining for the spring concert. This was my second time singing with the college/community group, Fredericksburg Singers. I was particularly pleased that it included Schubert’s Mass in G. Photo clipped from the concert video. About 33:50 is the start of the first piece I’m in, but the Mass in G starts at about 43:05.
In the Messiah
Somehow our friend Jane managed to pick me out from a choir of 60 and orchestra of 15 during our Messiah concert December 3rd, Fredericksburg. Even Nick thought that looked like him on violin, but no, that’s a stand-in. Notice the trumpeter, biding his time, until the trumpet shall sound.
Same piece, same place, opposite direction, the night before the concert.
SRCS concert: Let’s Drink!
June 25th, Stafford Regional Choral Society’s light opera concert, “Let’s Drink”, led by Jason Michael. Program: A Capella Overture, arr Andy Beck (Fidelio, Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Magic Flute, Figaro, William Tell); Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, from Nabucco; the Drinking Song from the Student Prince; Finale from the Gondoliers; Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly; Italian Street Song from Naughty Marietta; Polovetsian Maidens from Prince Igor; Soldiers’ Chorus from Gounod’s Faust; Anvil Chorus from Verdi’s Il Trouvatore; Stouthearted Men from New Moon. Concert stream may still be available on You-Tube below. Pictured above, front and center, director Jason Michael, and to his left, basses Ken Todd, William Schall, Arthur Les Johnson, Edwin Ridout, Jonathan Shell, then, in blue, accompanist Cathy Hoskins.
Choral concert
I sang with Fredericksburg Singers combined with two other choirs at University of Mary Washington. The main piece is Bob Chilcott’s setting of Native American poetry, accompanied by two pianos and percussion, about 40 minutes. Hear five minutes of another group’s recording below.
Messiah
I enjoyed the great pleasure of singing with Fredericksburg Community Chorus’s two concerts Dec 3rd 2pm and 4th 7pm, with orchestra and eight soloists. The chorus did And the Glory, Purify, Oh Thou that Tellest, Unto Us, Glory to God, Lift Up, and Hallelujah followed immediately by the Great Amen. I had a good seat in the back row, next to David P the tallest bass.
Singing in red, white, and blue
First performance was Saturday June 25th 7pm at St Peters Lutheran. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3qJWQCPC_M\u0026t=19s ; part 2: https://youtu.be/4BqmDEPNoE0. We repeated the concert 3pm Sunday at the Marine Corps Museum (not recorded).
Unchained (really)
Our run-through before the 50s gala: we were doing the Unchained Melody arrangement done by the Acoustix, whose performance can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REujbffsNQM.
Music last weekend
A higher-priority item on my calendar this weekend — the Charlottesville Ten Miler — took place before the three musical events, but will have to be written up later.
Attended the U Mary Washington Philharmonic concert Saturday. Heard Itzhak Perlman play the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Terrific! And the orchestra sounded better than I’ve ever heard them.
Sunday, sang my second ever solo in church. (A few years ago, I sang If Thou Be Near, being enamoured of Kirsten Flagstad: If Thou Be Near) This time it was Wilt Thou Forgive, a John Donne poem. I listened many times to one done by a baritone to lute accompaniment (which I actually paid for), and really enjoyed. There’s one done by a boy soprano here: Connor Burrowes: Wilt Thou Forgive
Our choral society’s annual spring gala “Just Jazz” (dinner/concert) was held Sunday.
We sold 98 of the 100 tickets — I think there were ten tables with ten $75 seats, and I didn’t notice any vacant. Here’s what we did:
5:15 p.m. SET 1
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Afro Blue — instruments only
Medley 1: When I fall in Love, Dundee Frim Fram Sauce, Carla My Funny Valentine, Adrienne
Duet: It Don’t mean a thing: Pam and Dawn Able
Medley 2: You Belong to Me, Regina Someone to Watch over me, Jenny, Love me or Leave me, Sarah
Small Group: The Way you Look Tonight
5:45 ish SET 2
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Pass me the Jazz — small group
Words—small group
Do you feel the rhythm — SoundCheck (in audience)
Linus and Lucy
Summertime
6:45 SET 3
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Your Cheatin’ Heart — Women only
Love is here to stay — Women only
Take 5
You’d be so nice to come home to
Ain’t that a kick
7:35 SET 4
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James Bond Theme — Men only
Sweet Georgia Brown — Men only
Sway
Ain’t Misbehavin’
All the Cats Join in
Encore—Ain’t that a Kick (just the finale)
Sandy said the best small group number was the Don’t Mean a Thing mother and daughter duet. After the men’s Sweet Georgia Brown, I thought the men’s director’s wry grin hinted that we blew it. SoundCheck is the auditioned subgroup of our “y’all come” choir. Pass Me the Jazz was its most ambitious piece, evidently too ambitious for the whole group so it was done as a subgroup of the subgroup, so I was not in that.
Of the whole-group numbers, I think my favorite and the one I think we did the best was Ain’t Misbehavin’. Linus and Lucy went pretty well. It was a clear favorite of all those lovers of the cartoon characters, something I never could understand. The James Bond theme had a similar strangeness for me, until one of the altos mentioned Pierce Brosnan and I realized he must be the source of much of the bass lyrics, “baaaaaaaaaaaah, baaaaaaaaaaaah, baaaaaaaaaaaah.”
There may be a photo or two later.