The Cumberland County Community Chorus during its November 2009 performance at Stone Memorial High School.
CROSSVILLE-The Cumberland County Community Chorus, entertaining music lovers in the county for well over 20 years, is preparing for another spring concert series.
The chorus, which has set three Spring concert dates (see below) after three Christmas concerts in December, has grown over the past two-plus decades from a small group of singers from across the county to an average membership of 70.
The Cumberland County Community Chorus dates back to 1988, when a local group of singers encouraged then church choir director Marci Lay to form a new singing group, according to information compiled by chorus members Judy Murphy and Jan Schimmel. Pianists-organists Rebecca Gentry and Georgiana Upshaw helped Lay with the original organization, started with the thought the group would perform major choral works of the great composers.
When Jim McNutt took over in 1993 as the group’s director, the group had 27 members. He started his tenure expecting the singers to prepare Bach’s “Magnificat,” but the group wound up detouring off that road to perform the complete Part I of Handel’s “Messiah,” which was performed at two area churches during the holiday season. The chorus later added Parts 2 and 3 of “Messiah,” along with other works, and increased in size to 55 members during McNutt’s time as director.
Other subsequent directors have been Jack Bittle, who took over in 1996, Emily Byrens, who made her debut with the 2003 Christmas concert, and current director Marty Gibson, former Cumberland County High choral director, who started in the fall of 2007.
Some of the original chorus members are still active, including McNutt, Anita Hale, Nan Sharp, Connie Kirk, Dick and Trudy Braun, along with several of Gibson’s former CCHS students.
Spring Concert Schedule
Practice for the Spring 2011 series started in early February, and the following dates and locations have been set:
• Saturday, April 30th – 3 p.m. – Crossville First United Methodist church,
• Sunday, May 1st – 3 p.m. – Fairfield Glade Community church, and
• Monday, May 2nd – 7 p.m. – Fairfield Glade First Untied Methodist church.
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The Chorus is a not-for-profit organization. Concerts are free to the public, but donations are gladly accepted. Members are asked to pay a nominal fee each semester. Membership dues and donations are used to buy musical arrangements for concerts.
Chorus membership is open to anyone in the community, and requirements include some singing skills, a love of choral music, and a willingness to devote time and effort to the program. New applicant interviews are held prior to the beginning of each practice season with the director.
For more information on the Cumberland County Community Chorus, contact:
• Marty Gibson at 931-260-6055 or 456-4013,
• Helen Callis at 931-707-8177, or
• the chorus at [email protected].
