Bowdoin Chorus for the concert season 2021-22

[Tony]

Dear Friends,

I write to bring you up to date on what's happening with Bowdoin Chorus this fall.

As you may have seen on Facebook or heard through the grapevine, I've officially retired. The Bowdoin Board of Trustees voted me emeritus status at its May meeting. After 30 years I'm ready to bid Bowdoin a fond farewell.

This fall, Emily Isaacson will take over as conductor of the Bowdoin Chorus. It will be merged with her community chorus, Oratorio Chorale, for one season. During this time the music department will meet and decide on the future course of choral music at Bowdoin. As you probably know, Robby Greenlee has also retired. For the coming season, the Chamber Choir will be directed by Jeff Christmas, a member of the music faculty who has been teaching introductory theory and voice.

This means that the future of both the chorus and the chamber choir will be up for review in the coming year. Where the department decides to go with choral music after that is unknown at this time.

I have retired from Bowdoin but not from conducting. I will remain artistic director of Down East Singers and music director at the Episcopal Church of St. John Baptist in Thomaston. Like all performing groups, Down East is eager to get back to in-person rehearsal and performance. Tentative plans are for rehearsals to resume in September but with reduced numbers of singers in the rehearsal room at the same time. The "concert" will be videotaped for broadcast in December. The theme of this production will be all-American repertoire from early Shaker and Quaker music to contemporary pieces.

It is our hope to resume work on the Brahms Requiem in January for performance on Memorial Day 2022. This will, of course, depend on the guidance of the CDC.

Down East rehearsals will be at the Episcopal Church of St. John Baptist in Thomaston in the fall and, we hope, back at Nativity Lutheran Church in Rockport starting in January. (Nativity Lutheran remains closed as of the time of this writing).

If you'd like to resume work on the Brahms Requiem for spring semester 2022 or join us for the all-American Christmas concert you're warmly welcomed. However, I do understand that having to drive to Knox County to do this will probably be prohibitive for most of you.

From now on, please direct any questions about Bowdoin Chorus to Emily Isaacson. Her email is <emily.i...@gmail.com>

I miss you all!

Thanks for your participation in Bowdoin Chorus! It's been a thrill to work with you!

Cheers,

Tony

[Reg]

 Tony-

Many thanks for the update and congratulations on your emeritus status at Bowdoin, if that is in fact the proper recognition for such an event. Clearly Bowdoin has some significant shoes to fill with both you and Bobby Greenlee moving on.

I would be delighted to resume Brahms rehearsals with you in January and look forward to hearing of those details at the appropriate time.

Best wishes to you for a pleasant summer and the enjoyment of your new status.

Best regards, Reg 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 9, 2021, at 1:06 PM, Tony <aantol...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Friends,

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[Tony Antolini]

Thanks, Reg! I've put you on the list of interested singers for the Brahms. There won't be much news about this for a while. I'm struggling with trying to come up with a viable plan for fall semester first!

Cheers,

Tony

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bowdoin-chorus/4630C2A8-388F-452D-ADFB-03690D0246AC%40yahoo.com.