Holland Chorale Summer Sing celebrates America’s 250th through community music

As communities across the country mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Holland Chorale is inviting residents to do more than attend a concert. The community choir is asking them to become part of the performance.

The choir’s second annual Summer Sing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on June 20 at the Holland Armory at 16 W. 9th St., Holland. The program combines patriotic music, American standards, and Randall Thompson’s Frostiana in a community sing-along designed to bring people together through music. 

Artistic Director Phil Moody says the June event reflects the unifying power of singing and the diverse voices that make up West Michigan’s choral community.

“That’s what music is about to me,” Moody says. “It’s a way to join people of all ages and cultures together and find a single voice through song.”

The Lakeshore recently connected with Moody to learn more about the vision that inspired this year’s program, the music selected, and what participants can expect from the Summer Sing experience.

The Lakeshore: America’s 250th anniversary is a theme for celebrations across the country, and the Holland Chorale’s concert may be one of the few local events in Holland tied to that milestone. Why was it important for the choir to mark the anniversary through this Summer Sing program?

Phil Moody: Singing is a universal activity that has united communities for hundreds of years. Our annual Summer Sing is a time to bring the West Michigan area together as a greater community and join our voices in song. Our first Summer Sing last year was a great success. We are excited to establish this tradition as an annual event that can bring the community together for a short time to rehearse and sing together. As we plan next season, we are focusing on our nation’s heritage and diversity. What better way to start that year-long celebration than with our Summer Sing as we welcome all singers.

TL: The Holland Chorale concert features patriotic music, American standards, and Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, creating a distinctly American musical experience. What went into planning the repertoire and selecting pieces that best fit the theme?

PM: I wanted to celebrate America with time-honored pieces from across the span of choral music. Frostiana is a large work that is a cornerstone of American choral music. We will also have jazz and Broadway represented. I looked for pieces that would relate to the general audience, so that anyone attending will have a connection to at least one piece on the program.

TL: Unlike a traditional concert, the Summer Sing invites the community to actively participate in the music-making experience. Can anyone join the sing-along, and what can first-time participants expect?

PM: Yes, anyone is welcome to sing with us. We have a small number of rehearsals for the concert and time to socialize and get to know fellow singers from other choral organizations. You might meet a new friend or make music with someone from your past.

TL: Randall Thompson’s Frostiana is one of the featured works on the program and is based on poetry by Robert Frost. What makes this piece especially meaningful or fitting for this year’s concert?

PM: Frostiana was written by Randall Thompson. It was commissioned for the town of Amherst to celebrate its bicentennial. Robert Frost had lived in Amherst for several years and admired Thompson’s music, so the town asked Thompson to set music to Frost. There are many things about the work that make it a great fit for our concert. First and foremost is the fact that we are presenting two pillars of the American music and literary community. The piece itself is seven movements, with three for the full ensemble, two for women’s voices, and two for men’s voices. The original men and women of the choir in Amherst rehearsed separately, and this was one reason for composing some of the pieces for only men or women. It also allows our rehearsals to be shorter for the full ensemble. In addition, the texts talk about various aspects of America, a girl working her small portion of land, a telephone conversation between a young courting couple, the road not taken, and Frost’s famous Choose Something Like a Star.

TL: Summer Sing events create a different kind of atmosphere than a traditional performance because the audience becomes part of the music itself. As the artistic director of the Holland Chorale, what are you most looking forward to about this year’s event, and what do you hope singers and audience members take away from the experience?

PM: I enjoyed the Summer Sing last year as I got to know the choral community in West Michigan. I think the best part of our Summer Sing is the diversity in singers who join together. We have current chorale members, past members who rekindle the connection to the chorale, singers who want to experience a community choir for a limited run, and people from other organizations who join so they can sing something different and meet other enthusiastic musicians. That’s what music is about to me. It’s a way to join people of all ages and cultures together and find a single voice through song.

Photos courtesy of the Holland Chorale