Three key values guide the Longmont Chorale: community, music and musicianship, and resource responsibility. “For us, it’s all about people first.”
For more than 80 years, since 1937, the Longmont Chorale – an Arts and Culture grantee of your Community Foundation – has enriched the lives of singers and patrons through the study, creation, and performance of beautiful choral music.
“It started with a group of friends performing Handel’s ‘Messiah,’” says Bob Balsman, president of the Longmont Chorale and coordinator of the Longmont Performing Arts Initiative. “Today, we maintain our commitment to being a non-auditioned choir so that everyone who wants to, can join us. We’re one of just a few non-auditioned choirs left in the area.”
The community choir also comprises a smaller, auditioned group – 30 to 35 voices – that does special performances throughout Boulder County, in addition to the full chorale’s four major concerts every year.
Adds Bob, “Our repertoire is very diverse, and so are our members. Our members span all musical skills, experiences and ages – from teens to retirees, and from beginners to more advanced singers.”
Coming up on May 5, the Longmont Chorale – some 100 voices strong, “singing from our hearts to yours” – will perform with the Longmont Concert Band in a first-ever collaboration at the Niwot High School Auditorium. “In the Mood for Pops & Jazz” – the Chorale’s blowout Season Finale and fundraiser – will feature recognizable jazz standards, as well as newer works.
“The Longmont Concert Band is very honored to be the guest performing ensemble with the Longmont Chorale,” says Gary Lloyd, Longmont Concert Band conductor. “Our two organizations have been wanting to do this collaboration for a couple years, and we’re thankful for the opportunity. This will give our organization some good exposure in the Longmont community, and among greater Boulder County audiences.”
Continues Gary, “This particular concert theme is definitely in our ‘wheel-house.’ Our band members have a variety of instrumental music experiences, ranging from traditional concert band to jazz and Broadway musical productions. At this concert, the band will play some big band classics from the swing era, along with Broadway tunes, and feature some of our excellent soloists.”
According to Gary, the Longmont Concert Band calls on the versatile individual talents of its members to perform and serve in different musical roles. For example, “In this concert, our board president – Doug Rasmussen – has arranged two pieces for choir and band to perform together. From ‘The Greatest Showman’ musical, Doug has arranged the songs ‘A Million Dreams’ and ‘This is Me,’ highlighting several of the amazing voices from the Longmont Chorale.
“He also arranged SATB [soprano, alto, tenor, bass] vocal parts to be sung with the band for Gershwin’s ‘Someone to Watch Over Me.’ And we’ll use a smaller instrumentation to accompany the singers on ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘When I’m 64.’” Gary himself will play a trumpet solo with the choir on the classic ballad tune, “What A Wonderful World.”
“I don’t want to give away the whole program, but Scott and I are longtime friends, and we have a couple of things up our sleeves that will entertain the audience,” he adds. “I guarantee that this concert will be a real ‘crowd pleaser!’ ”
“I emphasize listening and learning the individual parts through rehearsal tracks and rehearsal attentiveness,” says Scott Hamlin, the chorale’s artistic director, further reflecting on the process of concert preparation. “I like for us to learn the parts and rhythms as soon as possible, so we can really get into the emotional aspects of the music.
“In our rehearsals this year, there’s a greater emphasis on the texts of our songs. That’s what makes choral music so unique, in comparison to symphony and other instrumental music.”
Adds Scott, “While humor and pacing are important, there are also other important elements in a successful rehearsal. My rehearsals vary from week to week as I strongly believe that the higher the predictability, the lower the impact.” Specifically, Scott is known to periodically share historical footnotes in rehearsals, as well as personal experiences from directing or rehearsing a particular work. “I carefully choose variations of tempo, style, familiarity, and difficulty of each selection, which all contribute to a well-paced rehearsal,” he says.
“Musically, the adventure of directing the Longmont Chorale has been very fulfilling. But where the adventure has blossomed has been in the positive and meaningful relationships with so many singers. Many have become almost like family to me – and one couple was my family, housing my wife and me for over two weeks as we were recovering from the Longmont flood of 2013.”
Indeed, three key values guide the Longmont Chorale: community, music and musicianship, and resource responsibility. “For us, it’s all about people first,” concludes Bob. “The chorale’s membership, our audiences, our fellow performing arts groups, and the greater public community.”
As such, the chorale emphasizes community outreach and buy-in, bringing music to the people of Longmont and surrounding communities – at no cost to those who do not or cannot attend typical concerts. The chorale further breaks down barriers for youth and seniors, encouraging mentorship and utilizing the talents, skills, and time of volunteers and patrons “in their golden years.” Creative collaborations and joint promotions round out the chorale’s commitment to encourage an environment free of competition within which multiple arts organizations can survive and thrive.
