Each spring, for the first weekend in May the Northeast
Texas Choral Society puts together a concert for everyone in the whole
family. The director and board work
hard over the summer months during their “off season,” to make music selections
that will draw in the audience and bring about emotions beyond enjoyment. They have worked hard to create a show that
is more than just a traditional choir concert but a real form of entertainment
for everyone to enjoy. This weekend NET
Choral Society will be hosting their Spring concert at the Sulphur Springs High
School Auditorium on Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m.
This year’s concert is titled “I saw the Light.” A mixture of music that draws on the themes
of light and hope. The concert includes
beautiful arrangements of American sacred, spiritual, and gospel music. Many of the pieces will be familiar to many
in the audience, but with varying arrangements that the choral members cannot
wait to sing for you. Director Carol
Allen stated that her favorite piece is going to be “O Love” by Elaine
Hagenberg. The “expressive, moving,
human emotional side of love is shared” in this beautiful rendition of an
classic hymn, titled “O Love That Would Not Let Me Go.”
Carol Allen has been the director for the past twenty-six
years and is even more excited about this group of singers than ever before.
Each member works hard and is committed to the success of the group. There are around eighty core members and the
remaining members ebb and flow as the years go by, and she tries to hold membership
steady between 85-100 singers. The group
has experienced it all over the years, with in their membership and many feel
as though they have created a second family within the group. If you want to join and experience this group
for yourself, auditions will be held again in August.
Until then the Northeast Texas Choral Society has a great
program ready for your enjoyment and is set to have two shows this Saturday and
Sunday. They want to encourage you to
bring the whole family. Children are
welcome to attend the performance and they hope to one day fill the auditorium
and have no empty seats. They strive to
have a community that supports the arts of all kinds and to start that love
from a young age. Children under five
years old are free of charge, and then 6-12 years old are $5, adults and older
children are $15 each. Veterans and
first responders are welcome and encouraged to attend the concert for free, as
a thank you for your service. Tickets
can be purchased from Alliance Bank and City National bank as well as from
their website www.singerscount.org.
Each concert production cost around $35,000 to produce,
and it takes multiple people to make each one happen. Sound personnel are hired to produce the best
sounding music for the whole audience.
Musicians are hired to play accompaniment with the choir for the
evening. Of course, one of the largest
expenses is the music. With a large
library from years of productions, the board tries to make selections from ones
they group already owns when selecting the music for the next concert. The choices are made with the whole audience
in mind to bring enjoyment for the young and old. Your support with a purchase of a ticket
helps to make each concert even better.
I hope that you will choose to attend this year’s concert
and listen to this wonderful show and production put on by your friends and
neighbors from Sulphur Springs and the surrounding counties. The concert will feature soloists and
enjoyable music filled with hope and love.
