WESTFIELD – The Greater Westfield Choral Association, founded in 1977 by Floyd Corson as the first community chorus in the Westfield area, will be celebrating its 37th Anniversary season this spring. Mr. Corson handed the baton to well known conductor and musician in the western Massachusetts area, Allan Taylor. Mr. Taylor is the music minister at First Congregational Church in Westfield, artistic director of Hampshire Choral Society, and teaches at Westfield State University. Now under the direction of its third conductor, Marc Winer, GWCA is proud to represent the talents of many musicians throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond.
Our spring concert this year will be performed on Sunday at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 18 Broad Street, in Westfield. On the program this year will be Haydn’s “Missa Cellensis” and Alan Hovhaness’ “Make a Joyful Noise”. The chorus of 40 members will be joined by solo quartet, organ and brass. Also featured on the program is a memorable piece by Mozart, a work from the Renaissance period by Thomas Tallis, a Baroque composition by Henry Purcell, and two modern arrangements, including a choral standard by Randall Thompson.
Tickets for this concert will be on sale at the door the day of the performance for $10/$5 students and seniors. There is ample parking around the south side of the church next to Stop & Shop, and also on the north side in back of First Niagara bank. There will be a reception following the concert in Fellowship Hall where you can meet and greet the performers and enjoy some homemade confections.
This past fall, we participated in a benefit concert at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield. This is the 6th “Show Your Heart” benefit which includes the boys and adults choir of St. Michael’s, GWCA, and other area groups. This year included a choir from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School and a select chorus from Bay Path College. This concert benefits area organizations in need. Past recipients have included the Springfield Food Pantry, The Gray House, The Visiting Nurses Association and others. GWCA has been proud to be a part of this benefit since its inception and continues to support this noble cause.
Over the course of 37 years, GWCA has performed a remarkably wide range of music, including works from the Renaissance to the avant-garde, accompanied by a variety of instruments. The major sacred works of the Classical and Romantic periods form the largest part of its repertoire. Each year GWCA prepares for their concert in a schedule which encompasses only ten weeks, a total of about twenty intense hours of rehearsal time.
For further information about the concert, the choir, and how to donate, please visit the GWCA website: www.westfieldchoral.org.
