Seasonal Concert
Dhahran Chorale Concert gets festive Aramcons signing along
The Chorale Group is seeking new recruits. To get your name on the mailing list, contact a board member or message them through the contact on Dhahran Recreation’s Self Directed Group web page.
An outdoor setting, a small and intimate audience, a mixture of music and festive dress highlighted this year’s traditional holiday Chorale Concert in Dhahran. With carols following on after the other, the crowd both participated and appreciated the annual show.
“Although this year’s Chorale event was smaller than in the past, it still had a lot of heart,” said Tara Van Heel, concert organizer. “We are so grateful for the dedicated musicians who share their love of singing and the warm audience who gathered to celebrate with us. This year’s event felt like an important step to get our momentum back and continue keeping the arts in the heart of our community.”
Carefully following COVID-19 precautions for outdoor events, the concert proved to be a “soft” re-opening for the singers as they looked to build some new momentum for upcoming events in the new year. The singers have spent weeks rehearsing, even when there was no guarantee the concert would even take place.
Using special “duck bill” masks designed to prevent COVID-19 transmission during their rehearsals, the singers provided a more robust sound during the show.
Accompanied by Jaein Yoo on the piano, the singers encouraged everyone with their voices into this festive atmosphere of the holidays. For a big portion of the concert, with the traditional songs, they invited the audience to join in the signing. In addition to the most well-known carols, the program has been integrated with some choral music.
And while the concert marked a small return to normality, it also provided a swan song for Chorale president Mark Taylor, who expects to retire in March. This soft re-opening allowed him to take part in his last Dhahran concert, celebrating the ability to bring so “many singers together again.”
Meanwhile, the Chorale Group is seeking new recruits. To get your name on the mailing list, contact a board member or message them through the contact on Dhahran Recreation’s Self Directed Group web page.
The Chorale Group doesn’t audition new singers (most adult singers know what range they fall into), but it welcomes volunteers even if they haven’t sung in decades, as “you can recoup your skills by practicing.”