Fifty-five members of the Evergreen Chorale achieved the moment of a lifetime this summer, performing in New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
The local group, ranging in age from 15 to 90, joined their voices June 29 with another 145 singers from across the United States. Together, they sang Elaine Hagenberg’s masterwork Illuminare and Sherry Blevins’ Tipping Point: A Choral Suite on Climate Change, accompanied by the New England Symphonic Ensemble.
“It was very exciting to sing in that beautiful hall in those perfect acoustics with a fabulous orchestra,” said Christine Gaudreau, the Evergreen Chorale’s artistic director. “We just loved it.”
Carnegie Hall, which opened in 1891, has set an international standard for musical excellence and is the aspirational destination for the world’s finest artists. Designated a National Historic Landmark, is famous for its stunning acoustics and beauty. Its smooth interior, half-domes, and dome ceiling were designed to optimize sound quality.
It wasn’t the Evergreen Chorale’s first time singing Illuminare, composed in 2021 and described as taking listeners “through a season of beauty and goodness that has been disrupted by darkness and confusion.” And Gaudreau thinks the group’s initial performance may have been the key to the Carnegie Hall invitation.
“In fall 2023, we worked with Elaine Hagenberg and collaborated on this project with choirs from Colorado Christian University, fellow church and high school choirs to perform her larger piece together with the orchestra,” she said. “We had just a wonderful time working with her.
“Last summer, I received an invitation from Carnegie Hall to travel there to perform Illuminare. It seemed a wonderful opportunity to revisit that piece.”
Sampling the Big Apple
Evergreen Chorale members spent several days in New York City, visiting museums, seeing shows and exploring the city when they weren’t rehearsing. Several family members flew for the performance.
“After the concert, there was a midnight cruise around the Statue of Liberty, and quite a bit of celebration and joy,” Gaudreau said.
The Evergreen Chorale prides itself on drawing a multi-generational group of singers from both the foothills and the metro area.
“People drive far to sing with us,” she said. “They like what our choir offers. We are a large choral group — 80 to 90 on average per concert — and we sing a wide variety of music. We’re very dedicated to excellence in choral music, and I think people also appreciate how many good singers we have. The talent level is quite high.”
Upcoming Evergreen Chorale performances are planned at Evergreen Lutheran Church, Rockland Community Church, Armstrong Hall at Colorado Christian University and Denver’s Welshire Presbyterian among others.
Rehearsals are held at Beth Evergreen and Lakewood.
Evergreen Chorale welcomes new members. While an audition is required, Gaudreau said it is not difficult.
For more information on auditions, contact production manager Alex Woosley at alex@ovationwest.org