Rachel Strehlow
Published: October 12, 2005
The Choral Society of Pensacola is now in its 70th year of performing. To celebrate this great accomplishment, The Choral Society will be conducting a concert on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Cokesbury United Methodist Church.
Professional singers Marcia Porter, Anne Duraski, Gerald Stoup, and Guenko Guechev will be featured in the concert.
“We work very hard and we provide very good choral music,” Xiaolun Chen, the chorus’ artistic director and instructor at PJC’s music and theatre department, said. “We perform the major choral works.”
The chorale is one of the oldest choral groups in Pensacola, performing nine or 10 concerts per year, yet each year is different, Chen said.
“I try not to repeat the same stuff. I haven’t repeated anything yet,” Chen said.
Chen, who was a professional singer for more than four years, has been the director of the choral society for the past eight years. He selected the songs to be used in the upcoming performances, including Antonin Dvorak’s “Te Deum” and Gioachino Rossini’s “Stabat Mater.”
“Mr. Chen is a fun guy to work with,” said Chris Ford, Mr. Chen’s student assistant, “Over the past year he has taught me how to use my voice in the right way. Not only has he taught me how to sing the right way, but how to have confidence in myself whether I am on the stage performing, or when I’m in his practice studio rehearsing.”
Ila Brown, an accompanist who works with Mr. Chen, agrees.
“He just brings out the best in everybody,” Brown said.
For further ticket and performance information, see https://www.choralsocietyofpensacola.org/