Community Chorale Summer Concert set for Sept. 15

By Editor | September 3, 2024 |

By Carmen Ensinger

The Community Chorale will present their first concert since the COVID pandemic four years ago. They will present a program of praise and worship through song at the Carrollton United Methodist Church on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. There is no charge to attend the event.
The Community Chorale was founded by Tim Reif, who is also the Director. Their repertoire is limited to religious offerings.
“When this group was started as the Community Chorus, our purpose was to provide worship in song,” Reif said. “So, we don’t do show tunes and we don’t do secular stuff. We only do worship music.”
However, Reif said there was one occasion when they strayed from the religious songs of worship.
“One year, we were asked to perform during the White Hall Fourth of July event,” Reif said. “It was a program at the White Hall Methodist Church to honor the veterans so we sang several patriotic songs before they announced each veteran in attendance. Otherwise, it has all been church related worship music.”
The title of this concert is “Hymns and More.”
“Basically, a lot of the songs that we are going to do for this concert are different arrangements of well-known popular hymns,” Reif said. “We even have Zulu song we are going to do. It will be sung in English and not Zulu, but it was a song written in Zulu and it was part of their worship so it’s a real rhythmic, cantor-like song.”
Older folks might remember the Carrollton Community Chorus, headed up by Betty Carrico. Reif said while they have acquired a lot of their material after Carrico’s death, he wants to stress the reason why the group wasn’t named Carrollton Community Chorale.
“It was not named the Carrollton Community Chorale for the simple reason that there are not just people from Carrollton who are in the group,” he said. “We have people from White Hall, Roodhouse and other areas of Greene County as well as a former resident who now lives in O’Fallon who comes back to sing with us. We also have some from Alton who come up. Basically, we are a community of singers and believers and we want everyone to be involved whether they are from Greene, Jersey or Calhoun counties or anywhere else. Anyone who wants to come and sing with us is welcome.”
Reif said they chose the Carrollton Methodist Church as their home for several different reasons.
“When we started this group, the Carrollton Methodist Church was very supportive of the idea,” Reif said. “They have such beautiful sanctuary and the acoustics are wonderful. Plus they have a grand piano and a 125 year old pipe organ that still sounds wonderful. What better place to have worship than a sanctuary as beautiful as that one. Not only that, but the layout is very conducive to chorale performances.”
They also have full access to the chorale music library at the church.
“Thanks to long-time organist and choir director, Pauline Langer, they have a very expansive musical library,” Reif said. “Her son, John (Langer), is not only a member of our group but a board member so we have full access to their stuff.”
Following this concert, their next appearance will be at the Christmas Concert. They will also make an appearance at the Community Carol Sing on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Carrollton Methodist Church.
Reif said he hopes everyone will take advantage of this free concert.
“We will be collecting a freewill offering, just to offset the costs of advertising and new music and materials,” he said. “But we don’t want anyone to feel like they have to pay to be at the concert. We just want you to come and worship and be blessed.”