Greater Falmouth Mostly All-Male Men's Chorus to Present Two Holiday Concerts

The Greater Falmouth Mostly All-Male Men’s Chorus, directed by John Dulina, IV, will present two holiday concerts, “Celebrate These Festive Days,” on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, December 7, at 3 PM, at the First Congregational Church, 68 Main Street, in Falmouth.

The concerts will kick off the holiday season with a festive selection of seasonal songs, Christmas carols, and Hanukkah songs, both familiar and rarely heard. These will be the chorus’s first concerts in its new home, the First Congregational Church, where Dulina is music director. The pastor of the church, Rev. Jonathan Drury, sings with the chorus.

Among the works that may be new for the audience is “Ose Shalom (The One Who Makes Peace),” a Hebrew prayers for peace. “This is a prayer, a kaddish, or sanctification,” said Marcy Franklin Lerner, president of the chorus. “It’s beautiful, timeless, powerful, and particularly relevant for the season.”

“’Sing We Now of Christmas’ is another beautiful old carol that is now widely heard, but is well-suited for a four-part chorus,” she said.

The program also includes whimsical songs, such as “Cold and Fugue Season,” a clever parody on Bach’s Fugue in G Minor, that combines the serious musical style of a fugue with some very humorous lyrics.

“Christmas--in About Three Minutes,” by Mark Weston, is a “mishmash cornucopia of holiday songs, a snippet of this and a snippet of that,” said Franklin Lerner. “Somehow holiday songs lend themselves well to this kind of mashup, and the result is lots of fun for all.”

The chorus will also sing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which celebrates the season, Franklin Lerner said, “with a little romantic excitement, which is perfect for a men’s chorus that includes women.”

“We’re excited to be singing in the Congregational Church where Katharine Lee Bates’ father, William Bates, had served as pastor,” said Dulina, Artistic Director of the chorus. She was baptized there on September 4, 1859. The GFMAMMC traditionally ends every concert with the singing of ‘America the Beautiful,” so this connection is very significant for us.”

Under Dulina’s leadership, the chorus has grown steadily and now includes 43 singers, both men and women, who sing in traditional four-part men’s harmony. Concerts are held in the fall and the spring, and the chorus also sings for the Falmouth town observances of Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings in the Congregational Church, and new members are invited to join the group in March, when rehearsals resume.

“I love John’s energy,” said Pamela Taft, vice-president of the chorus. “He brings passion to each piece, as well as an enthusiasm and renewed sense of excitement to the chorus. Every rehearsal is a learning experience, which includes music theory, much to the delight of our members and the betterment of our chorus. John encourages a great sense of camaraderie in the group, which keeps rehearsal engaging and fun. He wants to see us do even more in the community, which is what we are all about. It’s a very exciting time for the GFMAMMC.”

“John is good at choosing the right songs for this group, songs that offer enough challenge to keep up growing,” said Franklin Lerner.

Pianist Debbe Carlise will accompany the chorus, along with a small string ensemble from the Falmouth Chamber Players Orchestra.

Admission is $10, $5 for children under 12. Tickets are available at the door, or in advance from chorus members, Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth, and Uncle Bill’s Country Store in North Falmouth.

For more information on the chorus, visit http://www.falmouthmenschorus.org, find the chorus on Facebook, or call Franklin Le