Arts & Entertainment
IMAGE GALLERY: Westborough Community Chorus is Like Family [VIDEO]
Rehearsals have begun for its Christmas concert.
About 80 Westborough Community Chorus (WCC) members, some longtime and some new, joined together on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at the for their first evening rehearsal of the season. WCC president Jack Calkins told Westborough Patch that he expects that the group will hit 100 by the time they perform their annual Christmas concert at the Gibbons Middle School on December 2, 3 and 4.
In addition to its Christmas concert, the chorus performs at local nursing homes, Westborough’s “Arts in Common” on Oct. 1, and a May concert, also at Gibbons. Supported in part by the Westborough Cultural Council, the WCC will hold its annual yard sale on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Harvey School Building, 20 Phillips St., between Church and Milk.
Featuring yard sale items, baked goods and books, this fundraiser is a huge event according to WCC music director Deb Lukey. Deb said, “We call the yard sale the great chorus exchange. We all bring our stuff and go away with just as much.”
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Proceeds from the yard sale are used to provide scholarships for music lessons for Westborough students. Applications are available at Robinson Music, David French Music, the Westborough High School and Gibbons. The deadline is Dec. 1.
The WCC will announce the scholarship recipients at its Christmas concert. These students will perform at the WCC's May concert.
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Memorization is the Only Requirement
The WCC is open to anyone in the area who loves singing and performing and is willing to attend rehearsals. Deb estimates that members range in age from 22 to 86. Jack adds that two-thirds of the members live outside Westborough, but the organization is focused on supporting Westborough students.
Rehearsals for the Christmas concert are normally held on Monday nights, starting right after Labor Day. In the beginning of November, the group starts meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays. As the concert date gets closer, this increases to meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For the week before the concert, the group rehearses every night.
Westborough resident Jim Duncan accompanies the group on piano.
Deb says that she’s unorthodox when it comes to the chorus. Faith Newark, her mentor and predecessor who founded the WCC, initiated a rule that no folders could be used during performances. Deb has continued this tradition. She says, “I don’t want the music to be so serious. When you take away the music folders, then you get to look at each other and just share that joy. It’s completely different.”
It’s Like Family
Westborough resident Tom Kelley and his wife, Kaye, have been members since the WCC was founded in 1971. Tom said, "It's a fantastic bunch of people ... We are one big happy family."
Deb and Jack repeated Tom’s sentiment. According to Deb, “We’re like a big family. If someone hasn’t been here, we’ll call and check on them," said Jack. “I was in the hospital for 17 days, and got 70 cards from about 40 chorus members.”
According to Deb, the Christmas concert is a lot of fun. She said, “It’s cheesy and silly. There’s sing-alongs and a skit. At the end, Santa comes down the aisle and the kids in the audience all go up on stage.”
