HOLLISTER
For those who enjoy watching their live concerts or who have taken part in performing over the years, the Oriana Chorale has become a San Benito County mainstay.
Started 22 years ago, the chorale’s springtime and holiday performances are attended by many locals, both for the tradition and to listen to the beautiful music.
Unfortunately, this year, so far the performances have been under attended.
“This year, we may be very nonprofit if we don’t get a bigger audience,” said chorale president Jan Hille.
At the first concert, around 50 people showed up, Hille said, compared with a normal turnout of around 400 people. The total cost to run the program – paying the choir director and accompanist and other costs – is around $20,000, said Court Nichols, the chorale’s treasurer.
Still, for those who take part in the choir, the joy of singing is not absent – big audience or no.
“Anyone who wants to sing can join us,” Hille said, adding: “We even have some people who don’t read music but they still love to sing.”
Hille has sung soprano in the chorale for just over seven years. There are around 30 members. Some, like Nichols who joined in 1986, have been there almost from the beginning.
“It’s just a love of music that brings us all together,” Hille said.
Nichols joined the choir because of a lifelong love of singing.
“I sing tenor because I love to sing those higher notes – even though, because I’m getting up in age, its hard to hit them now,” he said.
For those who go to the concerts year after year, the enjoyment is there as well.
The theme of this year’s concert series is Christmas Around the World, Hille said. The chorale will be singing carols from many different countries and in many different languages.
“It’s been a challenge because we ended up having to sing in Latin and French and Spanish and English,” Nichols said.
The chorus will also continue a tradition of performing selections from “The Messiah,” a Christmas favorite for audience members, Hille said.
Oriana Chorale on the Web:
Listen to the glorious sounds of the Oriana Chorale in a special audio slide show by Nick Lovejoy. Go to the Web at www.freelancenews.com starting Tuesday.
