The Greenwood Chorale is gearing up for its upcoming performance, “A Night at the Movies.”
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity’s Parish Hall.
The performance will include recognizable songs from motion pictures, from current films to movies from the ’30s and ’40s.
The Greenwood Chorale, comprised of singers from across the Delta, offers two performances each season, typically a fall and spring concert. The concerts are free to the public.
“For a small town, Greenwood has a lot to offer, and this is just another example of that. We have a wide range of talent,” said Paul Brown, the chorale’s director. “The chorale is just another way of tapping into that local resource, and it’s a way to provide not just entertainment to the community but also exposure to the performing arts and help build music appreciation in the community.”
The concerts feature a wide variety of music — from sacred to secular, covering a broad spectrum of musical periods and genres.
Typically, the fall concert features sacred or classical music, and the spring concert offers a lighter performance.
Last fall, the chorale performed a holiday concert, “The Sounds of Christmas.” This was the first performance since 2019 because of the pandemic.
“We wanted to do something light, fun and entertaining this spring, so we went with movie music,” said Brown.
He said “A Night at the Movies” will include music from films that premiered during the golden age of Hollywood, such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Singing in the Rain.” It will also include songs from popular 1970s and 1980s movies up to movies in the 2000s and more current films, such as the Disney animated movie “Frozen.”
“It’s definitely a family friendly concert,” said Brown, who began directing the chorale in 2017. “There’s a good variety.”
Brown will be playing the piano for the concert and directing. Dr. Josh Armstrong from Delta State University will be the percussionist.
“I always enjoy the spring concert,” said Dr. Erin Jacobs Stagner, a member of the Greenwood Chorale. “The spring concerts are fun and lighter and music that everybody knows. You look up from your sheet music, and people are singing along.”
Stagner, a Greenwood chiropractor, joined the chorale in 2017. She grew up singing in church, and the chorale provided another setting for her to express her love of music and singing.
“It’s just another way for people who have like interests in music to meet, and everybody can come together and share their enjoyment and their love of music in an atmosphere that is good for the community, too,” she said.
She is looking forward to performing the Dolly Parton hit “9 to 5” in the upcoming concert. “Dolly makes everything better,” she said with a laugh.
The first meeting for the Greenwood Chorale was held in 2011 with Ray Smithee as its director.
Brown said membership fluctuates from season to season but usually includes 20 to 30 members. There will be 22 members performing in the Tuesday concert.
“Most of the time, the new members we get are through word of mouth from other members,” said Brown. “The group for the most part is self-recruiting.”
He added that the chorale is open to anyone who wants to join. During its season, members rehearse once a week on Tuesday evenings.
The chorale includes not only Greenwood residents but also members from other cities in the Delta, such as Leland, Indianola and Cleveland. The members have a wide range of musical backgrounds and experience.
“We have folks who have very extensive music backgrounds either from school or in their community or church choir, and then you have other folks who have very little music experience and just enjoy being part of the group and singing in the choir,” said Brown.
Dallas Baker joined the chorale in the fall.
Baker is new in Greenwood. His job at The Johnson-McAdams Firm brought him to the area.
He was recruited to join by his colleague Becky Palmer, who is a Greenwood Chorale officer.
“She was encouraging me to get involved in the community,” said Baker.
He said he had a good experience performing in the fall concert, but being in the chorale didn’t come easy to him.
“The last time I was in any chorus was with a youth group choir at church, which was many years ago,” he said. “I know how to read sheet music because I was in the junior high band, but I had never been a part of a real serious adult choir. I did not know how to read sheet music to the level I needed. So I found it to be very challenging for me.”
Other members and the director helped Baker out.
“Paul Brown and my choir mates have really been generous and helpful in being patient with me and bringing me up to speed,” he said.
Baker is looking forward to the upcoming concert. He said his favorite song that will be featured in the concert is “Over the Rainbow.” “We sang ‘Over the Rainbow’ in kids choir at school. It just reminded me of that childhood memory.”
Baker said Greenwood reminds him of his childhood in the ’70s and ’80s in Oxford.
“My mom was big into choir at church and in the Oxford Community Band,” he said. Being in the chorale, “in a way is a nod to Mom’s small town involvement.”
The Greenwood Chorale “adds culture and a sense of community to what Greenwood has to offer,” Baker added. “It fits right into the hospitality of Greenwood to me. Folks care enough to put this on for the town.”
Brown said it’s a rewarding experience to direct the chorale.
“Really it’s like teaching,” he said. “You’re teaching that music. You’re teaching not just the notes themselves but how to put it together, how to express it. I’ve always enjoyed that, whether it’s music or otherwise.”
He also enjoys the teamwork involved in preparing for a concert.
“You have this challenge in front of you, and as a group you’re working to meet that challenge,” he said. “You all arrive at the end point together. That group achievement of reaching that goal is very rewarding.”