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Friends of the Rockbridge Choral Society
  Vol. 35                                         ONLINE  ONLINE  ONLINE                                         May 2018     
Providing financial support   since 1999 for The Rockbridge Choral Society and The Rockbridge Youth Chorale


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May 2018   
Birthdays in Music

Billy Joel     5/9/1949

 Irving Berlin    5/11/1888
Eric Satie    5/17/1866
The Crown,  
Three Weddings  
and a Funeral
    The music of coronations, weddings and funerals is a repertoire of distinction.  What are your favorites?    Inquiring minds want to know.  You might just be helping us program a future concert, so don't be shy.  Send your suggestions to communications@rcs.org and we'll pass them on.
It's a Wrap
      The Rockbridge Choral Society and the Rockbridge Youth Chorale have wrapped up the 2017-2018 performance season. Joined by singers from the Rockbridge County High School Choir, our young
s ingers presented their spring concert on April 17.  They had a little pre-concert snack time before getting down to work.  Their ranks  grow and they sound better every year!  We are so proud of them and we thank Lacy Lynch and Lori Parker for their leadership this season!
    It seems all have agreed that the Rockbridge Choral Society's performance of Bach's B Minor Mass was one of its best efforts to date. And we cannot say enough about our orchestra!  We had several new players with us for this concert including Matvey Lapin, first violin, who we learned came all the way from Moscow, Russia by way of Oberlin College and currently, Cary, NC, where he now resides with his wife and children. Matvy also plays regularly with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.  We hope he will play for us again!  Martin Irving, second violin, is a native Australian.  Sophie Brown, our youngest player, is from right here in Lexington as is Heather Dobbins on the bassoon.  Rockbridge native Lilly Copeland joined us once again with her exquisite oboe work.  Thanks to our Evelyn P. McCorkle Concertmaster, Liz Field, for bringing many of our musicians to us.  What a diverse and talented group we had to help us present this great choral work!  We are truly blessed.

    A good orchestra plays better with a good chorus and a good chorus sings better with a good orchestra.  We are most indebted to our donors who sponsored many of our professional players and singers.  By adopting a musician they helped to defray this significant cost.  This is becoming one of our most effective fund-raising programs.  Thanks again to all who gave so generously to underwrite our players, soloists, and 'ringer singers'!  We could not do what we do without you!
One Royal Thing
 
Sheku Kanneh-Mason

       The latest Royal wedding has come and gone this month, and in its' wake left us with another sort of crown jewel.  Young cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, appeared under a bower of white posies to play while the bride and groom went away to sign the register. And play he did.  The 19 year old, raised in Nottingham, England, had a big gig lined up for the weekend of May 19, 2018.   Seems Mr. Kanneh-Mason was scheduled to make his US orchestral debut with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.  Then the future Duchess of Sussex called. 
    As it turns out, Sheku is not the only talent in the Kanneh-Mason family, but he is likely the most famous thanks to that wedding gig.  Worthy of your time - Listen here
Friends of the Rockbridge Choral Society
communication@rcs.org
Rockbridge Choral Society
P.O. Box 965
Lexington, VA 24450