Warwick Valley Chorale's spring schedule begins May 9

WARWICK - The Warwick Valley Chorale’s Spring Concert schedule will feature an “All-England” theme, with the group performing various musical pieces by British composers. Program highlights include “Spirit of England” by Edward Elgar, “Te Deum” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and selections from “Phantom of the Opera” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. All concerts are free and open to the public. The schedule is: • Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal, 62 Windermere Ave. in Greenwood Lake. • Friday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Drew United Methodist Church, 49-51 Sussex St. in Port Jervis. • Sunday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Warwick Reformed Church, 16 Maple Ave., in Warwick. The Chorale is a 75-member musical ensemble which has been actively singing for 67 years, longer than any other choral group in Orange County. Singers of all abilities are invited to join and no auditions are required. Stanley Curtis, professor emeritus of vocal music at SUNY Orange, has been the chorale’s director since 1986. For the past 13 years, Gail Johnson has served as accompanist. The Chorale has performed with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Rockland Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the New England Symphonic Ensemble. The Chorale has performed more than a dozen times at New York’s Carnegie Hall and has provided vocal backup for the Gatlin Brothers. Additinally, the chorale has been invited to join elite touring choruses; in addition, several singers have had opportunities to perform in various venues in Prague, Barcelona and Sydney. For further information, call 986-1392 or 294-7183.