Children’s chorus plans first performance
Published 6:55 pm Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Suffolk Children’s Chorus will have its first on-stage performance on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
“This is the first time they’ve been on stage, and we’re very excited about it,” said Paul Lasakow, executive director of the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. The center orchestrated the forming of the children’s chorus.
“This is a really important part of what we do,” Lasakow said. “Not only does it give children the ability to get choral training without having to drive into Norfolk or somewhere else, it also is part of our philosophy that we can have a children’s choir in Suffolk. We can have a community theater in Suffolk. Our philosophy is we can do it all right here. That’s a big part of the message we want to convey.”
The fledgling chorus will be performing songs from a variety of genres from classical and contemporary composers, including some in languages such as German and Latin, said director Breena Ray.
“I’m trying to use accessible but very high-quality music for the children at the Suffolk Center,” she said. “I think it’s a great experience for the kids. They’re learning so much.”
This is the first performance at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, but the children also performed at an event last month at the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum.
Ray said she is hoping more children will come on board. There are scholarships available for participants.
“We’re continuing to recruit more children,” she said. “The more, the merrier.”
Tickets to Sunday’s performance are $5. For more information, call 923-0003.