By Cecilia Nasmith
Under the leadership of artistic director Lynn Janes, the Oriana Singers have resumed the beloved and challenging Brahms Requiem via ZOOM rehearsals.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Cobourg-based group's 50th-anniversray concert celebrations earlier in the year, it might have been the end of an era. Instead, the group embraced technology and continued to connect with members remotely to maintain a sense of community and to plan into the future.
With hopes for a possible concert in the new year, weekly virtual rehearsals have resumed with a full schedule of guest lectures by well-known broadcaster and author Rick Phillips, vocal coaching by Grammy-nominated mezzo-soprano Laura Pudwell, German diction coaching by their own Diane Ankenmann, and accompaniment by Bob Grandy. Soloists include soprano Nadia Petrella and baritone Joseph Song Chi.
The Oriana Singers are also collaborating with Northumberland Orchestra and Choir, led by music director John Kraus, and rehearsals have grown to more than 70 singers participating in the fall programming.
Credit must also go to board president Jeff Pudwell's leadership for the spirit of determination not only to survive but to thrive as a vibrant community chorus – and to the enthusiastic singers from across Northumberland County whose hunger for new kinds of learning experiences has helped begin a new chapter for a long-standing and well-respected community organization.
