Texarkana chorale shares its performances online,
TEXARKANA — With live programming canceled and future plans in flux, the Texarkana Regional Chorale is taking this moment to focus on gratitude by sharing past musical memories online.
Every day, TRC fans will find a new video of prior TRC performances at the organization’s Facebook page, starting with a recital by music director and conductor MarcAndré Bougie and his wife Candace Taylor, followed by TRC’s male performers singing Gounod’s “Gloire immortelle de nos aïeux” from “Faust,” some Haydn and a “Phantom of the Opera” medley in subsequent posts.
In a message to supporters, the TRC said, “We hope that you will join us for a musical journey of thanksgiving through the many wonderful memories that we have made together.” The video posts will continue through May.
Sharing the music is a way to appreciate where the Regional Chorale has been and is now at this moment in time, Bougie said.
“We are thankful for the beautiful memories we have shared together, and in the stillness of this pandemic which is bringing about a deep reflection of our purpose, we believe that the seeds of future wonderful musical memories are being planted,” Bougie said.
Without the ability to perform, why not share where the TRC has been?
“This is a great time to take stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve done, the dreams and the plans we have. I think it’s a moment frozen in time where we can take stock of who we are, what we are, what we do,” Bougie said. “I’m using these little daily videos to first show the variety of programming we’ve done, the huge corpus of repertoire we’ve covered in the classical realm, in the Broadway realm, the gospel, spiritual realm — the list goes on and on.”
It’s a way to “stop the clock” and see where they go from here as they adapt to the new normal, the conductor said. Expect to see video from concerts in recent years posted as a way to stay engaged with the Regional Chorale’s audience.
“... In the stillness of this pandemic which is bringing about a deep reflection of our purpose, we believe that the seeds of future
wonderful musical memories are being planted.”
—André Bougie