Alchemy Chamber Ensemble to perform

OLD SAYBROOK — Alchemy, the vocal chamber ensemble of the GMChorale, presents its second concert of the season Thursday at 7 p.m. Led by founding Artistic Director Joseph D’Eugenio, the 24-voice ensemble will perform at the First Church of Christ at 366 Main Street in Old Saybrook. No tickets are required; a free-will donation will be accepted.

Called “Come to the Music,” the hour-long program showcases the versatility of this ensemble in performances of accompanied and a capella choral music by Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner, Duruflé, Fauré, Siegfried, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Thompson, Vierne, Clausen, and others.

Joining Alchemy on this program are the the Old Saybrook High School Chamber Singers, directed by Jeremy Milton, and the Chancel Choir of the First Church of Christ, directed by Garrett Artman. Allan Conway accompanies on piano and organ.

Formed in 2016 as the first expression of the GMChorale’s new “Singing for a Lifetime” outreach initiative, Alchemy is a company of 24 musicians that includes music educators, professional soloists and performers, and skilled ensemble singers and instrumentalists.

The ensemble performs an annual series of concerts across Connecticut, often collaborating with choirs from the communities in which it performs, especially with youth choirs, who have an opportunity to rehearse and perform with the seasoned musicians of Alchemy and their Artistic Director, Joseph D’Eugenio.

“When Alchemy sings with a youth or church choir, the experience is inspiring for all of us, from the youngest child to the most experienced of our professional musicians,” said D’Eugenio.

“The young singers are sometimes in awe of what the pros can do with their voices and musicianship,

but the adult musicians also find inspiration in these young singers, who are our future music educators, performers, audience, and supporters.”

Joint rehearsals are times of intense learning, creativity, and enrichment, with the adult singers serving as mentors and models for the younger musicians.

Alchemy’s outreach concerts are a core program in the GMChorale’s “Singing for a Lifetime” initiative, which offers opportunities for people of a range of ages and with various levels of experience to enjoy singing, listening, and making music together throughout

their lives.

The musicians of Alchemy are also members of the 80-voice GMChorale, which presents two main-stage concerts this season.

On Nov. 11, GMChorale and Alchemy join the global celebration of the Leonard Bernstein centenary with a program of music by Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Randall Thompson. The concert takes place at 4 p.m. at the Middletown High School Santo Fragilio Performing Arts Center. A pre-concert talk begins at 3:15pm.

Tickets for these concerts are available at www.gmchorale.org.

Information about Alchemy’s 2018-2019 concert series is available at http://gmchorale.org/alchemy/.

Contributed photo / GMChorale's Alchemy is performing in Old Saybrook on Thursday.