The
Holland Chorale’s 12-member “ShowTime!” vocal
ensemble has been selected as the Holland’s cultural representative
this coming July 23 through July 27 during Holland’s Sister City’s 475th
birthday anniversary celebration.
According
to Al Serrano, Community/Human Relations Coordinator, “The City's
International Relations Commission is excited that the Holland Chorale's
“ShowTime!” ensemble has accepted our invitation to join us in celebration
of our Sister City's 475th Anniversary."
The
City of Querétaro’s own delegation to the Tulip Time Festival took the
opportunity to attend the Chorale’s musical review “Pizzazz”
while in town and was impressed by the Chorale’s musical range and
talent. According to Jorge Mejia, a local Querétaro official, “We were
delighted to get a chance to see the Chorale in action. They not only reflect
Holland’s
tradition
of excellence in music, but also the best of America’s musical heritage.”
ShowTime
is an ensemble of twelve singers auditioned from the 75-member Holland Chorale.
The Chorale has enhanced the lives of the Holland community for the past
46 years,
inspiring involvement in the arts throughout Western Michigan.
ShowTime provides
an alternative face to the larger chorale showcasing the lighter side of the
Holland Chorale with a style and presentation more Broadway than concert hall.
ShowTime’s musical repertoire appeals to a wide audience and is ideally suited to public and community events. The troupe performs a diverse repertoire of choral music from Broadway and show/pop tunes to spirituals, gospel, secular and sacred music—both classic as well as contemporary. With its high level of musicianship and performance, ShowTime has delighted audiences over the past five years with its annual Love Notes Valentines cabaret, scheduled guest appearances in Holland and throughout the Lakeshore. ShowTime performances showcase the ensemble’s individual talent as well as collective musical range.
Many ShowTime members were born and raised in the Holland area and those who are newer to this city feel the same sense of pride and community loyalty. Jeff Helder, a chorale member for many years and an original ShowTime performer, reflects the feeling of the group, “From the moment we began considering going to Queretaro as part of the City of Holland's delegation, the excitement and enthusiasm of the group was palpable. When our application was accepted we were overjoyed.”
As far as representing Holland at Querétaro’s Festival, Marty Amon notes, “It is truly an honor to represent our great city of Holland in a land rich in their own culture. It will be an incredible experience to learn more about the people of Querétaro, their customs and their history. We will be sharing our connection with them through the universal medium of music, and that will make the visit very meaningful.”
The Twelve–member delegation will be departing on July 23, and is slated for a number of public performances throughout the city to help celebrate Querétaro’s Festival. The ShowTime singers represent a broad spectrum of the Holland community: three business owners, a Director of research and development, a teacher, an attorney, a member of the Community Foundation Board, a flower farmer, a security firm investigator, a horse trainer and a stay-at-home mom, all contributing their talents to this vibrant choral group. The group headed to Querétaro includes singers Julie Amon , Marty Amon , Margie Bazan, Tania Brothers, Steve DuPay, Jeff Helder, Jennifer Loan, Jon Lubbers, Jeff Peerbolt, Jean Poppen, as well as accompanist Courtney Phelps and director Gary Bogle.-