The Eastern Idaho Chorale needs your voice
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IDAHO FALLS — If you have a love for singing and giving back to the community, The Eastern Idaho Chorale has a spot for you.
The non-profit group is looking for more members by their first rehearsal this season on Sept. 11.
“We just want people to meet and enjoy themselves and have fun singing with a group,” co-president Beth Honeycutt says.
The group has some 40 members currently who are mostly female. Honeycutt says the choir is hoping to have 40 more members and a lot more male voices.
Members of their group come from all over east Idaho and range in age from 16 to 80.
“I just think it adds so much of a sense of community. We have members from Rigby and Rexburg that come down and sing. We’re not just an Idaho Falls-based group. I think that really draws in the community,” Honeycutt says.
Honeycutt says the chorale’s conductor and accompanist are music professionals who work in the community. Corbin Rasmussen directs the Rigby High School Choir and serves as the group’s conductor. Rebecca Parkinson, a music professor at BYU-Idaho, is the accompanist.
“The quality of performance is phenomenal,” Honeycutt says. “The quality of our accompaniment is always just amazing.”
The chorale doesn’t sing show tunes and hymnals, but a variety of songs in different languages with many rich and inviting melodies.
“They are kind of challenging songs and so we do kind of hope that some people have a background choral knowledge,” Honeycutt says. “Our director is really great at teaching us different pronunciations.”
Honeycutt says anyone 16 or older is welcome to join the non-denominational chorale. There is no formal audition. She says prior singing knowledge is a bonus but not necessary. The group has spring and Christmas performances each year at the Hope Lutheran Church and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
There is a membership fee of $40 per person, per semester to cover the cost of the rehearsal facility and other basic expenses. The performances are free to the public and donations are welcome.
“It’s all for fun just because we love to sing,” Honeycutt says.
The first rehearsal will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building across from Bonneville High School at 3055 East Iona Rd on Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rehearsal is every Wednesday.
Follow the group on Facebook.