We are a non-auditioned community chorus made up of experienced singers from Mount Desert Island and the surrounding communities, as well as those from away.
Each year, some 70 - 80 singers plan their summers around the choir's schedule. They make sure they clear evenings on rehearsal days (usually one night a week and several nights during concert week) from late June to early August, they plan their vacations, out-of-town trips, or arrival and departure dates based on the rehearsal and the performance dates. About two-thirds of the members are year-round residents; the rest come from all over the United States and from foreign countries. The youngest members are high school students who sing upon the recommendation of their school-year director. The Chorale provides a unique opportunity for diverse people to come together for a larger purpose.
We take six weeks to learn a full-length program, so every rehearsal counts. They're demanding and exacting, but also upbeat and exciting. What better way to form new friendships and renew old ones?
Members pay annual dues, which subsidize the rental of music and access to study materials. In addition, many members serve on committees, assist with publicity, host guest artists, or work on concert logistics.
Registration information goes out around May 1 and continues until the first rehearsal. Concerts are given on the first weekend in August. There is no audition, but most members are experienced choral musicians who sing in other choirs during the year.
Here's the 2023 schedule:
Rehearsals
At MDI high school:
Wednesday, June 21 first rehearsal, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, June 28 rehearsal, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, July 5 rehearsal, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, July 12 rehearsal, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 15 retreat + picnic
2 – 3 p.m.: sectionals
3:15 – 4:15, 4:30 – 5:30: all together
5:30: all-MDSC plus families picnic/barbecue (at MDI High School)
Wednesday, July 19 rehearsal, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Wednesday, July 26 rehearsal and annual meeting, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Sunday, July 30 rehearsal, 6:30-9 p.m.
Wednesday, August 2 final rehearsal with soloists, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Concerts:
Thursday, August 3 Gala Benefit Concert by MDSC soloists, St. Mary's by-the-Sea, Northeast Harbor, 7:30 p.m. St.
Friday, August 4 Ellsworth High School, 7:30 p.m. (call for singers is 5:30 p.m.)
Saturday, August 5 Criterion Theater, Bar Harbor, 7:30 p.m. (call for singers is 5:30 p.m.)
Join the Mount Desert Summer Chorale
Download one of the forms below, fill it out, and mail it to PO Box 887 ▪ Mount Desert, ME ▪ 04660
Word document (download)
pdf document PDF
You can use this link (below) to pay your membership fee by credit card or using your PayPal account.
