By LOIS KINDLE
The East Bay High School Varsity Treble Chorus and Sounds of Time will perform in the 8th Annual Masterworks Concert Nov. 16 at United Methodist Church of Sun City Center. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary at 1210 Del Webb Blvd. W.
During the concert, students in grades 9 through 12 will perform choral works with the Masterworks Chamber Orchestra, which includes local teachers and professional players, even a member of The Florida Orchestra.
“Very few choral programs at the high school level offer this kind of opportunity to their students,” said Brian Nesmith, East Bay High School choral director for the past 23 years.
The 90-minute concert will include “Requiem in D minor” by Gabriel Faure; “Missa brevis in G major” by Franz Joseph Haydn; “Divertimento in D Major, K. 136” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Exultabunt Sancti in Gloria” by Johann Michael Haydn; “Toccata in G Major” by Theodore Dubois; Deux arabesque No. 1” by Claude Debussy; and more.
“Most of these works tend to be spiritual in nature because the chorale tradition comes from that,” Nesmith said.
During the “Requiem in D minor,” the largest work in the concert, East Bay’s Varsity Treble Chorus will be joined by Riverview High School’s Advanced Women’s Chorus. The performance will include sopranos and altos from both schools who have rehearsed together outside of class in the evening a total of six times. This is the third time East Bay High School and Riverview High School have collaborated on a Masterwork Concert, said Liz Stewart, Nesmith’s counterpart at Riverview High for 13 years.
“Our students love it,” she said. “They enjoy forming new friendships with students from another high school who have a common interest. Harmony isn’t in their sound alone. They also get along together.”
The cost of producing this Masterworks Concert is $7,000, Nesmith said. It covers paying the instrumentalists, sheet music and creating and printing programs.
BRIAN NESMITH PHOTO
East Bay High School and Riverview High School choral students, who will be performing in the 8th Annual Masterworks Concert Nov. 16 at the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, gather for a group photo during a rehearsal.
Sponsors include East Bay Alumna Delane Washington, Sweet Bee Studios, Maga Musik Records and Palm Springs Electric. Additional sponsors would be helpful and much appreciated. For information, call Nesmith at 813-671-5139.
Tickets are available for $15 in advance weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the church office or at www.sccumc.com. They also can be purchased at the door for $20, provided any still remain.
To get an idea of what this kind of performance is like, visit https://youtu.be/4fnHO8Yg7eg?t=2394, Nesmith said.
For additional information, call Kevin Goodenow at 813-362-0956.