Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the region’s performing arts scene, the Andover Choral Society (ACS) has been bringing professional quality music to the Merrimack Valley for more than 80 years. Founded in 1930 by Andover native J. Everett Collins, a musician and teacher for whom the town’s Collins Center for the Performing Arts is named, the group originally was known as the Andover Male Choir. Three music directors and eight decades later, ACS has grown its membership and repertoire to become a leading player in Greater Boston’s choral music community.
The ACS performs twice a year —January and May — at Merrimack College’s Rogers Center for the Arts. ACS also accompanies the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra at its holiday concert in December. The group’s music varies widely, ranging from classics like Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Handel’s “Messiah” to lesser-known pieces like Verdi’s “Manzoni Requiem,” and still others in Japanese and French.
The quality and diversity of ACS’s concert selections are credited to Allen Combs, the group’s music director. A native of Idaho, Combs relocated to the Boston area to pursue a career in music in the 1980s. Music director since 1989, he is only the third person to hold the position in the group’s history. A voice instructor at Phillips Academy in Andover by day, Combs spends much of his time on projects related to ACS, conducting rehearsals, writing program notes and coaching ACS members in foreign language diction, one of his specialties.
“I try to choose a variety of music from a core catalog without being too conservative,” Combs says. “We want to expose our audience to new things and show people that they don’t have to go into Boston to experience great choral music. We’re only a community organization in the sense that we don’t get paid. It’s our goal to consistently present the best possible music to the community.”
As an all-volunteer chorus, ACS members vary widely in age and experience. “Everyone is welcome,” says Liz Fortino, an ACS member since 2001 and president of its board of directors for the past five years. “We’re a very friendly group, and anyone interested in singing classical music will find that we produce an incredibly high quality product.”
With approximately 60 dues-paying members, ACS uses its income to hire professional musicians and soloists for its performances. Rehearsals are held Monday evenings, and auditions are not required. “We have a core group of people who have been together for a long time,” Fortino says. “We celebrate each other’s lives.”
For many long-time ACS members and director Allen Combs it’s the feeling of accomplishment that keeps them coming back. “So much work goes into choosing what we’ll perform, adapting it, assigning parts. Sometimes it can be overwhelming,” says Combs, who balances his work with ACS and Philips with his classical singing performances. A member of the Boston-based Blue Heron Renaissance Choir since 1999 and a soloist and cantor at the Church of the Advent in Boston, his schedule is usually full.
“The appreciation we get from our audiences is quite gratifying,” Combs says. “There are times when you wonder if you’re on the right track, but at the end of a performance, when people are standing in the aisles and applauding, you know you did it right.”
Fortino, whose musical background includes playing the violin and clarinet, agrees. “After a hard time practicing, there’s nothing like hoping and praying it will all come together—and then it does.”
For more information on performances, tickets or becoming a member, visit the group’s website: www.andoverchoral.org.
Photo by Steve Isenberg.
Spotlight on the Arts – Andover Choral Society
Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the region’s performing arts scene, the Andover Choral Society (ACS) has been bringing professional quality music to the Merrimack Valley for more than 80 years. Founded in 1930 by Andover native J. Everett Collins, a musician and teacher for whom the town’s Collins Center for the Performing Arts is named, the group originally was known as the Andover Male Choir. Three music directors and eight decades later, ACS has grown its membership and repertoire to become a leading player in Greater Boston’s choral music community.
The ACS performs twice a year —January and May — at Merrimack College’s Rogers Center for the Arts. ACS also accompanies the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra at its holiday concert in December. The group’s music varies widely, ranging from classics like Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Handel’s “Messiah” to lesser-known pieces like Verdi’s “Manzoni Requiem,” and still others in Japanese and French.
The quality and diversity of ACS’s concert selections are credited to Allen Combs, the group’s music director. A native of Idaho, Combs relocated to the Boston area to pursue a career in music in the 1980s. Music director since 1989, he is only the third person to hold the position in the group’s history. A voice instructor at Phillips Academy in Andover by day, Combs spends much of his time on projects related to ACS, conducting rehearsals, writing program notes and coaching ACS members in foreign language diction, one of his specialties.
“I try to choose a variety of music from a core catalog without being too conservative,” Combs says. “We want to expose our audience to new things and show people that they don’t have to go into Boston to experience great choral music. We’re only a community organization in the sense that we don’t get paid. It’s our goal to consistently present the best possible music to the community.”
As an all-volunteer chorus, ACS members vary widely in age and experience. “Everyone is welcome,” says Liz Fortino, an ACS member since 2001 and president of its board of directors for the past five years. “We’re a very friendly group, and anyone interested in singing classical music will find that we produce an incredibly high quality product.”
With approximately 60 dues-paying members, ACS uses its income to hire professional musicians and soloists for its performances. Rehearsals are held Monday evenings, and auditions are not required. “We have a core group of people who have been together for a long time,” Fortino says. “We celebrate each other’s lives.”
For many long-time ACS members and director Allen Combs it’s the feeling of accomplishment that keeps them coming back. “So much work goes into choosing what we’ll perform, adapting it, assigning parts. Sometimes it can be overwhelming,” says Combs, who balances his work with ACS and Philips with his classical singing performances. A member of the Boston-based Blue Heron Renaissance Choir since 1999 and a soloist and cantor at the Church of the Advent in Boston, his schedule is usually full.
“The appreciation we get from our audiences is quite gratifying,” Combs says. “There are times when you wonder if you’re on the right track, but at the end of a performance, when people are standing in the aisles and applauding, you know you did it right.”
Fortino, whose musical background includes playing the violin and clarinet, agrees. “After a hard time practicing, there’s nothing like hoping and praying it will all come together—and then it does.”
For more information on performances, tickets or becoming a member, visit the group’s website: www.andoverchoral.org.
Photo by Steve Isenberg.