Making beautiful music

PAYSON — For its silver anniversary, the Payson Chorale joins six other choirs from across the United States and Canada and the New England Symphonic Ensemble to perform in MidAmerica Productions' June concert in Carnegie Hall in New York.

The performance takes place Sunday, June 25, from 2-4 p.m.

The repertoire includes "Chichester Psalms" by Leonard Bernstein and Carnegie Hall director John Rutter's "Gloria," "Distant Land" and "Feel the Spirit."

Rutter will conduct the 200 singers.

"It will be good to sit back and learn," Payson Chorale founder and director David Dahlquist said.

Rutter, a foremost English conductor, is one of today's legends in choir music, Dahlquist said.

Meanwhile, the chorale will perform Rutter's "Gloria" and Dahlquist's "The Reaching" during an hourlong concert at Payson High School Friday as the chorale's final fund-raiser in a yearlong money-raising effort. Tickets are available at the door or from any chorale member.

"This is an opportunity to sing under the baton of John Rutter, which is akin to legend. He is akin to legend," said chorale accompanist Lisa Hansen.

"('Gloria') is written for orchestra, so it is a challenge to play as many of the parts at once with two little hands," Hansen said.

At first the choir had double doubts whether it could perform the Rutter piece under his baton and whether they could earn the money to make the trip. But as they forged ahead they saw that it was possible.

"Even people who felt they couldn't afford to go" caught the vision and assisted the group in its fund-raising efforts, she said.

"We have a hope and a wish to represent Utah well in New York City," she said. "Invitations (to sing at Carnegie Hall) are rare west of the Mississippi."

Dahlquist founded the choir in February 1981 as an outgrowth of a Payson church's tradition to perform Handel's "Messiah" every other Christmas season. Choir members wanted the choir to continue, and Dahlquist agreed. He was then choir director at Payson High School.

"We had about 40 members then," he said. "Now we have over 80."

Sixty-eight singers will make the trip to New York. Including spouses and friends, the entourage will number more than 120, Dahlquist said.

Choir members are excited at the prospect, especially as they have performed many of Rutter's pieces in the past, said Cheryl Lee, chorale publicity chairwoman.