By Joan Doggrell
Special to The Citizen
If you enjoy choral singing and want to sing even better, a golden opportunity awaits you.
Kathy Bizarth, artistic director for Coweta County’s distinguished Masterworks Chorale, is holding auditions for new singers through the month of July. For an appointment at your convenience, call her at 770-846-8278 or reach her by email at kbizarth@numail.org.
If you join now, you’ll be prepared to take part in Masterworks’ scholarship concert on October 19. Proceeds from donations will go to the Masterworks scholarship winner guest, to be chosen in early fall. The concert will be a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the lyrics of “The Star Spangled Banner” and songs of Americana.
Starting August 18, rehearsals will be held Monday evenings at 6:45 p.m. in the choir room of the First Methodist Church in downtown Newnan. Most performances take place at the Coweta County Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Bizarth is more than a musical director; she is also an excellent singing instructor. She draws on 38 years of experience as a public school music teacher. Twenty five of those years were at Newnan High School. “Through those times, I’ve been very lucky,” said Bizarth. “A lot of people have supported me, and I’ve had some great students.”
Since retiring from public school in 2009, she continues to be a creative force that keeps community choral music alive and thriving. Under Bizarth’s direction, Masterworks celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2013.
“Our mission is to provide an opportunity for our community singers to further their education after they leave an organized school setting,” said Bizarth. “We provide a continuing outlet for people in music education and the arts as well as for community members who enjoy choral singing.”
“The name ‘Masterworks’ implies that we will do at least one concert of ‘stretch’ music per year, and that’s usually a work of a classical composer. These selections often take people out of their comfort zone, but there are certain pieces that as musicians they need to know and to have performed at least once.”
