Classic Harmony practices during rehearsal on March 19 in Newcastle. The choir has selected 13 songs to perform at its first concert, which will be a return to stage for many members who had been in Hearts Ever Young, a similar group which performed locally before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Sarah Masters photo)
The set list is chosen. The songs have been practiced. The members of Classic Harmony are ready for their debut performance on Tuesday, May 7 at The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle.
The seniors-only choir formed this winter, led by Beth Preston and Sean Fleming. For some time, Preston and Fleming had wanted to fill the void left by Hearts Ever Young’s dissolution. That choir performed in the Midcoast for a withdecade its formal dissolution in 2022. Fleming had served as the groups music director.
Now, the Lincoln County musical powerhouses collaborate as music director and accompanist of Tapestry Singers, a connection which led to this moment.
“We were determined to get people together to sing the songs they know and love,” Preston said in a February press release.
Many members of Hearts Ever Young have joined Classic Harmony, which is now home to more than 30 singers aged 65 and up.
“The vibe is wonderful,” said Preston.
Classic Harmony performs jazz standards, Broadway tunes, folk songs, and pop hits from the Great American Songbook, a loosely defined canon of the 20th century’s most recognized works.
The group has selected a baker’s dozen of those well-loved songs, from “Ain’t Misbehavin’” to “What a Wonderful World,” for its first performance.
Beth Preston and Sean Fleming lead Classic Harmony, a new senior choir, at rehearsal on March 19. Fleming and Preston work together in the group Tapestry Singers and collaborated on starting this new group, which launched in January and is already set for a premier concert on Tuesday, May 7 in Newcastle. (Sarah Masters photo)
Classic Harmony rehearses in a ballroom overlooking the Damariscotta River at The Lincoln Home in Newcastle, where some members reside.
At the March 19 rehearsal, singers crooned through classic songs like “Bridge over Troubled Water” as Fleming and Preston perfected the arrangement. David Fields and Nancy Parker each joined on their guitars, playing along for several songs.
One month later at the April 23 rehearsal, the group was nearly ready for its debut. The hourlong practice session ran long as the group perfected their notes.
Gene Reil was a member of Hearts Ever Young for several years and quick to join Classic Harmony went it formed this year.
“We are fortunate to have Beth. She is so good at what she does, and she clearly enjoys it. And we have two talented piano players,” Reil said. “Classic Harmony is a wonderful part of the Midcoast community and I am lucky to be part of it … Great is the word – great people, great songs, a great time.”
Longtime professional singer and dancer Val Gorrill also returns from Hearts Ever Young. “Scarborough Fair” is Gorrill’s favorite song in the show.
“It’s nice, with a little slow down – a combination of song,” Gorrill said.
Joyce Robinson said described the music as being “awesome.”
It takes me back,” she said. “Music brings people together and everyone is having a ball.”
Preston holds both a bachelor’s and master’s of music degree. She was Lincoln Academy’s choir director from 1995 until her retirement in 2019, the same year she was named Maine Music Educator of the Year.
Preston directed Tapestry Singers from 1998-2006 and returned to the post in fall 2014. The group is scheduled to perform next in June at the Damariscotta Baptist Church.
Fleming, or “Mr. Midcoast Music” to Riel, is a piano and organ recitalist who has performed throughout Maine and the United States. Fleming studied organ and piano with Ray Cornils, John Doney, Michael Lindsey, and Gerald McGee. For more than 30 years, Fleming has served as organist at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Newcastle.
Classic Harmony takes the stage on Tuesday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle, at 51 Main St. in Newcastle. The show is free, no tickets are necessary, and there will be a reception with light refreshments after the show.
Classic Harmony poses after rehearsal at The Lincoln Home in Newcastle on March 19. The choir group of over 30 singing seniors will stage their premier concert on Tuesday, May 7 at The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle, singing popular songs from the Great American Songbook. (Sarah Masters photo)
