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Coweta County’s Masterworks Chorale is
heading to Carnegie Hall. The Chorale – made up of local singers and directed by Kathy Bizarth – is one of four choruses from across America to be invited to perform July 15 at the famed New York hall, in a debut of Jackson Berkey’s original compositions of sacred music. Masterworks will perform two works at the Carnegie Hall performance, accompanied by a full orchestra and led by Berkey’s wife, internationally-known conductor Almeda Berkey. “It is an extraordinary honor for a group as young as Masterworks to be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall,” said Centre Director Don Nixon. “I am so proud of them. It is such an honor and it speaks volumes about the standards of excellence this group of local musicians pursues.” The five-year-old Masterworks Chorale is an audition-only local choir made up of 54 Coweta County vocalists organized through the school system’s Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. It is composed of adult vocalists from across the community from all backgrounds – teachers, attorneys and ministers, with musical experiences ranging from church choirs to trained music educators to former professional musicians. “They have had college students all the way to people in their 80’s perform with them,” said Nixon. “The only requirement is that you have to have to come in and audition.” The group rehearses on Monday nights at Newnan High School, and performs concerts throughout the year at the Centre and around the community. Local attorney Mandee Caldwell – who performs with Masterworks and is this year’s Chairman of Masterworks’ board of directors – actually sang with another community choir ten years ago at Carnegie Hall. “I can tell you there is nothing like it,” said Caldwell. “Walking through the wings and stepping onto the stage, knowing the history associated with the Hall, is sort of an out-of-body experience. I am thrilled that Masterworks has been presented with this incredible opportunity.” Masterworks was invited in 2006 to perform at a summer meeting of the Georgia Music Educator’s Association in Savannah. That was an impressive accomplishment, said Nixon, “but this is kind of unheard of. This really speaks well of Kathy Bizarth’s direction and the talent and dedication of her performers,” he said. Jackson Berkey is well-known to fans of Mannheim Steamroller, which is perhaps the most celebrated adult contemporary/new age music group of all time. Berkey co-founded the group with Chip Davis in the 1970’s, and he and his wife Almeda both perform on keyboard for the group. With roots in classical music, Jackson Berkey is also a prolific and award-winning composer. Berkey has produced a catalogue of over 300 compositions for solo voice, solo instruments, choir, orchestra, and chamber groups. He won a variety of composition awards from the Alienor Harpsichord competition to the 2000 "New Music for Young Ensembles", with his “Piano Trio Kassarjian.” His compositions are regularly performed by professional enembles across the country, as well as by Mannheim Steamroller and on his own solo classical albums. Jackson and Almeda Berkey came to Newnan in 2007 to perform at the Centre. “They were wonderful, and while they were here they became very much aware of the mission of the Centre and the quality of performers here, specifically with Masterworks,” said Nixon. When the Berkeys were invited to perform their work at Carnegie Hall, they began seeking communty choirs. They were familiar with the Centre, and people within their organization had Georgia ties “and they were familiar with Kathy Bizarth and her production standards,” said Nixon. Coweta County charm didn’t hurt, either. “We got a great note from them after their visit last year saying they looked forward to coming back to Newnan and having the fried chicken at Redneck Gourmet,” said Nixon. The Berkeys were impressed enough to invite Masterworks to be one of a select few choirs from across the country to perform Berkey's “In Memoriam: Kassarjian” and “Thoughts & Remembrances” on July 15. The orchestra-accompanied performance will be under the direction of Almeda Berkey, with Jackson Berkey himself at the piano. Now that the invitation has been accepted, Masterworks members have begun organizing the trip. “We will be rehearsing starting in January,” said Bizarth. “There is also a possibility of the Bekeys coming to Newnan for a rehearsal with just us, which is very exciting.” Bizarth said chorus members are “very flattered and anxious to be part of such a prestigious event… most have not had the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall or with such a well regarded composer.” At least half the members have committed to traveling to New York, and “we are hard at work formulating fundraising ideas to help defray the cost. In such a hard economic time as this, the group understands the honor and opportunity afforded us and is willing to make the sacrifice necessary to take every advantage of the honor and experience.” Masterworks members are offering their vocal talents to help raise funds, whether they perform as a group for a company Christmas party or provide Valentine’s Day quartets. “It’s obviously a big expense during a tough time, but they are trying to make every allowance possible to get there,” said Nixon. Anyone interested in engaging Masterworks can contact Mandee Caldwell, Kathy Bizarth or Don Nixon at the Centre, at 770-254-2787. “Masterworks could not be in a position to receive or accept such an invitation without the support of the community over the past five years,” said Caldwell. “Of course, many members will not be able to participate without more community support, so I hope that people will step up and help us ensure that Newnan and Coweta County are well represented in the big city.”  The Masterworks Chorale – the adult community choir organized from the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts – has been invited to perform at a July 15 event at New York’s Carnegie Hall, along with three other choirs from across the nation. Above, the local choir, directed by Newnan High School’s Kathy Bizarth, appears onstage at the Centre during its September 28 community concert. |