Cinnaminson chorus has performed for nearly 50 years
Half a century is a long time. That’s how long the Cinnaminson Community Chorus has been in existence.
Maybe it’s the determination of its singers, especially Alan Blackford, who’s been part of the 35-member choir since he was 14 and a high-school freshman. He and friend Irene French – the group’s secretary – started in the choir about the same time. They attended Cinnaminson High School together but have known each other since they were children.
The chorus was part of Cinnaminson’s adult education program in 1972, when its director was Marie Lummus. The program was dissolved after several years, but chorus members maintained the use of school facilities to rehearse.
Over time, Lummus’ health issues rendered her unable to run the choir, so she named Blackford her successor. But she still managed to have the group perform in the winter concert in December 1985. She was gearing up for the spring concert when she passed away in May 1986, three weeks shy of that performance.
Blackford was then appointed to head the group by its board of directors. At the time, he was a vocal music teacher with a master’s degree in music. He retired in 2017 after teaching music at an Atco elementary school for 32 years.
According to French, several members of the chorus are former schoolmates of hers and Blackford’s at Cinnaminson High who started in the group about the same time she and he did.
French has been a member of the chorus for 30 years and describes a familiarity and closeness that feels more like a family than a choir. Even after 50 years, the group finds new and attainable goals for itself, among them to continue growing and attract renewed interest in the community.
Like other groups, the choir had minor setbacks during COVID, including an increased chance of infection faced by any singers in a group setting and a reluctance to attend social gatherings.
Moving on from the pandemic, Blackford hopes to attract younger people to the chorus. He is doing all he can to accomplish that by choosing music that appeals to a more youthful demographic. And he continues to make sure the more seasoned members of the community and choir feel represented.
The chorus holds the majority of its shows in the Cinnaminson High auditorium. They include concerts for winter and spring, the latter being rehearsed now. Outside of those, the ensemble performs one to three shows annually; this year’s will be outdoor performances.
The chorus will present Once Upon a Springtime at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the high-school auditorium on Riverton Road. Tickets sold at the door will be $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Children under 12 are free.
For more information, contact Irene French at (856) 313-5217.
