Susquehanna Valley Chorale performs selection of Bob Dylan classics
By Anna Wiest
For The Daily Item
MIFFLINBURG – The Susquehanna Valley Chorale performed The Times They Are A- Changin’: A Dylan Oratorio at the Rusty Rail Brewing Company in Mifflinburg on Sunday. The chorale originally planned to perform the selection three years ago.
Conductor and Music Director for more than 20 years, Willian Payn opened the concert by telling the audience the songs they would hear had been in the works for a long time. “We were supposed to perform the selection three years ago,” he said. “Before a contagious disease took over everything.”
Payn and Executive Director Kelly Beard agreed that it was exciting to finally have an audience to hear the product of all their hard work. “It’s almost like a breath that you are finally able to take,” Beard said.
The Susquehanna Valley Chorale featured more than 60 local singers and was accompanied by a string quartet, acoustic guitar and piano.
The concert began with a series of four choral pieces that were not Bob Dylan hits, but Payn said would set the tone of love, hope, and peace. One of these songs, titled “when all is full,” is one of Payn’s more than 50 original compositions.
A Dylan Oratorio, arranged by non-traditional composer Steve Hackman, included chart-toppers like “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” and “Knocking’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Payn said he hadn’t ever imagined leading a choir in a brewery, but it felt like the perfect place for the performance.
“This is a first for us here at Rusty Rail,” Beard said. “But we are excited about it, and I think they are too.”
The event was made complete with gourmet appetizers and a cash bar. A silent auction was also held, with an array of Bob Dylan collectibles that were donated to the organization.
The Chorale is looking forward to their last performance of the season on May 12 and 13. The “Pops” concert titled “The Music of Cole Porter.” Beard said she expects the concert to be a lot of fun.
“That’s when we really let our hair down,” Beard said. “Bill does costume changes and everything.”
To find out more about the upcoming concert or the 2023- 2024 season, visit the Susquehanna Valley Chorale’s website at svcmusic.org.
