Cape Cod Chorale

04/27/2026

Thank you to everybody who came to "Music for All: American Choral Music at 250" this weekend. It was a hit! Full house both days! Enthusiastic audience members sang along on "Edelweiss" (some with tears), "The Rainbow Connection" (many people moved) and good ol' "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Many kids were at the concert the first day, and they sang along with gusto. One fellow sang "The Rainbow Connection" entirely in the voice of Kermit. It was heartwarming to have so many children of all ages in the audience.

People loved the music and the sequence of many stories of the voices of America.
Also very popular were the speakers who came and spoke briefly about their organizations.
Thank you to Lynne Rhodes, President of the Cape Cod/Nantucket Chapter of the NAACP. Her grandfather was one of the founders of the chapter! NAACP, Cape Cod Branch. And thank you to the founder and director of the Brazilian Resource Center, Michael Mecenas. Brazilian Resource Center.

So many highlights - here are a few:
- Nipîy (water song), written by a Cree composer, was really well received. So many compliments on it. One woman told me she saw so many pieces in the program she did not know and wondered what she would think of them. She thought this, our second piece, was absolutely beautiful and moving.
- Both days the audience cheered and stood up at the end of the magnificent Wilhousky arrangement of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
- Another favorite was "Chester," written by William Billings of Boston, in 1770, revised 1778.
- Audience danced along in the balcony to "I Sing Because I'm Happy", arranged by Rollo Dilworth.
- Great applause for our newly commissioned arrangement of "Old Cape Cod." Paul Langford Music
So many more unforgettable moments!

To summarize, the room was a gathering of community, great music sung beautifully (if we do say so ourselves, tee hee, but the audience told us, too!), heartwarming selections and stories, and joy and inspiration.

This concert program is one for the books! Stay tuned for pictures and video.

I am so full of gratitude for the work of the chorus, and the joy of conducting them.
Great job, soloists John Durant, Kaylee Arnold, and Josh Skolnick!
Many thanks to our pianist, Mijin Choi, our bass, Chris Rathbun, and our drummer, Ed Sorrentino.

I am so grateful the audience liked the scope of the program and left with new knowledge and joy.
Harmoniously,
Danica A. Buckley, Artistic Director and Conductor

04/26/2026

Looking forward to today’s concert! 4pm
Yesterday was a full house - let’s do it again!

04/24/2026

Welcome Sue Leavitt, President of the Cape Cod Chorale for the last three years. She has accomplished so much! She is turning over the leadership to another singer, but she’ll still sing with us, of course. Look for her in the Soprano section this weekend at our concerts!
Here’s what she has to say about the joy of singing in the Chorale and a favorite piece of hers for this concert.

04/23/2026

Concert Preview!

04/21/2026

A snippet of Old Cape Cod.
We are thrilled to sing this arrangement by Paul Langford Music. It will be even more fun in the lovely space of United Methodist Church of Osterville at 57 Pond St. And we'll be adding bass and drums to the piano - our very own jazz trio.
So looking forward to our concert! Please come! It's a great break from chores and the pressures of the world. Come breathe with us. You'll go out humming your favorite tunes. A deeply meaningful, uplifting, gorgeous program. 90 minutes of musical bliss. And you get to sing along!

04/14/2026

What's on the program?

We sing from the Revolutionary war to Broadway, from Indigenous & Black composers, to immigrant composers, to LGBTQ+, from hymns to popular song. ALL the voices that make up our rich musical tapestry.

Music for All: American Choral Music at 250
Tickets and info:
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/capecodchorale/5426

Accompanied by piano, bass, and percussion.
Sing along on familiar favorites like "Edelweiss," "Take Me Home, Country Roads," and "The Rainbow Connection."

A program of beauty and choral elegance that reflects the musical beauty of America from coast to coast. And we will have some organizations joining us at appropriate places in the program to tell us about their work in community. We are a community chorus, and we are proud to partner with other organizations!
Accompanied by Mijin Choi, pianist, Ed Sorrentino, percussion, and Chris Rathbun, Bass
AND we are premiering an arrangement of Old Cape Cod, everybody's favorite Cape Cod Song! Cape Cod Chorale commissioned the arrangement from composer and arranger, PPaul Langford Music We are so excited to have worked with Paul on this.

Come take a break, enjoy beautiful music and joy, and take a breath with us. It's a great way to inspire you and recharge your batteries! (about 90 minutes start to finish)

Here is the program:

Music Inspires All
Words and Music by Rollo Dilworth Incorporating the Spiritual “Over My Head, I hear Music in the Air”

Honoring First Nations
Land Acknowledgement and Resources for Learning

Nipîy (Cree Water Song)
Words and Music by Sherryl Sewepagaham

Earth Teach Me Stillness
Words: Ute Prayer Music by Wally Kleucker

The American Revolution
Chester
Words and Music by William Billings

The Nineteenth-Century
The Civil War, Southern Harmony, 1854,
and the Episcopal Church, 1891

Battle Hymn of the Republic
Words by Julia Ward Howe Music by William Steffe
Arr. by Peter J. Wilhousky

Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal
Tune: Invitation from Southern Harmony
Arr. by Alice Parker

Peace I Leave with You
Text: John 14:27 Music by Mrs. H.H.A. Beach
from Three Choral Responses, No. 8

Black American Composers – Non-Idiomatic, Spiritual, and Gospel
Black History Sites, Boston, Cape Cod, and Beyond
Stay tuned for guest organization

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Words by Langston Hughes
Music by Margaret Bonds

Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit
Arr. by William L. Dawson

I Sing Because I’m Happy
Words by Civilla D. Martin Music by Charles. H. Gabriel
Arr. by Kenneth Paden Adapted by Rollo Dilworth

Intermission

It Gets Better – Supporting the LGBTQIA+ Community
We Thrive, Cape Cod
A Song of Life
Words and Music by Connor Warren Smith

It Gets Better
Words and Music by Andrew Lippa
Arr. by Mac Huff

Sentimental Journey - The American Songbook

Sentimental Journey
Words and Music by Bud Green, Les Brown, and Ben Homer
Arr. by Hawley Ades

Old Cape Cod
Words and Music by Claire Rothrock, Milton Yakus, and Allan Jeffrey Arr. by Paul Langford, PPaul Langford Music
American Popular Culture Favorites - Sing Along Songs

Edelweiss
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers from The Sound of Music
Arr. by Linda Spevacek

The Rainbow Connection
Words and Music by Paul Williams and Kenneth L. Ascher
Arr. by Audrey Snyder

Take Me Home Country Roads
Words and Music by John Denver, Bill Danoff, and Taffy Nivert
arr. Roger Emerson

E pluribus unum
Brazilian Resource Center

Give Me Your Tired Your Poor
Words by Emma Lazarus
Music by Irving Berlin Arr. by Roy Ringwald

Mi Lugar
Words by Jacob Garcia
Music by Carlos Cordero

United in Purpose
Words by Maya Angelou
Music by Rollo Dilworth

03/27/2026

**Please share this post. **
Dear People,
I am so excited to invite you to our upcoming concerts on April 25 & 26 at 4 PM at Osterville United Methodist Church!
Take a break from the rush of everyday life and come breathe with us—experience 90 minutes of beauty, connection, and celebration.

“Music for All: American Choral Music at 250” is a joyful, moving, and thoughtfully crafted program celebrating the richness of American music and the people who created it, from the Revolution to today. This concert honors the many voices that shape our country: music reflecting Indigenous traditions, Black American spirituals and gospel, Hispanic heritage, and the enduring ideals of welcome and belonging. Accompanied by piano, drums, and bass.
Join in on beloved favorites like The Rainbow Connection, Edelweiss, and Take Me Home, Country Roads, along with powerful works like The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Wilhousky).
There truly is something for everyone in this concert. Familiar songs and new songs.
Special feature: We’re honored to welcome guest speakers from local Cape Cod organizations, who will share a few words connecting their work to the themes of the music throughout the program. Bringing community together in music!

Details:
• April 25 & 26 | 4 PM
• Osterville United Methodist Church, 57 Pond St., Osterville
• Tickets: $25 general | $10 Card to Culture | Free (18 & under — ticket required)
• Available online, from Chorale members, or at the door
• ~90 minutes, including intermission

More to come in the weeks ahead—I can’t wait to share this concert with you.
Harmoniously,
Danica A. Buckley, Artistic Director & Conductor
PROGRAM
Music Inspires All (we sure think it does!)
FIRST NATIONS:
Nipîy (Cree Water Song)
Earth Teach Me Stillness
REVOLUTION:
Chester
NINETEENTH-CENTURY:
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal
Peace I Leave with You – a ca****la
SPEAKER FROM ZION UNION HERITAGE MUSEUM
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit
I Sing Because I’m Happy
SPEAKER FROM WE THRIVE
It Gets Better
A Song of Life
TAKING A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY:
Old Cape Cod, a specially commissioned arrangement for us that you will love!
Edelweiss – sing along!
Take Me Home, Country Roads – sing along!
The Rainbow Connection – sing along!
SPEAKER FROM BRAZILIAN RESOURCE CENTER
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor
Mi Lugar
Closer that will send you out rejoicing: United in Purpose

We’ll see you there! Stay tuned for composer profiles, a chat with arranger of Old Cape Cod, conductor chat, and more!
Danica

03/14/2026

Before our own concerts at the end of April, we are proudly sponsoring this event! Come Sing Along or just listen. We'll share more info soon. It's a joyful, empowering, inspirational, and comforting 1.5 hours of singing and community. Sing for Good!

12/13/2025

12/13/2025

Cape Cod Chorale concert, 4pm today and tomorrow! Fun, beautiful music, sing along!
57 Pond St. Osterville, MA Tickets at the door!