HAMLET — A fast-paced life, a mysterious shop and a reminder to slow down will take center stage next week as the Richmond Community College Chorus presents its spring concert, “Shop of Curiosities.”
The performance is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, at Cole Auditorium. This year’s show blends music and storytelling to explore themes of time, wonder and finding balance.
Choir Director Dr. Kimberly Goard said the idea behind the concert started with a simple question about how people spend their time.
“Working hard and pushing yourself to do great things is valuable. People who never do this are missing out on intrinsically good parts of life, and are not fully developing their potential or helping society,” said Goard. “However, some people work so much to earn things they don’t actually need, or they do activities that result in an overwhelming workload which doesn’t fulfill them, and they lose appreciation for life. People who do this are not fulfilling their purpose either.”
Goard said those ideas hit closer to home after several life events led her to rethink how she was living her day-to-day life.
“Over the past couple of years, I had a chance to reflect on the way that I was living my own life. I watched as several young friends were diagnosed with serious illnesses, and I saw some others pass away,” Goard said. “At the same time, I had several people who are close to me telling me that I was working way too much.”
She said conversations with her parents ultimately pushed her to make a change.
“My mom reminded me, “you can’t get your time back.” My dad claimed, “No one on their death bed ever says, “I wish I hadn’t spent so much time with my family.””
That perspective shows up in this year’s performance.
The concert follows a young city man caught in the “rat race” who becomes curious about a mysterious shop he passes each day. When he finally steps inside, he’s guided toward a new perspective on time, joy and purpose.
“Our concerts traditionally have a theme. Sometimes our concerts have a storyline, and sometimes they don’t. This one does. A young, city man, who is caught in the proverbial “rat race,” is intrigued by a mysterious store that he passes on the way to work each day. When he finally takes a moment to look inside, a magical shopkeeper helps him see that he needs to reclaim some of his time for the magic of life. Once he understands the value of enjoying each moment, he can go back to a productive life, but in a transformed way. He realizes that it’s our duty to pass on the “magic” of life to others.”
The program includes a mix of traditional choral pieces and familiar songs like “Circle of Life” and “Pure Imagination,” with each selection helping tell part of the story.
“If we are working too much, or if we waste time with unimportant things, we can lose appreciation for the great and small gifts that life provides. We lose the ability to have fun and be creative and enjoy moments. But these are important parts of human life,” Goard said.
Goard said the chorus itself is part of what makes the show unique, bringing together community members, students and faculty.
“This is atypical for most choirs, but we are a group of community members, RichmondCC students, and faculty, who do this for fun, and sometimes we just like to do something unexpected,” she said.
The cast includes shopkeeper Pamela Case of Rockingham and a young mime portrayed by Cooper Hummel, a junior at Scotland Early College High School. Chorus members include Alyssa McCaskill, Beth Carlyle, Beth Deese, Annalise Ward, Mary Ann Evans, Jamie Bennett, Tamia Nicholson, Tiffany Covington, Darene Martin, Jason Deese and Jon Easterlin.
Goard said she hopes the audience walks away with more than just an appreciation for the music.
“I hope the audience leaves our show reminded of the importance of finding the balance to appreciate the moments they have been given, while also working to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” said Goard.
She also said she hopes more members of the community will consider joining the chorus.
“Further, I hope that singers in the community will become interested in auditioning for our choir. We will be holding auditions again in August for our Fall semester. I would love to see many new faces from our community on the stage next year. If anyone is interested, they can contact me at kmgoard@richmondcc.edu.”
The concert is free and open to the public. Goard encourages the community to follow the chorus on Facebook at “Chorus at Richmond Community College” for updates, pictures and more information.