About The Tarboro Choral Society
The Tarboro Choral Society organizes and performs in a major music festival in Tarboro every year. The first festival was Opera Returns to Tarboro. The choral society performed various opera choruses accompanied by a professional orchestra.
Every music festival has been sponsored solely by grants from our community and private donations. It is the generosity of donors that helps us continue to fulfill our mission and makes it possible to offer these events free to the public.
The Tarboro Opera House
Opera found its way to Tarboro in the 1800s. The Tarboro Town Hall, located on the corner of Main Street and Church Street, was constructed in 1895 by local carpenters. It housed the city administrative offices and the Tarboro police and fire departments. The second floor, however, was dedicated to the Opera House, which was used for community programs. The building was demolished in 1962, but the town's support of music and arts continued. (Taken from Welcome to Tarboro & Homes Magazine, April 2023. Laura Ashley Lamm. Camp Publications, Tarboro, NC. 2014.)
Opera Returns to Tarboro
Seeking to revive musical traditions of Tarboro's past, the Tarboro Choral Society held this three-day festival. Conducted by Dr. Nettie Williams, the Tarboro Choral Society is a non-profit organization comprised of talented singers and musicians from Edgecombe and surrounding counties.
The festival featured music, children's activities, and master classes with the grand finale being the Society's Sunday evening conert in Keihin Auditorium at Edgecombe Community College.
The concert featured a chorus, a 30-piece orchestra from Raleigh, and soloists Rebekah and Jeffrey Ambrosini of Oklahoma City.
The festival included the following:
- Carolina Choral Artists Concert at Calvary Episcopal Church
- Concert Selections during the Town of Tarboro's Happening on the Common
- Children's Art Workshop to study the opera "Hansel and Gretel"
- Opera Master Class with Rebekah and Jeffrey Ambrosini of Oklahoma City
- Opera Returns to Tarboro in Keihin Auditorium
A Mozart Festival
"Mozart's music has endured, much like Bach and Beethoven. His requiem is one of the most beautiful and most exquisite pieces of music."
This concert featured a chorus of more than 30 singers, a 30-piece orchestra from Raleigh, and soloists Rebekah and Jeffrey Ambrosini of Oklahoma City; Emily Wagner of Raleigh; James Mauk of Rocky Mount; and Dirk Lumbard of Macclesfield. Matthew Young of Rocky mount served as the piano accompanist.
The festival featured organ and piano concerts and an open rehearsal of the requiem. The concert was free and open to the public, and was held at Keihin Auditorium on the Tarboro campus of Edgecombe Community College.
Advisory Board
Brandon Bunn
Chair
Dr. Nettie Williams
Artistic Director
Kelly Anderson
Executive Director
George Anderson
Treasurer
Angie Ruffin
Corey Folta
Emily Wagner
Becky Johnson
Rosena Ricks