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08/17/2016 06:00 AMShoreline Soul has been offering community choral gospel workshops in Madison since 2001. This season, there will be two workshops for adults, one in Madison, presented by “Music at the Meetinghouse” and another in Branford. Shoreline Soul is also introducing the start of Shoreline Soul — Kids! for singers in grades 4 through 8, which will also be offered in Branford and Madison. The adult workshops consist of five, 2-hour rehearsal sessions that culminate in a hand-clapping, foot-stomping concert in Madison on Sunday, Dec. 11 and in Branford on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017. The concerts are free and open to the public. Although the Branford concert is in January, most of the rehearsals are taking place in the fall to minimize inclement weather delays. The Shoreline Soul — Kids! workshops culminate in a concert and two additional performances. All levels are welcome to participate.
“Our weekly sessions are upbeat, fun and very user-friendly,” Clemmons says. “No one needs to know how to read music. All songs are taught by ear and everyone is given a practice CD. Because it’s all about the music and not a church service, we get singers from all faiths and even the faith-less. It works well. It’s amazing how much the choir learns and how confident they become in five short rehearsals, particularly when many have never sung gospel before.”
Shoreline Soul (Adult Workshop) Sessions
Branford:
There will be four consecutive Monday sessions on Sept. 12, 19, and 26 and Oct. 3 with a fifth refresher session on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. During the long break, participants will have their Work CD for practicing. All sessions will be held at the Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church, 45 Tabor Drive, Branford, from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. The MLK Birthday Celebration Concert, which is free and open to the public, will be on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 at 3 p.m., with a pre-concert rehearsal at 1:30 p.m.
Madison:
There will be five Monday sessions, Oct. 24; Nov. 7, 14, and 21; and Dec. 5 at the First Congregational Church (on the town green), 26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. Shoreline Soul — Kids! meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The Shoreline Soul adult sessions are from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. The holiday gospel concert, featuring the adult workshop participants, will be Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. with a pre-concert rehearsal at 1:30 p.m. Shoreline Soul — Kids! will also make an appearance.
Shoreline Soul — Kids!
Branford:
There will be four consecutive Monday sessions on Sept. 12, 19, and 26 and Oct. 3 at the Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church, 45 Tabor Drive, Branford. Session #5 will be a combined rehearsal with the Madison singers on Dec. 5 at the First Congregational Church (on the town green), 26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. Singers will have a work CD to practice with during the long break. All sessions are from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Madison:
There will be five Monday sessions, Oct. 24; Nov. 7, 14, and 21; and Dec. 5 at the First Congregational Church (on the town green), 26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Concerts:
The Shoreline Soul — Kids! gospel concert will be Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church (on the town green), 26 Meetinghouse Lane, Madison. They will also perform two to three songs at the Shoreline Soul concerts (featuring the adults) on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. in Madison and on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 in Branford at 3 p.m.
For more information about fees and registration, call 203-619-1415 or email shorelinesoul@comcast.net. Registration isn’t complete until payment has been received.
Shoreline Soul’s director, Angela Clemmons, has been a professional singer for more than 35 years. As a background singer, she worked with Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake, Vanessa Williams, Martin Short, Sarah Brightman, Steely Dan, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, Cyndi Lauper, Andy Grammer, Elton John, David Crosby, and Michael Jackson, among many others. Her voice could be heard on TV and radio jingles for Burger King, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Coke, KFC, Slim Fast and many more. She did two albums for CBS Records, which included the disco hit “Give Me Just a Little More Time.” Angela spent 2013 touring with the Rascals (“It’s a Beautiful Morning,” “Groovin’”) as part of the Rascals: Once Upon a Dream show, performing on Broadway, the Tony Awards, The View, and theaters all over the U.S. and Canada. Clemmons, mother of two, resides in Westbrook with her husband.