Alvin M. Keeling 
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — The Rocky River Community Chorus performed their spring concert June 12 at the United Methodist Church on Detroit Road. They performed to enthusiastic audiences singing love songs from different eras, something for everyone. Songs ranged from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein to Freddie Mercury.
Included in their 14-song repertoire for the concert were such songs as the 1940s “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “Shenandoah”, a beloved American folk song, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man from Showboat, “Somewhere” from West Side Story and ending with “God Bless America”.
The Choir started many years ago. The current group formed in 2013 with around 50 members and has grown since then, according to member Renee Kolesar. The Choir presents a spring concert and a holiday concert. The holiday concert is full of Christmas favourites.
Kolesar reflected on some of the band’s history. “Ron Muth was our first director. He was a music and choir teacher at Rocky River High School. While he was conducting, we played with his high school bands a few times or sometimes they played with us. When he left, Mike Mazur was our manager. He was a producer with the Singing Angels and Emily Ortolano was a pianist. When he left around 2006, Emily became our manager. After Emily we had Michelle Haras and now we have Ceste Stanly who is accompanied by Kristen Johnson.
The Rocky River Community Band will perform their own concert at 7 p.m. June 26 at Rocky River Park, located on the lake at 20250 Beachcliff Boulevard.
For more information on the Rocky River Community Band or Chorus or to become a member, visit https://www.rrcity.com/civic-organizations and click on Community Band and Community Chorus in the list of organizations.
