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The Commonwealth Chorale is back. Rehearsals are set to begin Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. at Farmville Presbyterian Church.

“After a year and a half, we will be coming together once more to sing,” Artistic Director Carol Henderson said. “We have endured this void in our lives far too long. It’s time to rejuvenate the soul of the human spirit in song.”

Concerts with the Christmas season in mind are planned for the first two Sundays in December.

“We will be singing familiar Christmas choruses from Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio,” Henderson added.

Due to COVID concerns, all rehearsals will follow CDC guidelines and best practices from national choral organizations. Vaccination is strongly recommended for singers, and all participants should be prepared to wear a mask during rehearsals. Information about singers’ masks can be found on the Commonwealth Chorale of Virginia Facebook page.

Henderson was named artistic director in the summer of 2019. She studied sacred music with a concentration in organ and minor in conducting and voice at Westminster Choir College where she earned bachelor of music and master of music degrees. She currently serves as minister of music at Clarksville Presbyterian Church.

A pianist, organist and choir director, Henderson loves choral music and sees her role as chorale director as another opportunity to share that love.

The chorale was established in 1975 by Norma Williams. Before coming to Farmville to teach at Longwood College, Williams led an illustrious career as leading soprano in opera houses across Europe. She also managed an opera company in Chicago.

The chorale invites area singers to attend the September 7 rehearsal. Auditions are not required.

“Come sing with us, and you will become part of something beautiful,” Henderson said. “When our personal voices blend together, it becomes something new. It’s exciting, it’s rewarding — and it’s fun.”