POLAND – The Poland Spring Preservation Society’s public Summer Concert Series will begin Monday, June 7, with a performance by the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Chamber Choir at All Soul’s Chapel.

Concert programming on Monday evenings through Aug. 30 will feature a variety of music and humor, according to coordinators Roland M. Roy and Diane J. Biron.

The chamber choir, under the direction of Sarah Johnson, performs mainly a cappella music, ranging from Renaissance to spirituals, to 20th century Broadway and pop. The award-winning Mollyockett Chorus will appear Monday, June 14. This group is made up of women of all ages from Androscoggin and Oxford counties who enjoy singing a cappella four-part barbershop harmony.

Magic and Company will sing in styles as diverse as ragtime, barbershop, swing, and blues Monday, June 21; and Woodsong, a trio of balladeers who sing the songs of Maine’s North Woods, will perform Monday, June 28.

July’s concerts will begin with an evening of Maine humor with Joe Perham July 5. This will be followed by performances by The Grassholes, a six-piece traditional bluegrass ensemble July 12; Erica Brown and The Bluegrass Connection, which will present Acadian, French Canadian and bluegrass July 19; and the award-winning trio of Denny and Ann Breau and Frank Coffin, who will present instrumental and vocal country and jazz tunes July 26.

Vocal Solution, an a cappella octet, will perform Aug. 2, followed by Two Old Friends, Allen McHale of Old Time Radio Gang fame and Emery Hutchins, who will give their renditions of sea chanteys and folk tunes Aug. 9; George Worthley and Carol Clark, who will perform songs of the kilt, the heather and the brave Scottish regiments Aug. 16; and Swing Time, which will bring back the music of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s Aug. 23. The concert series will close Aug. 30 with Phil House and Kathy Haley with their rousing piano and vocal selections.

Added to this year’s concert series are weekly raffles to support the restoration of the chapel’s Skinner organ. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with member seating at 6:25. Admission is $5 with all proceeds supporting the work of the Poland Spring Preservation Society, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Maine State Building and the All Souls Chapel.

Both buildings, located on the grounds of the former Poland Spring Hotel, are on the National Register of Historic Places.


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