Choral society awarded grant for storage trailer

Granite State Choral Society was recently awarded a $2,000 grant from The Waldo & Alice Ayer Trust.

The grant will go toward purchasing a covered trailer in which to store and transport the risers that Granite State Choral Society uses for their musical performances. Until recently, the group didn't have a permanent home for these risers and had been relying on members' garages for storage. Then this past fall, First Church Congregational in Rochester offered temporary storage until such time as a trailer can be purchased. The chorus also relies on members' pickup trucks for transportation from venue to venue. Now in full swing with its 40th Anniversary Year, GSCS has realized the importance of becoming more mobile.

"We are so excited to have been awarded this grant," said GSCS President, Liz Tonkins-Agea. "Our thanks go to Citizens Private Bank & Trust for making our goal achievable. We are much closed to funding this trailer, which will cost around $3000 to $4000."

"As a non-profit we depend upon donations and sponsors, as well as fund raising," Tonkins-Agea continued. "We are still looking for other donations to add to this grant so that we can make this trailer a reality. We are reaching out to musical arts enthusiasts to help us reach the goal so we can continue to enrich our town and the Seacoast area with choral music." Granite State Choral Society is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Those interested in helping GSCS reach this goal may visit their GoFundMe site at http://www.gofundme.com/916dzc.

The Waldo & Alice Ayer Trust is administered by Citizens Private Bank & Trust. The Waldo & Alice Ayer Trust awards grants for the support of New Hampshire-based symphony orchestras, chamber music groups, or other similar musical organizations.

Based in Rochester, GSCS is a non-auditioned community chorus dedicated to presenting quality choral performances, ranging in styles from classics to Broadway, and to promoting the appreciation of the choral arts. The members come from all walks of life from ages 12 and up, and range from experienced singers to novices just discovering the joys of choral singing. The group presents two concert performances every fall and spring. As part of its 40^th Anniversary Year, GSCS has commissioned a five-movement musical piece that highlights historic persons, events, and landmarks of Rochester - even as it presents the steady growth and renewal for which the city is known. The music, written by Concord resident and Grammy nominated composer, Nicholas White, uses original text written specifically for the work by two members of the chorus. The new composition will be premiered at a gala fund-raising dinner concert, "River Stones, Rails, and Renaissance - A Rochester Retrospective" on March 28 at the Governor's Inn. Mr. White will be in attendance and perform as part of the orchestra. For more information on the gala and to purchase tickets, please visit the GSCS website: www.gschoralsociety.org.