Annual Lenten Cantata Returns

The Christian season of fasting, prayer, and repentance that precedes Easter will be observed with sacred songs during the Marco Island Community Chorus’ Lenten Cantata. 

San Marco Catholic Church will once again be the venue for the annual concert-worship service, which begins at 3:00 PM on March 22. 

“All are welcome. It’s two weeks before Easter (April 5), to put everybody in the spirit of the Holy Week celebration,” said chorus executive director, Janet Stapleton.

This year’s program is entitled “What Love is this? Suffering Servant – Conquering King,” with music composed by Lloyd Larson with Mary McDonald, Brad Nix, Marty Parks, and Larry Shackley. The chorus will also perform selections penned by contemporary American choral composer Dan Forrest. 

Audience participation will be part of the proceedings, in the form of hymns sung by the congregation, along with the reading of a meditation, followed by a scriptural reflection of its main theme.  

“The meditation also ties in with the music itself. So it truly is a prayer service,” said Stapleton. “It's not just a performance.”

Leading the way will be longtime chorus director-conductor Kathleen Osborn Gerdes and pianist Chris Moore of United Church of Marco. An orchestra comprised of young musicians from around Collier County will also be part of the program. 

The chorus includes members of nine area churches including Marco Lutheran, St. Mark's Episcopal, Marco Presbyterian, Wesley United Methodist, Goodland Baptist, Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, Marco Presbyterian, the United Church of Marco Island, Capri Christian Church, and San Marco Catholic.

Membership numbers swell from around 45 singers to about 60 during the tourist season.

There are two concerts performed by the nonprofit group each year, including near year’s end, for Advent. Both are free to the public. 

“They're supported by generous contributors, most of whom are from within the chorus themselves, and we do a free will donation at the end of the service,” said Stapleton. “That's how we keep ourselves going, because obviously the director, the pianist, and the orchestra members, they're all paid and of course, the music is not cheap. We have to order all of our music and then all of our flyers and the little ‘save-the-date’ cards that we pass out.” 

Auditions are required to join the Marco Island Community Chorus. To learn more about auditioning, the chorus, the Lenten cantata and more, please send an email to micommunitychorus@gmail.com or call Janet Stapleton at 239-821-6744. San Marco Catholic Church is located at 851 San Marco Rd.