Hudson Music Center

The Dexter Community Chorale rehearses from 6:00 - 7:30pm every Tuesday, at Huron River Methodist Church, 7643 N Huron River Drive, Dexter., 48130. Visitors welcome!

🎶 Congratulations to our Junior High Soloists! 🎶

What a great showing at Solo & Ensemble last Saturday — every one of our junior high soloists medaled! 🏅

✨ 4 Blue Ribbons (Division I)
❤️ 2 Red Ribbons (Division II)

Huge kudos to Dominic, Allison, Juliet, Walter, Leona, and Charles for their hard work, focus, and musical growth. We’re proud of all of you — and it was a joy to be part of your journey!

👏🎵

CONCERT REVIEW

Journey: Slavery to Freedom – A World Premiere Worth the Drive

This afternoon, I ventured out for what turned into one of the most meaningful musical experiences of my fall season: the Macomb Symphony Orchestra’s world-premiere performance of Journey: Slavery to Freedom by Norah Duncan IV, presented at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts.

As someone who normally protects Sunday afternoons religiously, it takes something special to draw me out for an over-hour drive. This concert was more than worth it.

A Remarkable Program in Just Over an Hour

The full performance time ran just over an hour — lean, purposeful, and beautifully assembled. The first half featured Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Noveletten, followed by Carlos Simons’ Angels in Heaven (I Know I Been Changed), sung with deep warmth and presence.

A delightful surprise in the Simons: the score includes a moment where the audience joins in by repeating a sung phrase during part of the refrain. The conductor had us rehearse our entrance before the concert began — and it was pretty cool to feel the entire hall lean in and participate.

But it was the second half — Duncan’s Journey: Slavery to Freedom — that became the heart of the afternoon.

A Premiere of Emotional Weight and Beauty

Duncan’s new work was moving, piercing, and stunningly crafted — a choral journey that traces both the suffering and the indomitable hope of an enslaved people. The sequence of spirituals, each arranged with masterful emotional pacing, built toward a finale that was nothing short of electrifying.

A special treat: the composer himself was present. Before the performance, he spoke briefly about the origins of the work and the depth of the stories behind it. And at the end, during the curtain calls, he was brought back onstage to receive a roaring, rousing ovation from an audience of roughly 300 people. A well-earned moment.

Soloists and Choirs That Rose to the Occasion

The afternoon showcased three exceptional soloists:
- Amber Rogers, soprano — radiant, flexible, deeply expressive
- Thornetta Davis, alto — a legend in Detroit blues, bringing earthy authority and power
- Theodore Jones, baritone — commanding, warm, effortless in tone

The combined Oakland Choral Society and Detroit Choral Society delivered a rich, blended sound — impressive given the mostly amateur singer base. And I must add a personal note: three singers very dear to me were on that stage, three fellow members of the First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham choir, one of whom founded the Dexter Community Chorale!

All three voices were clearly identifiable amid the 30+ singers. Hearing them shine in this context was especially meaningful.

A Call to Get Out and Experience Live Art

This concert was a vivid reminder that world-class artistry is happening all around us — in our communities, on our college campuses, and in halls like this one in Macomb County.

If you haven’t gone to a concert lately, take this as a loving nudge:
Get out every weekend, if you can, and find something live.

The music being made in our region deserves to be heard.

A superb afternoon. A powerful premiere. And a program I won’t soon forget.

🎶 Be a Champion for Local Music! 🎶
Sponsor Our Saturday Night Stage Series

Hudson Music Center is excited to present the next three concerts in our Saturday Night Stage series — where local talent, from seasoned pros to rising amateurs, share the stage to bring you timeless classics and modern pop favorites.

🗓️ Upcoming Shows (All at 7:00 PM):
🎤 September 20 – Gordon Darr and Friends
🎶 October 25 – Pat Gerby and Friends
🎹 November 8 – Schirmer Volume 5: Easy Piano Compositions by Beethoven

We’re currently seeking sponsors and advertisers to support each performance and help us continue creating space for community-based music.

💼 Sponsor Benefits Include:
✔️ Your name or business prominently displayed (banner or sandwich board) at the event
✔️ Recognition in printed programs and flyers
✔️ Featured presence on our page and website
✔️ Verbal acknowledgment during the event
✔️ The satisfaction of supporting local performers and the arts in our community

👉 Interested?
Contact us at: [email protected] or (734) 255-1967

Let’s make music together — and make sure it’s heard.

🎶 Calling all friends, local businesses, creative entrepreneurs, and community champions! 🎶

The Hudson Music Center (home of the Dexter Community Chorale and our beloved Saturday Night Stage concerts) is now accepting ads and sponsorships for the 2025–26 season! (Starting at $30 for a 1/8 page ad).

📖 Want to place an ad in one of our beautiful concert programs?
🎤 Want your business or family name celebrated at a live performance?
🎬 Want a shout-out in one of our vlogs?

We’ve got affordable rates and high community reach — and every dollar goes toward keeping local music alive, accessible, and thriving.

💵 Sponsorships start at $500 and include:

Ad space

Signage at events

Recognition on social and in print

A LOT of heartfelt gratitude!

Interested? Curious? Want to support a cause that brings beauty into the world?
Just comment below or email us [email protected] — we'll send you the rate sheet and we’ll make it easy.

Thanks for helping us keep the music going! 🎹🎵

June 14 Concert Recap: Richard Shao and the DCC Close the Beethoven Bicentennial Year in Style

On Saturday night, June 14th, a nearly-full house gathered at the Faber Piano Institute for a breathtaking celebration of Beethoven's genius—and what a way to close out Dexter’s Beethoven Bicentennial year!

Richard Shao, rising piano virtuoso from the University of Michigan, delivered a riveting performance of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, Op. 106. At over 45 minutes, the sonata is often described as Beethoven’s "Ninth Symphony for the keyboard"—a towering, transcendent work that reshaped the piano repertoire for all who came after. Shao’s interpretation was electric: full of fire, finesse, and fearless musical architecture. A number of audience members commented afterward that they'd never heard the Hammerklavier live—and may never again. It was that rare.

The night opened with Shao’s equally splendid interpretation of Chopin’s four Impromptus for Piano, followed by a touch of light-hearted fun, featuring the Dexter Community Chorale and their joyful and slightly funky rendition of “A Fifth of Beethoven”- a preview of their season-closing concert on June 28th, at Monument Park in Dexter. (We also had a little help from our life-sized Beethoven bust, whose stern expression was no match for the groove.)

Watch the full performance on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/live/_lsT5-sSmns?si=QmAY_avA_Lv3lJaj

HammerKlavier only
https://youtu.be/JvWbVb4Js4o?si=-IyCq5HKya2clQ7-

Attendance & Giving
We welcomed 50 attendees to the concert, with total donations reaching $237. All proceeds go toward keeping HMC events free or low-cost, joyful, and artistically excellent.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce a new audience challenge:
A generous donor has pledged $100 for every event where attendance exceeds 55 during the second half of 2025. So invite your friends, share our flyers, and let’s keep the music growing—together.

We want your feedback!
Did you attend the concert? Share your favorite moment on hecmusic.org/contact or https://www.facebook.com/hecMusic —we’d love to hear from you!

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, "Hammerklavier" // Richard Shao, piano Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier”00:32 I. Allegro12:10 II. Scherzo. Assai vivace14:47 III. Adagio...

Thanks to Gordon's Aunt Sue for supporting local music and aspiring stage performers. This ad goes in our program for tonight's performance of Beethoven's HammerKlavier by Richard Shao. Contact us for information on placing your ad or announcement in one of our programs!

🎶✨ WE’RE ALMOST AT 20! JOIN US FOR OUR SUMMER FINALE! ✨🎶

After five years of rebuilding, the Dexter Community Chorale is finally having its biggest season since our founding year—and we want YOU to be a part of it!

We’ve just hit 16 singers and are making a final joyful push to reach our all-time high of 20 before our end-of-season performance:

📅 Saturday, June 28 – 7:00 PM
📍 Monument Park, Dexter

If you love to sing—even if you’re active in another choir, or haven’t sung with us before—you’re invited to jump in!

Just attend 2 out of our final 3 Tuesday rehearsals, starting this week:

🗓️ June 10, 17, or 24 at 6:00 PM
📍 Huron River Methodist Church

All voices welcome. High schoolers, church choir singers, past DCC members—we’d love to have you!

📞 Questions? Text or call Gordon at 734-255-1967
📨 Or message us here!

Let’s make this a twenty-voice summer to remember. 💙🎤

🎶 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫! 🌟

After a quiet stretch, 𝐇𝐮𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 is thrilled to announce the 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦—a musical tradition that began in 2009 and has helped launch young performers into leadership, community service, and lifelong confidence.

This summer, we’re inviting 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 to prepare solo music pieces, perform at local senior centers and camps, and join a showcase event on 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 a local venue TBD, (past partners for Grandparents Day have included 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲).

Whether you're earning service hours, getting ready for Solo & Ensemble, or just love to sing or play for a great audience—𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞.

💬 Stay tuned for registration info and performance dates!
🎻 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 is open to past participants, new students, and interested adults.
📅 Performances begin late July and run through Grandparents Day in September.

Let’s bring the music—and the memories—back.

Send a message to learn more

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Patti Page - "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" From the eponymous 1964 film starring: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Cecil Kellaway, Mary Astor...The original film soun...