Final bow: Amherst Community Chorus leaves on quiet note

AMHERST — Add the Amherst Community Chorus to the growing list of groups that have disbanded as a result of the pandemic. After 24 years of concerts, from Christmas carols to Broadway tributes, directors Simone and Steve Gall wrapped their final season in December 2019. They didn't know then the pandemic was approaching, and their quarter-century anniversary came and went without the chorus being allowed to take the stage. Now Simone Gall remembers that last concert at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Amherst fondly. The sanctuary was packed to the point there were concerns about the fire code. "I think if that was to be our last concert, it was the way to go out," she said. In the past year, the Amherst Community Chorus has been locked out of its usual practice space at Amherst Junior High. Other schools and even churches haven't been options because of pandemic rules — putting about 70 singers in an enclosed area is simply out of the question. Time is the real issue. Gall said chorus members haven't gotten any younger since COVID-19 disrupted life. About 90 percent are ages 65 and older, and more than two-thirds are in their 80s. The chorus was started in 1996, and many of its voices have been trusty standbys ever since. They've sang their hearts out at St. Joseph Church and Heritage Presbyterian in Amherst, and at the Amherst Old Time Jamboree and the Berlin Basket Festival. But Gall said the favorite venue for many was the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky, where she remembers shedding tears after singing patriotic tunes for former service men and women. In recent years, the chorus's ranks have shrunk from a peak of about 90 singers; many alumni have died. The Galls, both 70, have been dealing with age-related issues, too. Steve had cancer in the past year, while Simone said a full shoulder replacement left her unable to continue conducting. Without successors to whom they could pass the baton, the Galls said the chorus' days were numbered. "We knew it was going to end eventually, but COVID really pushed it," Simone said. "All things have to come to an end. It's been emotional. The more I think about it, the more tears there are." Now chorus members are saying goodbye. Sheet music was turned in Thursday afternoon, leaving the Galls to wonder what they'll do with it all. There are 30 to 40 tote boxes filled with high-quality arrangements that have been purchased over the years, Simone Gall said. Those pieces aren't inexpensive, but she is looking to give them away to an organization that will cherish them. If interested, email simonegall2@gmail.com. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.