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STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK Andrew Schiers provided a tutorial, offering the dance steps to “The Time Warp.” And Mary Kaiser carried the night with her scream—or screams. It was all part of the Caritas Chorale’s fundraising concert aptly named “Full of Tricks and Treats” Sunday evening at Ketchum’s Limelight Hotel. “I bet you never thought you’d hear the words ‘pelvic thrust’ at a Caritas Chorale concert, the Chorale’s Co-Director R.L. Rowsey told the audience.
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Mary Kaiser let loose a few blood curdling screams during the concert.
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In addition to “The Time Warp,” the Chorale performed other songs suitable for the Halloween season, including “The Lake,” which featured words by Edgar Allen Poe. Kaiser let loose with her haunting witch’s scream as the Chorale sang “The Witches Are Back” from “Hocus Pocus 2.” “I’ve been practicing that all my life,” said Kaiser following the show. “I began dressing up like a witch when I was 16 and exercising my scream as I handed out candy. Later, when I began teaching, I’d promise the kids to do the scream if they got their work done on time. You just have to get in the mindset—I do that by reciting ‘Macbeth.’ ” This was the first fundraiser the Chorale has held in four years, noted longtime member Richard Stahl. The annual fundraiser was short-circuited by the Covid pandemic.
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R.L. Rowsey co-directs the Caritas Chorale with Joel Bejot, the music director at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
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“We got some generous support from the community to enable us to do some outdoor concerts and sing at things like the Memorial Day ceremony, but the Treasury was beginning to head in the wrong direction so we decided it was time to fundraise again,” he said. Susan Flynt offered up four nights in her Chelsea apartment, Sun Valley Resort donated a Challenger ski pass and a week at in Mexico for up to six was placed up for bid to pad the coffers. The money is used for sheet music, hiring musicians when needed and renting out space to perform. The Chorale plans to do two holiday concerts on Dec. 14-15 and a spring concert in 2025. Cathy Tyson said the Halloween music was tricky to learn and sing.
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Sharon Bockemohle has been singing with the Caritas Chorale since its beginning 25 years ago.
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“I sang in high school and college choirs but this was difficult!” she said. Linda Bergerson is among several Chorale members who have been with the choir since its beginning 25 years ago. The most memorable concerts, she said, were those they performed during three tours to Europe—in Italy, France and Scotland. “One was particularly memorable because our tour director was very knowledgeable and he was able to connect us with other choirs that we would have never had the opportunity to meet on our own,” she said. Anne Ellis was among those in the audience, nibbling on bison meatballs and coconut fried shrimp.
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Andrew Schiers taught the crowd how to rotate their hips and pelvis in a circle as he swiveled his hips.
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“I’ve always supported the chorale,” she said. “They fill a niche in the community.” Rowsey didn’t hear that comment, but he would have agreed. “In a community that has a Sun Valley Music Festival there has to be room for a Wood River Orchestra and a Caritas Chorale,” he told the audience. “And in a community that has The Spot, there has to be room for The Liberty Theatre and Laughing Stock and St. Thomas Playhouse.”
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