Southport Magazine

When Susan Linton was contemplating what kind of concert she wanted to direct for the Sea Notes Choral Society this spring, she couldn’t help notice it was the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ groundbreaking appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”

“That started the wheels rolling,” she said.

Sea Notes will present “Songs from the 60s” at three concerts in March. The free concerts will be Friday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. and two matinee shows on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29 at 3 p.m. The concerts will be at Hatch Auditorium on the grounds of the Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell.

The show promises to be a popular one, with the choral group covering a variety of favorite 60s sounds.
“We’ve got some great music,” Linton said. “I can tell from their faces that they’re having a good time,” she said of the Sea Notes members.

There were so many kinds of music produced in the 60s, and many of those songs are favorites of later generations as well. Selections for the concert include a few medleys, such as a dance music combo that features the “Locomotion” and “Twist and Shout.” The men will harmonize on Beatles’ classics such as “Yesterday” and “She Loves You,” while the ladies will take on the 5th Dimension’s “Wedding Bell Blues,” Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” and Petula Clark’s “Downtown.”

The whole group will also sing “Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” some Simon and Garfunkel and Beach Boys’ favorites “I Get Around” and “In my Room.”

Though the concerts are free, donations for the non-profit group will be accepted. Sea Notes boasts more than 100 members, and the group is working toward purchasing seated risers, which will allow performances at larger venues, such as Odell Williamson Auditorium. The group sang to packed houses at Hatch Auditorium for performances of its winter concert, “Seasons of Love,” in December. Linton said the group hopes to provide seated risers for 130-140 singers.

Music from the 1960s has been a part of our culture ever since, and audiences of all ages can appreciate the concert. “The music brings back a lot of memories,” Linton said. She and pianist Jane Boberg will play selections from “West Side Story,” and the concert will also include percussion and guitars.
“Who knows,” Linton said. “There may even be some dancing.”

To become a Friend of Sea Notes or a Business Supporter, go to www.sea-notes.com or call (910) 620-6275.