MUSIC
Richard Troxell moves Christmas up to July BY CLARA NIEL
cniel@newspost.com
In the humid, sweltering heat of July, one church is trying to cool patrons off with a little holiday cheer. Thurmont’s Apples United Church of Christ will host its fourth annual benefit concert at 7 p.m. July 30 with the theme of Christmas in July. Not only will the church choir be singing, but Thurmont native and opera singer Richard Troxell will perform as well. Troxell has performed in notable roles in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, he was in Taiwan playing his familiar role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. Madame Butterfly was the opera that made him famous, he said, and he has played the lead tenor role around the world. He even starred in the 1995 movie of the opera, playing Pinkerton. But he’s also portrayed characters in other operas. In the roughly 30 years as a professional, Troxell said he’s played around 100 roles. “For my career, I’ve been singing the leading tenor in ... Romeo and Juliet, La Traviata, La Boheme, every major Italian opera pretty much,” he said. He’s also sung in about seven languages. Troxell said he’s had a wonderful career. He always thought it was fun to think about the past generations of his family who were part of the farming community in Thurmont, and how he went off to sing around the world. Troxell’s family has been part of Apples Church for at least 150 years, he said, and he always comes back to sing for the community.
Richard Troxell “I love being able to come back and look out in the audience and see familiar faces and just give them you know, my ability to sing back to
and community organizations who coordinate the Thurmont Food Bank and the Catoctin Community Medical Fund and sponsor other programs that work toward responding to emergency human needs. The church isn’t selling tickets for the event. Proceeds will be made up entirely of people’s donations at the concert. The benefit concert always happens in the summer, since donations to the ministerium are low during that time, organizer Paula Mathis said. Mathis is also one of Troxell’s sisters, the other being another Apples Church member LuAnne Ewing. Mathis is also a member of the church choir. The theme was inspired by the fact that their last Christmas program, which has happened every year for decades, was virtual, Mathis said. Choir members were individually recorded. This concert hopes to make up for that. The choir will sing about eight pieces, including “Walking in the Air.” Troxell will sing four solo pieces, including the tenor aria from the opera “La Boheme” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” The audience will also be getting a rare treat when Mathis, Troxell and Ewing sing a piece together. The last time they all sang together was when they were younger and sang in the Apples Church choir. The sibling Courtesy photo trio will sing “Sisters” from White Christmas, with Troxell singing tenor, Mathis singing alto and Ewing singing them,” he said. soprano. Concert proceeds will go to Mathis and Troxell used to sing the Thurmont Ministerium, an together, at the behest of their mother, Mathis said. A common piece interfaith group of congregations
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