Mark Twain Chorale sings May 4

Community chorus news can sound small at first. But this one tells you a lot about how a town keeps its cultural life alive. In Hannibal, the Mark Twain Chorale is back on Monday, May 4, with a program called “Musicals and More” — and the real story is that a volunteer chorus founded in 1961 is still putting on ambitious, free public concerts more than six decades later. That kind of continuity does not happen by accident. It happens because enough singers, accompanists, directors, churches, sponsors, and audience members keep showing up. ### What is happening on May 4? The chorale will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, May 4, at Fifth Street Baptist Church, 111 N. Fifth St. in Hannibal. Admission is free, though a free-will offering will be collected. Allen Means is directing, and Alyssa Pyne is accompanying. That makes this less like a commercial ticketed show and more like a community gathering built around live music. ### What will they sing? The program leans hard into recognizable material. It includes “Castle On A Cloud” from *Les Miserables*, several songs from *The Phantom of the Opera* — including “Think Of Me,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” “The Music Of The Night,” “The Phantom Of The Opera” — reaches beyond Broadway with “An American Quilt,” a Cajun folk song called “Tender Love,” Andre Thomas’s “I Dream A World,” Ola Gjeilo’s “The Ground,” and Tom Fettke’s “The Majesty and Glory Of Your Name.” ### Why does that mix matter? Because it shows what community choruses actually do when they want to fill a room. They do not program for one narrow audience. They blend sacred music, folk material, concert repertoire, and familiar show tunes so different listeners have an entry point. Basically, the Broadway selections are the hook, but the rest of the setlist gives the evening shape and range. ### How established is this group? Very. Muddy River News says the Mark Twain Chorale has been entertaining area audiences since 1961. Recent coverage also shows the group presenting spring and Christmas concerts year after year, with more than 30 singers in 2025 and 32 members cited in 2024. So this is not a one-off pickup ensemble. It is a durable local institution. ### Why Fifth Street Baptist again? Because repeat venues matter for groups like this. The chorale has used Fifth Street Baptist Church for recent spring concerts in 2024, 2025, and now 2026. A familiar room lowers the friction — singers know the space, audiences know where to go, and organizers can focus on the music instead of rebuilding the event from scratch every season. ### Who is helping make it happen? The obvious names are Means and Pyne, who have also been attached to the chorale’s recent concerts. This year’s performance is also partially underwritten by Foreman Creamery. That detail matters more than it looks. Small arts groups often run on tiny margins, and even when admission is free, somebody still has to cover music, rehearsal, and operating costs. ### So what is the real takeaway? The May 4 concert is a reminder that local culture is often sustained by institutions that look modest from the outside. A free Monday-night chorus concert in Hannibal is also a 65-year chain of people deciding that shared music is worth preserving.