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Concert set for June 11 at Milford church

MILFORD – During a time characterized by suspicion and hate, there’s nothing like music to add a bit of harmony to the world.

That’s what Linda Goodman, the Linda part of the JoeLinda singing duo, is hoping as she or­ganizes a concert for Sat­urday, June 11.

"I felt strongly pulled to form an interfaith group," she said. "You don’t have to think the same to work together for the good of your commu­nity."

Goodman has been persistent in her striving for a way to get people to come together and sing together and do some good in the community.

Last winter, she or­ganized the Anam Cara Community Singers (Anam Cara is an old Celt­ic term for "soul friend"), but few people came to their first concert. Then she thought, "Why not open the chorus to all the local faith-based organi­zations?"

So she sent out invita­tions. Four Milford con­gregations and Rahel, who sings Hebrew heal­ing songs, responded. The response was grati­fying.

"I went from feeling very discouraged" to feel­ing, "Oh, gosh, look what we planted," Goodman said.

On June 11, 50 people will join together and sing, as individual groups and then all together, and after only one rehearsal.

"I see singing together as a real model of what a community can be," Goodman said. "It works because we are careful to listen to each other, and we have a common pur­pose."

The concert will ben­efit Share, the community charity organization.

Goodman was inspired by Mimi Bornstein, of Rockport, Maine, whose Midcoast Community Chorus, a group of about 150 unauditioned sing­ers, has been able to give $6,000-$10,000 checks to community groups.

They met at a workshop for a Unitarian Univer­salist music network in Boston, and Goodman said she had "goose bumps" listening to her talk.

Goodman and Joe Pol­lack, who rehearse in Ashby, Mass., have re­corded 17 albums togeth­er. Pollack, who is blind, is "an amazing musician," said Nan Stearns, a mem­ber of the Milford Unitar­ian church choir who is helping promote the con­cert.

Here is the lineup of choruses for the June 11 concert, which will start at 7 p.m. in the Unitar­ian Universalist Church sanctuary: Church of Our Saviour Choir, Anam Cara Community Singers, UU Congregation in Milford Choir, Acoustic Breezes – Rahel, First Congrega­tional Church, Milford Choir, Ensemble from Sacred Sound Symphony and the United Method­ist Church Milford Praise Band.

"There are many differ­ent faiths in the world," Goodman said, but, "When we sing, it comes from a place where we are all connected."

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.