GILPIN COUNTY — The Peak to Peak Chorale filled the Gilpin County Public Library with old favorites Saturday afternoon , May 9, during the group’s Rock Around the Peaks concert.

The room was packed, with barely a seat available in the library’s multi-purpose room.

The show celebrated music from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, and the crowd clearly knew the songs. People clapped along, laughed during the trivia sections, and quietly sang from their seats during tunes like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

Peak to Peak Chorale members clearly enjoy performing during the group’s Rock Around the Peaks concert. The performance featured hits from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

Photo by Mindy Leary

The concert was the last in a three-show run that also stopped at the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association Hall nd the Golden Gate Grange earlier in the week.

Before the music started, director and accompanist Wendy Reed welcomed the audience as “Wailin' Wendy,” introducing the concert as a live radio broadcast from “Radio Station WRAP, Rockin’ Around the Peaks.” 

Reed told the audience the choir currently has about 15 members and relies heavily on community sponsorships to help cover music and equipment costs.

The Peak to Peak Chorale performs to a packed room at the Gilpin County Public Library during the final stop of its spring concert series.

Photo by Mindy Leary

Reed also recognized longtime member Bill Miller, joking that he had been with the chorale since “the second rehearsal” roughly 35 years ago.

The concert kicked off with “Rock Around the Clock,” followed by a steady stream of classics including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Please Mr. Postman.” The performance bounced between group numbers and smaller solos that gave different members a chance to shine.

Rhonda Horwitz-Romano and Annika Fogelberg teamed up for “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Cheryl Pilcher and Jeannie Sonnleitner handled “Please Mr. Postman.”

John Pineau drew applause during a dramatic performance of “Sixteen Tons,” one of several member spotlight songs sprinkled throughout the performance.

Later in the concert, Fogelberg and Pilcher slowed things down with “The Sound of Silence.” Pilcher and Jasper Webb followed with “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

The audience got pulled into the show, too. Between songs, chorale members asked music trivia questions about artists and decades tied to the concert. People raised their hands, shouted answers from their chairs, and a few lucky winners walked away with small prizes.

The "radio station" advertised groups with fictional names like “The Sonic Sistahs,” “The Country Roses,” and “Patty Chavez and her Chavettes.”

The concert wrapped up with crowd favorites, including “YMCA,” which had people smiling and following along with the classic hand signs.

Current chorale members include Lori Brooks, Karen Christiansen, Leslie Duffy, Annika Fogelberg, Michelle Sullivan, Cheryl Pilcher, Marith Reheis, Jeannie Sonnleitner, Alex Berumen-Gonzalez, John Pineau, Bill Miller, Patty Chavez, Linza Douglas, Rhonda Horwitz-Romano, and Jasper Webb.

Members of the Peak to Peak Chorale perform during the group’s Rock Around the Peaks concert Saturday afternoon.

Photo by Mindy Leary

The chorale also thanked local supporters, including Friends of the Gilpin Library, Gilpin County Government, The Alan Green Foundation, and several community sponsors who help cover music, equipment, and scholarships for singers.