I love choirs! I do not care if they are big or small, all men or all women, all children or integrated. I think my fondness of choirs dates back to my childhood when my grandmother was telling me often about my grandfather belonging to the “Strassburg (Alsace) Manner Gesang Verein.”
Now this was a large choir, about 100 men strong, a fact she liked to prove by pointing to a group picture hanging in her room. By nature, large choirs provide a powerful sound and, with a good director, have a very dramatic effect.
Smaller choirs are special in many different ways and require their conductors to be inventive and able to improvise.
Just recently I was invited to a “Grandparents Day” at the school three of my grandchildren attend. They have an excellent Music Department and in the morning it was up to the younger children to entertain us, while in the afternoon the older students took over. At the end of the concert all of them — 900 students attend the school — sang together. It was a very moving experience. Choirs — all of them, large or small —unite the world and choir members are perfect ambassadors.
While the health aspects of singing has been emphasized many times, I think you would like to read what Dennis Tupman, a well-known music educator and researcher, wrote: “Singing cleanses and uplifts the spirit while deepening the soul. Ultimately, there is no better way of building a community then by singing together. Everyone wins and everyone is involved cooperatively.”
With this in mind I would like to let you know that the HHS Multicultural Choir’s next concert will take place on June 3, 3 p.m., at the Harrison Hot Springs Memorial Hall. For this particular Spring Concert we have been asked by our director, Brenda Di Rezze and Beccie Bokenfohr, our accompanist, to help choose songs we have been singing before and really liked. So far, we have re-learned over 20 songs.
It was a good experience for us and, I am sure, for Brenda and Beccie as well, because it not only showed what we have learned but especially how much we have been taught!
We hope you will be able to join us for the concert and stay a while for coffee and cake. The price per person will be $10 all inclusive and children under eight years of age will be free. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at the HHS Health and Wellness Fair at the Memorial Hall on May 26 or at the door, prior to the concert, on June 3.
We would love to meet you again!
***Read Ruth Altendorf’s previous column.
