The choral bug

After Erin's Community Choir performance last spring, Noah piped up on the drive home "I think I'd like to sing in a choir like that some day." He'd spent a year in a children's choir in Nelson, and a year in the offshoot boys' choir, until the choral program had evolved into something different on a different day with a different director. But he was making a very bold (and brave, for him!) statement about his dreams and ambitions. Erin immediately launched into a mock rant about how Noah was in no way allowed to join HER choir, at least until his voice had changed and he could be relegated to the far male end of the choir from the first sopranos. Thankfully Noah didn't take her too seriously, and so when I suggested he might sign up for the summer VSSM Adult Choir with Erin, he jumped at the chance. The VSSM Adult Choir is made up of many of the same community members as comprise the regular-season Community Choir. There's a different director and a more intensive 90-minutes-a-day, every day, rehearsal schedule. But otherwise it's your standard 40-voice four-part choir and I thought it'd be a nice challenge for Noah.

He loved it. The 1st violinist from his regular string quartet was also in the choir, and he, Erin and D. had a lovely time. They learned the music well and sang brilliantly. Noah is now vying for the chance to join the Community Choir. Erin is okay with the idea, but we're not sure if they'll have him. He's very young. Even Erin was almost-13 when she first joined, and very much an adolescent and someone who had always naturally gravitated to adults in a social milieu. D. will be the other under-30 person in the choir this year -- but she's 13, a teenager. Noah is still an 11-year-old pre-adolescent kid and while the director knows he'd do just fine, to have someone his age join might set an awkward precedent. So we're not sure whether they'll have him or not. Fingers crossed. If not, maybe by next year.

Erin will also be doing the teen choir in Nelson. She's thrilled. I think we've managed to rearrange our weekly schedule to make this possible. Shifted orchestra to Wednesday, rearranged all the kids' violin and piano lessons, shifted all my mom's out-of-town students to different days so that they can still participate in orchestra.

And Sophie and Fiona and their mom loved singing in Family Choir. It's been a wonderful week, chorally speaking. Largely thanks to Allison, the VSSM choral director, who also directs the Corazon ensemble Erin is joining.