For
many years community choirs have been performing at St. Mark’s and each time
the enthusiasm of the singers made me wish I could join the fun.
So,
I recently joined the fun and cast my lot with the Orange Park Chorale under
the direction of Dr. Timothy Snyder.
There were lots of reasons I joined, but in this article I will just
share five.
1. To make music
It
happened instantly. Most people in
community choirs read music proficiently and the folks in the OPC have a very
high level of musical skills (as do singers in most community choirs). Within our ranks there are high school choral
conductors, piano teachers, music teachers in the elementary grades, church
music directors – as well as every other profession you can think of. From the simplest hymn to high church
polyphony, the music gets off the page pretty quickly to become a polished,
artistic performance.
2. To get a free
masterclass in choral conducting
When
Dr. Tim Snyder isn’t conducting the OPC, he moonlights as the Director of
Choral Activities at Jacksonville University.
It’s no mistake that I chose OPC because of his excellent reputation and
the fact that JU is my alma mater. He
has reminded me of many things I already knew (but that I had allowed to fall
out of practice), given me some new ways to express concepts, and reminded me
to pay attention to the art of music as much as I do to its mechanics.
3. To meet new
people
Why
are they called community choirs? It’s
not just because singers come FROM a community, but they gather to form a new
community that is dedicated to a very high goal. I have casually known some of the singers in
this group for many years, but it has been a privilege to strengthen musical
ties and to meet new singers.
4. To learn new
music
The
concert we are preparing has music from seven languages, including French.
I
think I have sung French twice in my life – once in college (Claude Le Jeune’s “Revecy
Venir du Printemps”) and Gabriel Faure’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” at the
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.
BUT, I was privileged to sit next to an alto with a gorgeous voice when
we started working on Morten Lauridsen’s “Dirait-on.” Without even knowing it, she taught me
everything I needed to know.
We
are also singing music in Spanish, Hebrew, Church Slavonic, and English.
5. To know the
joy of singing
The
irony of my job as a cantor, leading the church’s song, is that I don’t get to
sing very often myself. Choral singing
has been an important part of my life since the sixth grade – about forty
years. I enjoy conducting and teaching
music and have long used the excuse that I don’t have the time to sing in a
community group like the Orange Park Chorale.
Fortunately, I have made the time, at least for a little while, to
experience the sense of well-being and pure joy that comes from singing in a
choir.
See what this joy looks like in the OPC's two upcoming concerts:
Friday, March 11th at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park
Sunday, March 13th, at 3:00 p.m. at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville
See what this joy looks like in the OPC's two upcoming concerts:
Friday, March 11th at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park
Sunday, March 13th, at 3:00 p.m. at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville
If
you’ve thought about making more time for music in your life, there are lots of
options for singers in the Jacksonville area.
Each choir has its own culture, audition process, literature focus, and
dues structure. With a little research
you can find the group that is right for you.
River
City Men’s Chorus
Wayne
Bailey, Conductor
North
Florida Women’s Chorale
Kerry
Fradley, Conductor
Jacksonville
Masterworks Chorale
Mark
Stallings, Conductor
Jacksonville
Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Donald
McCullough, Conductor
The
Don Thompson Chorale
Michael
Dell, Conductor
Orange
Park Chorale
Timothy
Snyder, Conductor
Church
choirs are always looking for more singers – including mine! Send me an email
if you’re interested.
There
are many others that you will find with a simple internet google search. If you’ve been thinking about making room for
a little music in your life, stop thinking and start acting. I’m glad I did.
Photos from top to bottom:
The Jacksonville Masterworks Chorale did a madrigal concert in 2010 - from their website,
Dr. Timothy Snyder
Members of the OPC hard at work - probably trying to negotiate Church Slavonic.
The River City Men's Chorus just before singing at a Jags game in Jacksonville - from Facebook.
