Five Reasons I Joined A Community Chorus

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

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

http://rivercitymenschorusjax.com/

North Florida Women’s Chorale

Kerry Fradley, Conductor

http://www.womenschorale.org

Jacksonville Masterworks Chorale

Mark Stallings, Conductor

http://www.jaxmasterworks.org/

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Chorus

Donald McCullough, Conductor

https://www.facebook.com/jaxsymphony/

The Don Thompson Chorale

Michael Dell, Conductor

http://www.donthompsonchorale.org/#/home

Orange Park Chorale

Timothy Snyder, Conductor

http://orangeparkchorale.com/

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.