One thing I’ve missed most since leaving home for college is singing. I’m definitely not an American Idol, but I’d taken classical singing lessons in high school, joined the Chorale senior year, and even had my own solo singing a Negro spiritual. And after swim practice, I always sang in the shower. It helps relieve stress, I swear.
Freshman year I got placed in the women’s Glee choir, but (and here I may ruin your fantasy of the glittery, energy-injecting Glee club Fox presents), I just didn’t dig singing old songs on school nights from cold benches, trying to make my sore throat land extraordinary A sharps. I missed my voice teacher, the wonderful Cathy Goto, and male tenors and basses who would have smoothed out the shrill Rachel Berry-like soprano next to me. (Every choir has one).
Even singing in the shower was out; I doubt anyone on my hall would have appreciated my rendition of Mick Jagger’s “Miss You.” So when my friend Sam asked me this semester if I wanted to join Middlebury’s College Community Chorus, as skeptical as I was about singing with old fogeys from town, I said yes.
And I love it. Every Sunday night, I pack myself into a group of mostly 50 -70 year-old men and women, and sing away. Madrigals from the 16th century. Traditional folk songs like Shenandoah. My favorites are three Morten Lauridsen songs from Nocturnes—as smooth as honey, I imagine they drift out of the cracks of Mead Chapel and then are sucked swiftly away by the darkness.
Besides the gospel song (why oh why do choir directors think gospels are fun? The repetition feels I’m slowly drilling a screw into my head), I love wrapping up the week this way, letting sound waves carry away whatever heaviness and stress I’ve been feeling. It doesn’t matter how good any of us are, cause believe me, I’ve definitely heard better. But we’re not bad. And that’s really not what it’s about for us. I’m inspired by watching these Vermonters who come to every rehearsal and find a way to be a part of the community – they’re still young at heart.
This sounds like fun! I'm a freshman and have been going through a similar thing, I love singing and do so all the time (just ask anyone on my hall) but I can get pretty nostalgic for an organized chorus. Maybe I'll give this a try! Can anyone just show up?
ReplyDeleteYou should join Ellie! You'll have to wait till next year because our concert is coming up, so the director isn't accepting anymore latecomers. But it's only 1 - 2 times a week depending on how busy you are, so no stress!
ReplyDeleteNow I know what I'm listening to when my window is open! (I live in Hepburn and I presume your rehearsal is in Mead?)
ReplyDeleteYep it is! Ha - hope we sounded all right. There were a few really shrill notes last night!
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Thanks for the info!
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