UNSUNG HEROS

Ever since I was accepted into Choral Spectrum, I have noticed a new voice that is, while gentle, extremely impressive. Caroline Randall's beautiful soprano sound emanates throughout the group flawlessly. In Agnus Dei, I was lucky enough to stand next to her and appreciate her tone. Her pitch accuracy helped me stay on the correct notes, while her seemingly effortless tone reminded me not to stress my notes too much and sing smoothly. In addition to Caroline, I would also like to give a shout out to the members of Men's chorus who do not normally participate in Mixed Chorus. While learning the notes and expressive details of Haydn's mass was difficult enough with an hour practice each day, these high schoolers were able to learn the music and contribute their tenor and bass voices along with us, with only one hour of rehearsal each week; a difficult feat. Hearing their voices added to the regular chorus during the dress rehearsal was exciting and encouraged us to sing with more expression, because the musicality of our performance increased due to their addition. Not only were they well prepared, these men were also attentive and focused during both the rehearsal and performances. Even audience members agreed that the addition of singers with lower ranges conveyed a sense of maturity and depth to the overall tone of the chorus. The inclusion of these men in the performance most definitely was advantageous to the experience as a whole, and I look forward to the music they produce in the future. Furthermore, I would like to recognize Brian Perrault. While Brian has received the student of the month, and well deservingly, he exemplifies the epitome of a choral student. I have always admired his dedication to this program, but my appreciation of his voice soared when we sang in choral spectrum. Since he was the only boy, I was already impressed with his ability to be independent. However, his ability to sing alone during Agnus Dei with such expression and blending reminded me of his talent. Having two singers on one part is difficult enough, but surrounded by treble voices, Brian was able to remain steady and sing his part expertly for which I want to recognize. Finally, for my final shout out I would like to recognize my mentoe, Will Kay. From the first day of chorus I knew Will had brought a fresh and impressive tone to classical choral repertoire, along with an undeniable love for music. Will's attitude and excitement to make music everyday reminds me that we are all lucky to have the opportunity to sing, and should grasp that opportunity and take advantage of it. I want to thank all the above people mentioned for making our chorus a truly special family to be a part of.

I also wanted to give a shout out to Caroline Randall. She stands next to me in Mixed Chorus and when I first heard her sing I was amazed. All of the notes seemed to flow out of her so easily and melodiously that it made me think twice about how I was singing. While preparing for the Major Works Concert, she was able to shape the phrases beautifully and really communicate the story and emotion behind the piece which I have found to be the most difficult part of singing. I was extremely nervous coming into Mixed Chorus this year but having her there as a model and to guide me really helped me, and it gave me a bit of relief know that I had someone right beside me who would be able to help me when I needed it. I have also come to realize that she's not only a great singer, but she is a really nice person too. If I'm ever lost or don't know what the notes are I'm not afraid to ask her a question because whenever I have before she's always been there to help (as I suppose most, if not all, of the chorus members would be), but she is so pleasant about it and personable which takes away a lot of the "what if she thinks I'm not good enough to be here" or the "she's older than me so she probably won't want to talk to me anyways" thoughts that always seem to run through my head when I'm talking to someone new. I remember last week after our dress rehearsal, I left my folder at home and wasn't prepared for the day, so without me saying anything, she leaned over and let me look onto her music with her. It's little gestures like that, that have helped me to warm up to this new chorus and become comfortable being a part of it. Caroline has really helped me out and is a really good person to have in the chorus.