CSMA is excited to expand its choral program through the addition of a new adult community choir! Open to all music backgrounds, the choir will begin weekly rehearsals in September.
Music Classes Manager Judaline Swinkels said the community choir fills a gap for students who are aging out of other CSMA choral programs and allows them to grow in a new space.
“We recognized that there wasn’t an offering for our adult singers to join. It seemed like a very obvious gap. We have some students in our a cappella group who are young adults who thought, “Where do I go when I age out?”
Additional choral programs CSMA offers include Performance Choir for ages 8-13, A Cappella Vocal Ensemble for ages 14-21, a Training Choir for ages 7-12 and Little Singers for younger children aged 5-6.
Working with CSMA voice faculty Von Bringhurst, who has extensive experience as a choral director, staff thought the community choir would be a great addition and a perfect fit for Bringhurst to lead, Swinkels said.
Bringhurst (he/they) is a countertenor & sopranist. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA, and a Bachelor of Science in Voice from Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID. He enjoys a varied career as a soloist and ensemble member, including Clerestory, Força Chorus, Harvard Early Music Society, the Video Game Orchestra, and the Xerces Blue Ensemble.
While many choirs require an audition, the community choir does not as it wants to remove that level of pressure for those considering joining. Emphasis for participants will be on vocal growth, performance technique and learning from one another.
“It’s different from our performance choir. The goal for the community choir is much more for their personal growth and their growth as a community,” Swinkels said. “I think there’s a larger component of it that is more social and community-based versus performance-based. We want them to grow as singers, work on their technique, to learn how to work together as a full choral unit and to find like-minded friends who share their passion for this.”
Participants will also have a chance to explore a variety of genres and styles of music. They include classical, folk music (there’s a piece in the Lakota language), jazz and even a musical parody. Bringhurst has a background in early music and is good at teaching this genre so the choir will be a place to experience a variety of music, she said.
With any new group, the expectation is that the choir will take time to build but all are excited to see it grow. Enrollment for the new choir will be ongoing so if you’re thinking of joining and need more time–no problem! You can enroll anytime during the semester.
Swinkels says in talking with those who are interested, some are nervous as it’s been a while since they have sung individually or in a group. She encourages them by letting them know that’s OK.
“It’s a very inclusive space,” she said. “It can be intimidating as an adult if you haven’t sung for a while. The community choir is a space for all. It’s a judgment-free zone.”
The new community choir kicks off Sept. 9.
By TaLeiza Calloway-Appleton
