I have always enjoyed singing in Choirs. I have been in many over the years. I loved to sing in primary as a child. When I was in elementary school I recall the High School Madrigals and Concert Choir coming to sing to us at Christmas time. They always concluded with “Sleigh Ride.” A big burley guy would be in the back ringing the sleigh bells. I knew that is what I wanted to do when I got to high school. And that I did. I sang in Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, and Madrigals. I got to sit around that table and someone lit the candles and we would sing bobbing our heads, looking around and all that good stuff.
When I got to College I didn’t let go of the dream. I tried out for choirs there too. I sang in the Concert Choir and the Women’s choir. We even sang at a session of General Conference. It was an amazing experience. I transferred to Utah State University and sang in the Institute chorus until I heard of an opening in the “New Horizons” Institute Jazz Choir. I remember the day I tried out and made it I was so happy! I paused and remember telling my self never to forget this feeling!!!
(I am in the middle section on the left in the robin eggs blue dress.)
After college I moved on getting married, teaching school and having a family. One Sunday I was sitting in church reading the church bulletin, now we never get a bulletin because we’re late and we sit in the back, but this day we got one and it said, “Choir Auditions, Aug. 9th 5:00 p.m.” August 9th that was today!!! So I went. I was able to be a part of “The Saints Unified Voices.” with Gladys Knight. I only sang with them a short time when it was time for our family to expand so I gave up singing with them. But I did manage to take part in recording of the CD “One Voice” which won a Grammy Award.
About three years after the Gladys Knight choir Jeff took me to a Desert Choral Concert at UNLV. I remember watching and listening to it remembering the days when I sang in choirs. I took that program home that night and I looked up information from a web site printed on the program. I wrote down the conductor’s name and his phone number where it said for auditions call. I tucked it away it was not my time or season yet!
Three years later I decided it was time! All of my kids were in school full time and I had some extra time on my hands. I went to my computer looking for the web site again. I typed in desertchoral.com, .org, .net etc. but I couldn’t find any link to the choir. Then I remembered I had that number tucked away. I searched and sure enough I was able to come up with it. I just looked at it for a week or two then I decided to just do it.
I called for an audition! I sang “My Country Tis of Thee” and a couple of Hymns and did some sight reading. I am not the best at that but managed to squeak by and be invited to join the choir.
My first Choir rehearsal was unbelievable. This choir is amazing!!! This is not just sing song!! The music we are singing is the Creation Mass in b flat by Joseph Hayden. This is a 142 page musical masterpiece!! I haven’t seen music like this since we did the Messiah in college. I just sat in awe at these choir members thinking have they done this work before? Have they been working on this forever? I had only missed two rehearsals coming into this. But I seemed to be weeks behind. They were just that good!! Instant choir just add conductor!!! I got the music and realized I was going to have to work for this. The next day I got on itunes and downloaded the full mass. Now I could at least listen to what I was supposed to sound like.
I had heard that the Desert Choral was mainly a choir made up of members of the church. At the next practice I started to look around this choir didn’t seem like your typical Mormon choir. One girl has purple hair, someone else has an earring in their lip etc. So I turn to the girl next to me and say, “Is this the Desert Choral?” she says, “What?” I say “Is the name of this choir Desert Choral?” She says, “No it’s the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society Chorus.” “Oh.” I say. “Well did it used to be the Desert Choral?” She said, “No it’s been the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society Chorus for 47 years!” At this point I am so confused. I asked her if she had ever heard of Desert Choral? She said, “No.” How did I get in this choir? I thought I was trying out for the Desert Choral and yet here I am in the most amazing choir I have NEVER heard of.
That night I got home and went online to discover what I am a part of, The Southern Nevada Musical Society Chorus. Then I decide to look for Desert Choral one more time. There it was as easy as pie to find Desertchoral.org. What on earth? How could something that was previously so elusive be as plain as day now?
I have no Idea how I got in touch with this society but I feel honored to be here and I know it is for some reason that I have been put here. I don’t know what that reason is yet but I do know I am having the time of my life and learning oh so much. I feel Gods hands in it. It has been a blessing right down to finding a parking place in a crowded parking lot where there wasn’t an empty one to be found!! I am so thankful to my husband and my children for supporting me and letting me have this adventure!
I don’t think that I am extremely talented in this area, average at best but it is something I have a deep passion for and am willing to work at. It has brought me happiness, and focus and fun in my life besides my ever busy running world. Our first concert is this weekend and in the words of the conductor, “Good Luck!!” And I need it!!!!
