Choir’s sing-a-thon is an ‘imperfect perfect art’
Playing the piano or learning the trumpet requires some level of technical expertise. Very few people — if any — can simply pick up a guitar and join a band.
And while singing does require skill, it does not command quite the same level of expertise to participate.
There are no barriers to singing along with Taylor Swift in the car or deciding to join a local choir — and for Elise Naccarato, manager director of Chorus Niagara, that is precisely what makes the choir’s annual sing-a-thon a “really special thing.”
“When we go up there, we laugh, we have fun because it isn’t perfect. I think that’s the beauty of it, is that it gives us the opportunity for others to sing along and for others to see that choir is an imperfect perfect art,” said Naccarato.
“We’re thrilled to be able to make music and share music with others.”
Members of Chorus Niagara took centre stage at the choir’s 18th annual sing-a-thon fundraiser Saturday, featuring five hours of nonstop singing at Seaway Mall in Welland.
It was its 15th year performing in the mall’s centre court, a relationship that officially kicked off in 2010 after a food court flash mob performance of the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s “Messiah.” A video of the performance has more than 56 million views online.
Funds at the sing-a-thon are raised through pledges gathered by its performing members, as well as through boxes set up near the mall stage. All money raised is reinvested back into the organization and into its youth programs.
“It’s going well, our donations are coming along nicely,” said Claudia Meyer, chair of the sing-a-thon.
“It’s been wonderful. It’s really nice to see our old members come back and they’re singing along and there was a whole bunch in the back. Another that moved to Korea and who came back to just do singa-thon, it’s wonderful.”
Formed in 1963 as St. Catharines Symphony Chorus, Chorus Niagara has grown from 24 members to 90 choristers. Its membership includes singers from Niagara, Hamilton and Buffalo, N.Y., ranging in age from 18 to 80.
Chorus Niagara is a family of choruses which includes Chorus Niagara, the Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir, the Side-by-side High School Chorale and the Robert Cooper Choral Scholars Program.
Throughout the year, the group practices once a week for three hours, focusing on its four main stage concerts. When it comes to preparing for the sing-a-thon, it puts together a stack, two inches thick, of potential music options.
The day of the sing-a-thon, Chorus Niagara artistic director and conductor Robert Cooper— Cooper has been with the organization since 1989 — will ask what the choir wants to sing or throw out an option, each featuring different soloists and a variety of styles and genres.
“It’s tons of fun. We probably have 40 songs, so its nice to review old favourites,” said Kristin Chow, who has been part of the chorus for five years.
“People come in and out and they just enjoy listening. Some people stay for the whole day.”
The sing-a-thon also included guest conductors, community members who get a short lesson and conduct on the fly.
At noon, Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir entertained the crowd for about 40 minutes— even getting the audience to join along in singing activities. Its youth programming includes 80 children across three choir levels, with about 30 participating in the afternoon sing-a-thon.
It’s a fundraiser for Chorus Niagara, but it’s also a chance for community outreach.
“This is something we do annually because of that and because we feel it’s so important to give back to the community that comes to support us in the concert hall, that comes and donates, that is really there to support us and has been there to support us for the last 60 years,” said Naccarato.
“For all of us that are in the choir, we love it.”
The day allows them to share what they do with the community in a way that is financially accessible and musically accessible— picking pieces that are well-known, encouraging those watching to sing along.
“It is so powerful to have all people from different walks of life, different communities, come together and sing and make music,” she said.
Chorus Niagara’s final concert of the season, the Canadian premier of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass!” is May 31 at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines.
For more information on the singa-thon, visit: chorusniagara.org.