Let’s set the scene for a typical musical Thursday afternoon and evening around Atwill, the Church of Our Saviour Music and Children’s Church room.
After her weekly Thursday practice session in the church, organist Alice Rucker is leading the handbell choir in skill-building drills and repertoire rehearsals. Music director Bob Crocker arrives from his day job teaching high school music in LA’s Koreatown neighborhood and begins writing the choir rehearsal plan, fondly called the “ransom note,” that he shares with the members every week. Bell choir ends and, while they reset their equipment, Crocker checks in with Music Committee members and confers with Rucker and choir members as they eat a quick sandwich before rehearsal. Some are filing music, resetting the room, and prepping their folders to be ready as the choir rehearses six weeks of music at a time. The professional tenor and bass section leaders, John Musselman and Santo Ragno, arrive early, and Crocker accompanies one of them as they practice an upcoming solo.
Fast-forward a half hour. Choir rehearsal has begun. The choir finishes the Mendelssohn with a satisfied purr and then launches into a spiritual — with an awkward false start. Gales of laughter ensue — there is a lot of laughter interspersed with singing and learning. The individual choir members’ experience ranges from one year to many decades, and no matter how long they have been doing this, there is always more to learn.
Rehearsal ends at 9 pm with a final sing-through, some quick announcements and a prayer, and last bits of business are handled as the room is locked up.
Want to support musical work like this at COS? Join us on Saturday, May 4th at 2 pm in Cleaver Hall for our COS Afternoon Tea Musical Variety Show! The show will feature musical offerings from performers of all ages, including our choir singers and professional section leaders. We suggest a donation of $50 to attend, and the event will include afternoon tea and refreshments.
Proceeds will benefit the COS Music Program, enabling us to expand our choir library to meet current needs, provide instrumental music to enrich Christmas and Easter services, and underwrite section leaders.
The Church of Our Saviour choir is sounding better and singing a wider repertoire, and one big reason for its growth in musical effectiveness is our professional section leaders. Section leaders are not only excellent singers; they also support our volunteer singers to enable them to participate fully in our music program. For example, tenor Charles Youngblood’s work as a civil engineer means that he can’t always come to Thursday rehearsal, so Santo Ragno records and shares our rehearsal and guides with Charlie on Sunday mornings.
Our choir is always looking for more singers. We rehearse on Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm, and Sundays at 9 am, right before the 10 am service. Whatever your level of experience singing, your life will be richer when you make music weekly with our choir. For more information, email BobC@cosepiscopal.com.
We are also excited to announce that this summer we will have a multigenerational Family Choir which will sing several times at the 10 am service. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts, and uncles can rehearse and sing beautiful, accessible music together on Sunday morning and sing it that day. Stay tuned for more details.
A table will be outside on Sundays to sign up or you can email Juli at julikennedy@me.com. Please support the wonderful work of music at COS by coming to the May 4th fundraising tea and by singing with the choir. We’ll see you there!