The Threshold Choir: Singing in Service to Others

Why do we sing?  Partly because it just feels good to express beauty and artistry through our God-given talent.  And maybe there’s something even more fundamental going on, maybe making or at least appreciating music goes to the heart of what it means to be human.

So why do we sing in a chorus?  Of course, there’s the camaraderie and the appreciation of harmony and the satisfaction of creating pleasing sounds through joint effort.  But for most of us, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much without an audience.  Connecting with listeners on an emotional level is one of the great satisfactions of singing in a chorus.

But what if our choral singing was meeting a profound need of our listeners, a need for comfort, and reassurance, and relief from pain, and maybe even healing?  That would be something else.

And that something else is the mission of a very different kind of choir, the Threshold Choir.  It was initially the project of one woman, Kate Munger, who realized that singing at the bedside of those who were seriously ill or even dying could be a transformative experience, not only for the patient, but for family, caregivers, and the singers themselves.  She gathered the first Threshold Choir in El Cerrito, CA in 2000, and today there are 100 chapters worldwide, populated almost exclusively by women, including three chapters in the greater Sacramento area:  Davis, Woodland, and Placerville.  Their stated goal is “to bring ease and comfort to those at the thresholds of living and dying.”

These choirs rehearse biweekly, working on a fairly standard repertoire, some of which has been composed by the members themselves.  The songs are not religious, but they are nonetheless spiritual, and their only objective is to bring peace and comfort through gentle singing in harmony.  When they are invited to sing at a bedside, it is generally two to four singers, and the session typically runs about 20 minutes.  You can get the full picture in the Threshold Choir website at www.thresholdchoir.org.

There will be a special event tomorrow, Saturday, July 28, 2012 from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m.  It will feature Kate Munger conducting a day of singing for women who want to know more about the Threshold Choir concept.  It is sponsored by the Davis Threshold Choir in the hope that a new choir might be formed to help meet the needs of the greater Sacramento area.  The event will be held at the Fair Oaks United Methodist Church (9849 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Fair Oaks), and if you’re reading this in time, you can inquire by calling Karen at 209/296-7354.  There is no charge for the event (though donations are always welcome), and a light lunch will be provided. 

If you’re a woman who is reading this after July 28 and whose heart is touched by this idea, it’s not too late to follow up.  Make the phone call, and find out the latest on chapter formation.  Or join one of the existing chapters:  their information is in the Audition Directory of the Sacramento Choral Calendar at this link:  www.sacchoralcalendar.com/Auditions.htm.  There you can find information on the rehearsal times of each choir, along with their contact information.

Free Singing Lessons for Women

The Sacramento Women's Chorus is presenting a 4-week series of singing lessons for women (18 years and older) conducted by Robin Richie, the director of the chorus.  They are on Monday evenings -- August 13, 20, 27 & September 10 -- from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at First Christian Church, 3201 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento.  Those interested are requested to RSVP via the contact form in the SWC website:  www.sacramentowomenschorus.com.  There is a $5 materials fee.

Two Viral Choral Videos

The first of these videos is a 14-minute TED talk by Eric Whitacre, describing his "virtual choir" concept, and the steps that led to his latest effort of having his "Sleep" performed by 2051 singers from 58 countries.  The talk was recorded March 2011 and posted April 2011, and the TED link is here:  http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.html.

It was slow coming up for me, and a faster version is at this link:  http://winp.com/choirvoices/

The second video is a delightful flash mob from Spain performing the choral finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.  Here's the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be

Guest Night at Sacramento Valley Chorus - 8/1/12

The Sacramento Valley Chorus is hosting a special Guest Night on Wednesday evening, August 1 from 6:45 to 9:45 p.m.  The location is St. Mark's Methodist Church, 2331 St. Mark's Way in Sacramento.

Quoting from the description in their website, "The award winning, high energy Sacramento Valley Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, is a women’s singing group specializing in four-part harmony, a cappella singing in the barbershop style. We offer a wide variety of music and styles, from jazz, blues and ballads to Broadway Show tunes, complete with dazzling costumes and exciting choreography."

This fall's activities include coaching sessions with "premiere Region 12 coaches Pat LeVezu and Peggy Gram" and their fall show in October.  In addition, SVC has been invited to sing at New York City's Carnegie Hall on Memorial Day weekend in 2013.

For more information about the Sacramento Valley Chorus, follow this link.

American River Chorus Plays Nice With Others

The American River Chorus, the 60-member men's chorus that performs mostly in a barbershop style, is developing a reputation for collaborating with other local choruses.  Last December, their concert included the Sacramento Capitolaires, RSVP, and the Oasis Chamber Choir.  In June they joined with the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus to give a benefit concert for Francis House.  And now their Christmas concert coming up in December at Three Stages in Folsom will include the women's chorus, Chanteuses, as guest performers.

Although it makes logistics a bit more difficult, this interesting strategy makes for a more varied program, eases the burden of preparation on each chorus, and probably ensures a larger audience.  Will this be a trend?