Chamber Singers and our weekly “state of Zen.”
Do you have a bucket list? I know I certainly do! One of the things on my extensive and adventurous list, other than climbing to Base Camp on Mount Everest, scuba diving, skydiving or finding time to watch the movie “The Bucket List”, is to join a classical choir.
During Orientation Week of Fall semester 2012, Erica Washburn put out an invite to join the NEC Chamber Singers. At that very moment, the bright light from heaven shone down on my head as the angels sang “Gloria.” This was the moment!! This was the time!! The red inky pen was getting ready to cross off item number #46 on the list.
Having come from an exclusively jazz background and having focused on my solo career for the past decade, the thought of singing in a new style with a team of operatic choristers was alluring.
Since that angelic intervention, so many wonderful things have come about. I never quite realized how empowering it is to make music with 27 other like-minded (and much louder) singers. We sing in a variety of languages - which poses a challenge for this little scat girl. Oh, but I love it anyway! My Hungarian singing had a full work out today, whilst last semester a little German and Russian made it into the mix.
Wednesday morning rehearsals are a great time to for me to refocus my week. Zoning into a state of Zen poses a problem with 28 divas excitedly pouring over Britten and Chesnokov, but the peacefulness and clarity is certainly there. There are those magical moments when we finish a song and you can sense a transaction between kindred spirits that has just taken place. Gee, this sounds so serious! I forgot to mention the great food that Ms. Washburn brings!!
Lastly, the best thing that the NEC Chamber Singers has to offer is the beautiful and genuine friendships of each member. We have a mixed bag of comedians, divas and a few off-centered weirdos, but I love them all in any case. I can certainly say that joining Chamber Singers is one of the classiest things I’ve done at NEC. Definitely worthy of a bucket list tick!
Liz Tobias
Jazz Vocalist and fellow diva
