April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
CLIFTON PARK CHOIR
Young Choristers ready for Christmas Eve Mass
The kindergartners swung their feet in too-big chairs, let their eyes wander and struggled with big words and difficult melodies. Still, they tried to hum along, listened when the adults gestured to keep quiet during a solo and tried to emphasize their t's and k's.
Members of the Choristers are "all supportive," said nine-year-old Katie Lee, who will be a solo cantor when the group sings carols and Mass parts for St. Edward's Christmas Eve Mass.
"They all try to sing, even if they're young," she said. "They sound out the words," though they get tripped up by words like "jubilation."
Katie's mother, Beth, said the children "cheer each other on. They really are each other's champions. It's a wonderful environment to have your children in."
There's never any crying, the young singers confirmed, and any occasional nervousness gets quelled by the group's positive energy.
"Once you're done, everyone claps for you," Katie said. When she finished practicing solo parts during rehearsal, other children whispered to her, "Great job!"
After Mass is over, Katie continued, "everyone rushes up to you. We all love being here."
The Choristers, a group of up to 30 children from kindergarten through eighth grade, rehearse three times a month during the school year. Two young violinists accompany the singers.
The Choristers' history traces back at least 20 years at St. Edward's, which also has family musical ensembles, an eighth- and ninth-grade ensemble, a bell choir, a funeral choir, adult traditional and contemporary choirs and cantors, plus a summer music camp for youth.
The Choristers are a way to get young parishioners involved in the liturgy.
"They feel empowered to participate at Mass," said Mary Jo Brue, the parish music director and organist for the Choristers. "They learn some music they might not otherwise know. They have a great time together."
Mike Bayer, volunteer assistant director and an adult choir member, says the confidence children get from participating is "absolutely amazing. It helps draw them out. It's not so much how well you do it; it's that you do it. They're part of a group. It's almost like a sports team. They are appreciated.
"I don't think there's any of them yet that appreciate the role of music in the liturgy. [But] I like to think they appreciate learning something. Any time that you can get up behind the altar and at the end of the Mass, people smile and clap, why wouldn't you do it?"
Adult parishioners are clearly fans of the Choristers.
"They get everybody else going" with clapping and singing vibrant songs, Mr. Bayer said.
Mrs. Brue attested, "People are so happy to have them here. We always hear about the bad things that kids do. These kids are here praising God."
Andrew Martin, a 10-year-old who has participated for a few years, calls the group "fun. You can say something, get something out."
He does wish the younger children had their own group that sang easier songs, since they "sometimes look at their parents instead of singing. I just look at the parents while singing."
Alicia Golden is fine with having "little kids" around: "I like singing with everybody," said the 13-year-old, whose younger sisters, Courtney and Melissa, are also members.
Alicia also sings in a school chorus, but said "this feels more like a family. It's fun to sing with them, [and] I like to share my love of singing."
Katie's twin brother, Brendan, recalled that one parishioner told him the Choristers' music made her Easter; another said God appreciates what they do. One man offered a Mass for his mother and said she would have enjoyed hearing the children.
"In [school] chorus," Brendan said, "we sing about the holidays sometimes. But here, we're praising God."[[In-content Ad]]
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
Comments:
You must login to comment.