On September 3, The Williamsport Youth Choir, a local public choir open to all third through twelfth-grade students, had its first rehearsal of its fifteenth season.
According to the choir director, Ms. Megan Louder, the choir has had three rehearsals since then, and “the singers are rising to the occasion.”
The Williamsport Youth Choir is popular for its public winter and spring concerts at the Clarke Chapel at Lycoming College and choral performances in SOTA’s The Nutcracker at the Community Arts Center.
This winter, the choir’s concert is on Dec. 21 at 11:00 AM. It is free to enter, and Louder said, “Bring a buddy!” When asked what she enjoys most about being in the choir, Piper, one of its members, said “The concert.”
Each year, the Williamsport Youth Choir sings, “The Waltz of the Snowflakes,” in SOTA’s The Nutcracker at the CAC, and also sings in the lobby during intermission. Regarding this special performance, Louder said that it is “Really exciting for the students because they [see] what it’s like to perform in an epic venue and collaborate with the professional musicians in our area.”
Veteran member of the choir, Bailee Britt, describes her excitement for this event, saying, “I’m very excited, even after doing it year after year it never gets old. The thrill of the Christmas spirit and the songs we sing for it are just magical.”
Elaborating on the choir’s scheduled performances for this semester, Louder said, “We are singing for ‘Victorian Christmas’ at City Alliance Church.”
Treble-voiced students from all around Lycoming County are encouraged to audition for the choir at the start of each Fall/Spring semester. There are two different divisions of the choir: the typical “Concert Choir” and a new “Prep Choir,” meant for only third and fourth-grade students.
Members of the “Concert Choir” are in grades ranging from fifth to twelfth grade and they learn a vast repertoire of music for their concerts and Nutcracker performances.
Britt said, “I’ve been in [the choir] for a while, 3-4 years, and I enjoy the music and singing.”
Jewels, another member of the choir, said that the songs are her favorite thing about being in the choir.
The “Prep Choir” was just recently established for the choir’s 15th season, and is a chance for younger singers to learn basic music literacy skills such as aural training, sight reading, notation/dictation, and more.
These members also have an opportunity to join in with the “Concert Choir” for one or two songs in the winter/spring concerts.
Mrs. Andrea Burleigh, director of C.E. McCall Middle School’s choirs and singer in the Williamsport Adult Choir, was very excited by this new opportunity for younger students, and she said, “The hope is also that this [Prep] Choir can ‘catch’ kids when they’re younger and they’ll stay with the organization through high school.”
In response to a question asking about the choir’s importance, Louder said, “This choir is the only one in the area that allows students across multiple schooling systems to be in an ensemble together. It’s a great resource for a lot of our home-schooled kids in the area, as they don’t have a choir they can join otherwise.”
The Williamsport Youth Choir meets once a week to rehearse for an hour at the Clarke Chapel on Lycoming College’s campus.
In addition to weekly rehearsals, the choir also hosts a “retreat,” or an extra-long rehearsal on one Saturday every semester. This semester, Louder is hoping to arrange something special for the choir for lunch at the retreat.
“If everyone chips in a few dollars, I’ll arrange for Taco Bell to be our lunch,” Louder said. “There’s something so fun about doing something special for lunch where kids can enjoy the perks of being in an ensemble that runs differently from being in school.”
Louder “truly cherishes” what she does with the Williamsport Youth Choir. “I get to work with a lot of talented kids, but more than their talent, their dedication and kindness towards each other is what makes them special,” she said.
Concert choir member, Caterina Hoinowski, said the choir has a “Nice, welcoming” atmosphere.
Burleigh noted her opinions about the sense of community in the choir, saying, “I think it’s a powerful thing when a student can meet someone across the county, someone who they only know because of their involvement in the youth choir, who can say, ‘I know what you’re going through, and I’ve got your back.’”
All students in third grade and above are “highly encouraged” to audition for and join the choir at the start of the Spring semester.
On the topic of recruiting new choir members, Britt said, “It’s a lot of fun! We have a nice group and an awesome and fun director. It’s rewarding at the end when everything comes together and it’s just a good time using our musical skills.”
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