May 19, 2004
Festival features female voices
Three high school groups sing with Trillium adult women's choir
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Making music that spans generations, four area women's choirs gave a concert Sunday evening at the First Congregational Church.
Participating groups in the Women's Choir Festival were Bella Voce from West High School, the Contempo Singers from St. Francis High School, the Trillium adult women's choir and Vocal Majority from Central High School.
More than 60 singers performed a range of sacred music, secular songs and even a show tune, camping it up to "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Each group showcased a few tunes and the groups all combined for three numbers: "Da Pacem Domine," the "Diamonds" piece and "America the Beautiful."
"It's fun to hear everyone's different sounds and different styles," said Caitlin Brown, a freshman at St. Francis High School and a member of the Contempo Singers.
Carly McCall, a first soprano singer with the Trillium choir, enjoyed participating with other women's choirs.
"You don't get to hear this volume of women's voices, all together, often," said McCall, who works as the alumni director for Interlochen Arts Academy. "Especially the high school singers, they get so busy with their schedules they don't get to hear everybody else in the community."
Maureen Mawby, the director of the Contempo singers, said the festival was an great opportunity for her relatively new choir to share the music. Formed just three years ago, the Contempo singers have fewer than 20 members but this is the first year they've had singers who are not graduating seniors.
"It's a great opportunity to hear the other choirs perform and just to perform in another community event," said Mawby, adding that her choir sang weekly in mass at St. Francis Church. "Now we're getting a repertoire."
The Women's Choir Festival was the brainchild of Candice Wallace, a retired choral teacher from the South Lyons School system who moved to the area last year. Wallace's reputation preceded her and when area choral directors heard she was in town so her husband could take a job at Interlochen Public Radio, the phone began ringing.
Mark Puchala of Northwestern Michigan College got her a gig as a private piano teacher and Jeff Cobb, choral director at Central High School, asked her to coach his students. She also began singing in the First Congregational Church choir, at Mel Larimer's invitation, and soon decided to form a women's choir. She began Trillium last fall and the church's pastor, Dr. Gary Hogue, quickly offered the group rehearsal space.
"I feel very lucky that Traverse City has taken me in," said Wallace, noting that she has barely unpacked from her move last year. "It's a little humbling but it's also inspiring."'
"I think is unusual to have this much talent in one area," she added of Traverse City.
Wallace is thrilled at the opportunities to work with area students.
"I love working with kids and I told Jeff Cobb the other day that I'll never get tired of watching a kid have the light go on and get confidence about singing," she said.
Wallace decided to create the Women's Choir Festival in part to inspire the younger singers that they could sing as adults.
"I thought it would be really nice for the high school girls to see that you don't have to stop singing after high school," she said. "It's so wonderful for all the groups to get to share, to hear each other."
Women composers or women's themes inspired the music Wallace chose for the performance.
"I was amazed at how much literature that is coming out for women's choirs now," she said. "Women's choirs are really coming into their own."