This is the second installment of BCS Connections & Reflections, a series of short notes, essays, and musical offerings from us to you, our supporters. Bernie Zoss, a member of our alto section since 2003 and a devoted board member, wrote this reflection below. We'd love to hear from you, as well: bcs@chambersingers.info
The best-laid plans…
As a member of the BCS board, I had the pleasure of helping plan the celebration of our 50th anniversary, an effort that started 18 months ago with countless meetings and reached a crescendo with a gala event this past September.
The climax of this milestone season was to be our performance of Considering Matthew Shepard, a choral/theatrical work that would have been our most ambitious project to date. Rehearsals were moving along in early March, with an uneasy undercurrent as the news of the novel coronavirus became more worrisome. On March 12, the board held an emergency meeting to discuss next steps. The national state of emergency was declared the next day.
The past 10 weeks have had it all: The urgency of decision making to put the brakes on a major production that was days away from moving into high gear; the emptiness of removing rehearsals, production meetings, and performance dates from our calendars; and the sober realization that the real work of preserving an organization that has been a part of our community for 50 years is just beginning.
It’s an incredible privilege to be a member of BCS. I’m constantly reminded how unusual it is for a group like ours to function on a nearly completely volunteer basis. Every member of the chorus serves on a team that takes responsibility for some non-singing aspect of the operation: communications, finances, logistics, community outreach, and long-range planning. Our only paid staff are our part-time music director, assistant director, and accompanist, and the modest stipends they receive don’t begin to reflect the level of commitment they bring to their jobs. We hire instrumentalists for the choral/orchestral works we perform, which represents our largest single expense each season. We rely on the generosity of local church congregations who provide rehearsal and performance space. And most importantly, we depend on the generosity of people who love choral music in live performance enough to support us with their presence in our audience and with their financial contributions.
Many creative people have turned this disruption into an opportunity to leverage technology for our benefit. We have seen uplifting and lighthearted performances on social media, but virtual choruses can’t replace the thrill that comes from making music together in a shared space. We are resolved to get back there as soon as the fates – and the virus – allow. There’s so much music in the world to explore, and we’re itching to get back to it.
Stay tuned!
Bernadette Zoss
p.s. "Ein deutsches Requiem by Brahms was one of the earliest choral works I learned when I began singing with a community chorus in South Bend, Indiana, many years ago. It introduced me to the power of choral singing, and it remains close to my heart to this day." --Bernie
