The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Why I Love Singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
...and what I've learned.
Meaghan Curry
I started singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, a 200-voice volunteer chorus, in September 2008 at the beginning of my junior year of college. Since those first late Monday evening rehearsals for John Adams'
Dr. Atomic, I have fallen in love with singing in the Chorus.
My fellow second altos, many of them veterans from the days of Robert Shaw, made me feel very welcome during my "trial by fire" first weeks. They assured me that the complex rhythms and difficult chromatic lines of the 21st century opera were not necessarily "normal" for the ASOC. What they didn't realize is that I enjoyed nearly every count-singing and neutral-syllable filled moment.
I could write five essays on the subject, but here's what I have learned about music in my 19 months and 28 performances with the Chorus:
I am a better musician now than when I joined. My sightreading has improved; Robert Shaw's tried-and-true choral methods that are known to choristers around the country are alive and well in the ASOC.
My ear has improved: our choral warm-ups are exercises in blend and intonation, and the process by which a large chorus develops the ability to sing anything—from Bach and Mozart to Brahms and Verdi to Stravinsky and John Adams—is beneficial for any singer.
And I relish the repertoire. Within two seasons, we have sung music written over a time span of more than 250 years: Mozart's Requiem, Brahms' Requiem, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Verdi's Requiem, just to name a few.
My musical world expands every time I learn and perform a new piece. Most of the singers around me have performed these works several times over the course of their 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-year singing careers. I find they are excited for me when I tell them I'm singing the piece for the first time. I never feel left out or left behind, but as though I am being invited to join in something important that has been going on for a very long time. It's like unwrapping a surprise gift when everyone else already knows what it is and can't wait for you to see it.
Many of my fellow singers have quickly become very dear friends. Chorus members often joke about how we are two hundred of their closest friends, but the sentiment isn't too far from the truth. Choral singing involves an unimaginable amount of unspoken communication, and we connect on a very deep emotional level. When you've shed tears at the beauty of Brahms' Requiem or the power of Verdi's "Dies irae," it doesn't matter whether or not you know someone's name—they are your friend.
Singing in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus simply makes me happy. I hope that I never forget how fortunate I am to be able to do this. I believe it was Robert Shaw who pointed out that the word amateur comes from the Latin words amare (to love) and amator (a lover). It is more important that we love what we do than whether or not we (or any other ensemble) are paid to do it.
About the Author
Meaghan Curry is an undergraduate student at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She is pursuing a degree in music education and looks forward to a teaching career in choral and general music. In addition to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Curry has enjoyed singing in the vocal ensembles at Georgia State and with local church and community choirs.
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