A Bold Undertaking
From Sharon Downey, Director of the Erie Philharmonic Youth Chorale
Just a little over two years ago, the Youth Chorale had its first rehearsal with about 25 elementary and middle school students. The Junior Chorus, which had been established in 2019, but had to stop mid-season because of the pandemic, began anew with a small group of high school students. We have grown from 30 singers in two ensembles to over 60 in three ensembles. Fast forward to December of 2023 at the Holiday Pops Concert, where you saw and heard the results of two and a half seasons of vocal training, choral singing and performing experience, always focusing on preparing to perform with professional musicians. Our young singers have proven they are capable of such a task.
Learning there would be two symphonic programs with significant parts for a children’s chorus this season was exciting but also a bit frightening. Were our young singers going to be ready for a Symphonic program? And an epic Mahler symphony for their first experience? More musicians on stage than ever before? We emphasize professionalism in all of our rehearsals and preparation, and this collaboration with Maestro Meyer, the orchestra, an alto soloist and the women of the Philharmonic Chorus, would demand yet another level of maturity and musicianship.
Our work began at the end of last season looking at the score, finding our part and seeing how it comes and goes throughout the fifth movement. We listened to recordings and watched videos of other children’s choruses (mostly all boys) performing the work, and learned about Mahler and what our particular movement is all about. The majority of the text we sing is very simple, “bimm, bamm” imitating the sound of bells.
Our part weaves in and out, alongside the angelic women’s chorus. Near the end of the movement we have a dramatic entrance, finally singing some words, “Liebe nur Gott” (“Love only God”) and then a few other phrases before their bell sounds return as the music fades away. It is a bright and charming movement, following seamlessly after a rather mysterious ending of the previous movement. The low strings move back and forth from two pitches, and with only a brief pause, the children’s chorus is heard for the first time singing a bright, new pitch at the start of movement five.
This is indeed an epic piece and quite a bold undertaking for our Youth Chorale and Junior Chorus as they embark upon their symphonic debut! Singing Mahler 3 with the Erie Philharmonic and Maestro Meyer will be a thrilling and memorable experience for our young singers that they will long remember. We are grateful for the opportunity to be on the Warner stage on January 20!