The work of the first 8 weeks of the semester culminates in our "choral workshop." It was something of a spectacular and I was proud of myself. Singers at their best on five pieces: Psalm 150/Sir David Wilcocks, Psalm 23/Imant Raminsh, Tojours/Gabriel Faure-arr. Alan Raines (manuscript), Schlof Main Kind/Alan Naplan, Homeland/Z. Randall Stroope. We sang at the Presbyterian church, which is a wonderful location for presenting a concert. The girls are always focused, but were unusually so in this event and so their concert was remarkable. Since I wasn't conducting, there were some things that I would have done differently, but just sitting there listening I heard the sound of a professional choir. How did that group of teenagers get to be such fantastic singers? There is some mystery about it.

They were followed by a very accurate massed choir (Chamber Choir/Chorale/Varsity Glee Club), on Exultate Deo/Palestrina, Introit and Kyrie and Agnus Dei from the Faure Requiem, Von Ewige Liebe/Brahms-arr. Raines, and then the Georgia Southern Chorale joined us on Ride on King Jesus/Hogan, with my tenor soloist (Big day for him. He had 150 back up singers), then the chorale sang their ACDA program. They were pretty sharp.

Dr. C from Georgia Southern conducted the mixed group and Dr. R from Georgia State led my girls. The girls are singing so beautifully this year. Alan pitched a fit to me, saying we should audition for ACDA, but I don’t know. I know one thing, I’m not going to do a third interest session.

Rod conducted the first and fifth movements of the Faure Requiem and we had organ with that. With my hundred or so singers and the organ they really shook the room. It was a good experience for the students I think. I can’t see how it would not make a lasting impression on them.

I wish it were easier to raise money to travel and I wish that parents understood how significant the sound is that we make. Mostly I don’t think parents get it. They just come to the concert and then hurry off to the ball field for little Billy’s game and they rate them both about the same. With all that work, I didn't have a single parent come up afterward and say they enjoyed the event. Kinda sad since it was clearly magnificent. Dr. C spoke to the audience before his final number and called it a "unique" event. I did get one complaint. A parent said to another in my hearing, "He said it was going to be an hour, and it was way over an hour!" She was indignant to be trapped listening to great music for so long. Actually I told the students it was going to be an hour and fifteen minutes and it ran an hour twenty. So sue me for 5 minutes.

The coolest part of the event was watching the second level students, charged with energy, singing their hearts out throughout the program. They won't for get it for some time. A performance like this becomes a milestone. Or perhaps better yet a Rosetta stone. It helps one translate the rest of his or her life.