Singing Across the Generations

As MOS makes final preparations for its Third Annual Hear the Future Music Festival, I am reminded what a joy it is to work with excellent singers of all ages.  The Michael O’Neal Singers (MOS) is an auditioned community chorus of around 130 voices, ranging in age from early 20s to mid 70s.  The Hear the Future Festival invites outstanding high school ensembles to join MOS in a combined presentation of a large choral/instrumental masterpiece.  This year the Lassiter High School Concert Chorale (Cobb County) and the Woodstock High School Varsity Singers (Cherokee County) will join with MOS and the Riverside Chamber Players (a professional string ensemble from Fulton County) in a performance of Franz Schubert’s Mass in G.  In addition to the Schubert, the combined chorus of nearly 250 voices will sing Hear the Future, a piece written for the inaugural season of the Festival.  Each chorus will also have the opportunity to sing several individual selections for the other choruses and assembled audience.

I find that talented and committed high school singers participating with equally talented and committed adult singers creates a phenomenal learning opportunity for everyone.   As all the singers (a true multigenerational event spanning fifty years from youngest to oldest) work together on the same music, we quickly discover our commonalities instead of our differences.   Wouldn’t it be fantastic if there were more possibilities available for such a sharing between generations!

There are constant daily reminders why I am thankful for choral music and what it adds to my life.  This annual event bringing together high school students and adults is one of the most gratifying of those reminders.