My high school choir teacher, Mr. H, retired this year. At the final Madrigal concert, many of the alumni took to the stage and raised our voices in tribute of this wonderful teacher and friend!
This is what I shared on Instagram. It sums up my feelings pretty well so I won't belabor you with more words.
During warm-ups, Mr. H would give each section a note to sing. Then he would modulate the chord, pointing to sections to move up or down, augmenting and diminishing, moving through chord progressions. It was not lost on me, the ability for one part to change the entire chord.
🎵
Sometimes we would stand in a circle, mixed parts, holding hands, eyes closed. I learned to stand on my own and sing my own part while surrounded by those singing something different. I found that music sounded deeper, fuller, more beautiful, when we stood outside our section and blended.
Sometimes we would stand in a circle, mixed parts, holding hands, eyes closed. I learned to stand on my own and sing my own part while surrounded by those singing something different. I found that music sounded deeper, fuller, more beautiful, when we stood outside our section and blended.
🎵
Thank you, Mr. H, for being a great teacher, friend and example. And also teaching me not just to love music but to feel music. Happy retirement!
Thank you, Mr. H, for being a great teacher, friend and example. And also teaching me not just to love music but to feel music. Happy retirement!
Every end-of-year madrigal concert ends with the song "You Are the New Day" arranged by the King Singers. Past madrigal members join together on stage for the number because we have all learned the song.
This year, the crowd was enormous!
Then the past madrigals sang "For Good" from the Broadway show Wicked. It was very emotional.
So here is the shorter version of the songs we sang.
They also made a book for Mr. H and this is the letter I wrote to him. The Instagram post is a shorter version of this.
Mr. H-
I always thought I was an imposter in the Madrigal choir, having earned my spot not because I had an amazing voice but because I knew notes and theory. I’ve always been grateful I squeezed my way into the choir.
In the Madrigal choir I first learned to feel music. I remember you giving each section a note to sing and then modulating chords, pointing to sections to move up or down, augmenting and diminishing, moving through chord progressions. It was not lost on me, the ability for one part to change the entire chord and the meaning that has outside the classroom.
I remember standing in a circle, in mixed parts, eyes closed, holding hands and having to stand on my own and trust myself to sing my part surrounded by those singing something different. The result was that the music sounded better when we stood outside our section and blended together. What a powerful life lesson!
Some of my favorite songs my choir sang were “And So It Goes,” “My Love Loves Me,” “What Sweeter Music” as well as “Chooka Train,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing”. Each of these songs, in their own way, helped me learn that music is more than notes and theory. Music is a conduit to emotion that is unique, individual and unifying.
Thank you for not stopping. Thanks for pushing through the difficult years. Thanks for choosing amazing music. Thanks for believing in.a group of crazy kids year after year. Thank you for high expectations. Thank you for being YOU! Because you made a difference!
