We recently finished our 2019-2020 season at The Choir School at St. Peter’s. Every year since 1993 the choirs have sung John Rutter’s choral anthem, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”. I’m proud to say that in 2020 we continued that tradition. While coronavirus has stopped us from singing our year-end concert in real life, we were able to have a year-end celebration with the Choir School family. We acknowledged the achievement of our choristers and awarded ribbons to those who have completed a level of music theory training. The gathering ended with a communal viewing of the virtual choir project. I am glad to share the final product with you!

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious unto you
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you
And give you peace, and give you peace. Amen.

Over the summer, choristers typically go on a choir tour to several cities in the Eastern United States. This year we were planning on going to Philadelphia and other cities en route. These summer tours are an opportunity to share the beautiful music and the talent of our talented singers. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for personal growth and independence while traveling to new cities. While we can’t go on summer tour our students do have the opportunity to continue meeting for social time and for continued learning. That is a small reprieve, but as coronavirus continues to linger in the United States, social distancing is still mandatory. That being said, even the practicalities of the 2020-2021 season are unclear at the moment. But I am certain we will find a way to still have choir.

Finally, I am happy for Kay Johnson who is set to retire at the end of June. Mrs. Johnson is one of the original founders of The Choir School and she has worked for 27 years to make music education accessible to talented singers of all backgrounds in Charlotte. I hope she finally gets a chance to relax and enjoy retirement. Talk about the end of an era, thank you, Mrs. Johnson!