Choirs Collide

Scheduling conflicts are old news for students of SHS, but rarely are two classes scheduled simultaneously. This year, there was a mixup in the scheduling of chorus classes under the instruction of Mr. Richter. In past years, there has been one choir class of freshman, known as Chorale, and another class for more experienced voices, known as Select Choir. Numbers in these classes tend to vary depending on the year, but until this year, the two have never been taught together. This year, there are now 88 students taking Mr. Richter’s G block Select Choir class: 64 Select Choir members and 24 Chorale members.

Mr. Richter would like to point out that this was a scheduling mistake that has never happened in the past, and is not likely to happen again. However, this does not take away from the confusion felt the second day of school. Surprisingly, Mr. Richter’s classroom was filled with 88 students rather than the 64 he had originally anticipated. Keep in mind, the chorus room has been relocated during construction and is now located in the former staff cafe. In short, the room is not exactly comfortable when 90 kids are mushed together alongside the grand piano needed for each rehearsal.

Despite the lack of personal space, Mr. Richter proved himself able to roll with the punches. There was no drama or fighting over the issue, mostly due to Mr. Richter’s willingness to say, “‘Okay, we can deal with this.’” He has shown his ‘can do’ attitude even when faced with keeping 90 high schoolers on task. His ability to take this seemingly inconvenient situation and harness his new environment is an admirable quality to say the least.

Although Mr. Richter’s resilience is evident, it does not take away from the fact that there is a clear difference between these two brands of singing groups. Mr. Richter even joked, “In terms of musically, the effect has been that these twenty-five kids don’t have a lot of experience with this old weirdo.” The producing sound of this sizable group has a more youthful sound than in years past, however, it still remains beautiful. This group is full of motivated, passionate students who are willing to put in the work to deliver a harmonious sound. Mr. Richter believes that “this is a really wonderful group” and is optimistic about the inexperienced performers ability to move at a more rigorous pace than anticipated.  

Instead of looking at the negative outcomes of this issue, Mr. Richter has used the experienced performers in this multifaceted group to help co-facilitate this class: having them sit next to the freshman members so they can help these young singers study music, remain focused, and memorize their individual parts. Because he has one less block to teach, Mr. Richter has been volunteering in the Gates Middle School chorus classroom to make a more meaningful use out of his extra time. He ecstatically proclaims, “This is really neat! These kids get to meet me and when they make this transition to the high school they will know what to expect.” While Ms. Swartz, the middle school choral teacher, is on maternity leave, Mr. Richter will be filling in for her.  He is excited to extend his skills to the middle school and join their faculty, even if only for a short time.

Mr. Richter is ready to take on this challenge and is excited to see the singers’ transformations throughout the school year in this new environment, as the students maneuver through new obstacles with tremendous positivity and excitement.