Choral workshop brings a nation of voices together
100-plus strong choir to perform at AUB

May Farah
Special to The Daily Star

There are perhaps very few chances to see a 100-plus strong choir perform in Lebanon. In fact, for this year at least, there is likely just this one opportunity.
And that occasion is Saturday night when the first annual All-Lebanon Choral Classic Workshop performs at the American University of Beirut�s Assembly Hall, featuring the AUB�s own 45-member choir joined by teachers and students from nine other schools in Lebanon ­ Beirut, Jounieh, Broumanna and Aley.
It�s an idea Paul Meers, the director of the AUB Choir and Choral Society and an assistant professor of music, has wanted to realize for some time. This year he secured a fairly extensive list of schools across Lebanon, and invited them to participate in a one-and-a-half day workshop to learn and then perform choral works by Shubert, Vivaldi, and others.
Schools with music departments mailed in swift and enthusiastic responses, sending in names of teachers and students who would be participating.
�There are a couple of schools that don�t have music departments whose teachers want to participate for their own professional development,� says Meers, who admits the idea for this event was borrowed from his own days as an undergraduate.
�I participated in several of these, where the university would invite music departments from local high schools to a workshop/concert,� he says. �Then, I established it as an annual event when I was a professor in Indiana.�
In the US, the workshop was seen as an effective recruitment tool by the university, admits Meers, but that�s certainly not the motivation here.
�The focus here is community outreach,� he says.
�And, it�s a good way to get students involved in a different kind of activity without asking for too much preparation time on a teacher�s already demanding schedule.�
But, as Meers acknowledges, there was an element of surprise, however slight, in pulling this off in Lebanon.
�In the States, I had already visited schools and knew which ones had established music departments and choirs,� he says. �Here, because I don�t get a chance to get out to schools, I�m not really sure what kinds of music departments there are.�
Judging from the passionate commitment of those participating teachers and students, however, any qualms he may have had were swiftly allayed.
�I know it�s going to be great.�
The 60-70 participating students and teachers (not from AUB) didn�t have any special preparation for this event, only experience singing in a choir, and, as Meers says, �a desire to work and have fun with music.�
Meers� own AUB Choir has been rehearsing the music in advance, for about a month now, and knows it well. Participating students had about four hours this Friday and all day Saturday to practice and learn the pieces, with the aid of the choir, in full and section rehearsals.
�The AUB choir can already sing the pieces,� confirms Meers. �So if those joining us for this special performance have somebody to hang on to, it should be just fine.�
Because it�s a four-part choir, it was imperative that the number of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses be balanced. Therefore, schools were required to bring equal numbers of male and female students, a necessary prerequisite he says, but one which may have kept some schools from participating.
�But I knew ahead what voice parts there are, that I have around 20-25 tenors and bases, 30-35 sopranos and altos,� says Meers, �bringing the number of choir members to about 110.�
Saturday�s concert will open with three songs by the AUB choir alone; they will then be joined by the extended choir for 10 pieces, chosen by Meers because of their accessibility and appeal.
�This workshop and performance offers teachers professional development, and for the students, it�s a chance to experience a different kind of musical encounter with more advanced students,� says Meers, adding that the opportunity to sing with a different director is always beneficial.
�And, for our students, this offers them a positive leadership opportunity,� he adds. �I told them they are all teachers for the day.�
As for Meers, who says he�s excited to finally have the opportunity to meet teachers in the community, he�s hoping not just for a successful and well-received concert, but also for the beginning of a tradition.
�I hope to do this annually,� he says. �And next year, I hope to open it up to more schools.�
Meers would also like to extend the invitation beyond Lebanon, to include schools from the region.
�Actually, this year, one school in Cyprus had intended to participate,� he says. �But, it had to withdraw because of the situation in the region.�
It�s precisely because of these turbulent times that Meers hopes more people will be encouraged to seek out �a little distraction.�
�For us, it was absolutely more reason to do it.�