Growing up in neighboring Wisconsin, I was well aware that Minnesota was the Land of 10,000 Lakes. What I didn't know until I moved from Washington, D.C., to Prior Lake six years ago is that Minnesota is also the land of 10,000 choruses. Or so it seems.
One of these choruses, CORO!, has been flying under the radar. The first I heard of the ensemble was from a colleague, who was effusive in her praise. Among other things, she told me that CORO! included many soloists, a fact that intrigued and puzzled me.
In my experience, all choruses seek to achieve a homogeneous blend of voices. I wondered how, with its strong soloist membership, CORO! could fit that mold. I contacted artistic director John-Scott Moir and learned that CORO! is anything but a typical chorus.
Q: What is your musical background?
A: I am a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Shenandoah University, and have extensive solo experience in operetta and opera throughout the U.S. and abroad. The CORO! web site [www.corosings.org] includes my bio.
Q: What was the genesis of CORO!?
A: Another voice teacher and I formed it six years ago. We wanted to do something for singers who had big, beautiful voices but were not permitted to use these voices to their fullest in typical choruses. I suggested that we have a model of full-voiced singing, and let the sound emanate from the musicianship of individual singers, rather than have a director impose a sound on them. So we formed CORO!, an ensemble of vocalists with extensive voice training and often lengthy bios. Many are first-rate soloists. Others are music professionals such as conductors and music teachers. That's why I feel so privileged to direct them; they are peers, not just colleagues.
Q: How's it going with CORO!?
A: Something of this nature has a gestation period. We hit our stride about 2½ years ago, and have been growing vocally and professionally ever since.
