This year, the H-B Woodlawn Community Chorus will perform at the school Winter Choral Concert on Thursday, December 19th. The Community Chorus has been an H-B tradition for 15 years, and it gives the community an opportunity to come together to make music. We talked to choral teacher and Community Chorus leader, Bill Podolski, about what the Community Chorus is and what his goals are for this heartwarming tradition.
Every year, H-B students, alumni, parents, staff, and community members come together in the H-B chorus room to practice a few songs before performing them at the Winter Choral Concert. Bill said that the Community Chorus is “an opportunity for anyone who is interested in singing in a chorus to give it a try”. It’s easy to join–all you have to do is show up to the rehearsals in the chorus room. The three rehearsals are held once a week for one hour.
Bill is in charge of selecting a couple of new songs that will be performed by the chorus at the concert. “Each year I try to pick songs that celebrate the winter season, but are inclusive of all people,” Bill tells us. Since anyone is able to join the chorus, no matter what singing experience you have, Bill makes sure that he’s choosing songs that are easy to learn in a short amount of time. This year, the Community Chorus will sing two songs: YuleTide Greeting and When the World Was at Peace. They will also join the High School Chorus to perform the traditional Hallelujah!
When asked what his goals are for the Community Chorus, Bill had a lot to say.
“First goal is to simply share my love of singing in a chorus with anyone who might be curious or interested about trying it. The second goal is for my students to all see that singing and singing in a chorus could be something you can do throughout your entire life.”
While speaking about his goals, it was very clear that the Community Chorus is an extremely meaningful tradition to Bill.
The H-B Woodlawn Community Chorus shows the joyful spirit of H-B. I have been participating in the chorus for the past few years and agree that the energy during rehearsals is nothing but fun and laughs. Come support your friends, teachers, and community at the Winter Choral Concert on December 19th, and next year, join the HBW Community Chorus!
Eleanor (HBW teacher) • Dec 19, 2024 at 7:36 am
I’ve been doing community chorus most years and it is really delightful. I always walk out from rehearsals with more energy and happiness than when I walked in!