God sent his singers upon earth with songs of sadness and of mirth,
That they might touch the hearts of men, and bring them back to heaven again.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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The Greenbrier Valley Chorale

PO Box 1413    Lewisburg, WV   24901
Contact Us:  GreenbrierValleyChorale@yahoo.com

Directed by Barbara Wygal Lutz
Accompanied by Teresa D. Bryant

GREENBRIER VALLEY CHORALE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
UNDER LUTZ’S DIRECTION
 

If you think choral singing is a dying art, try finding a parking place anywhere near Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg on a Tuesday night. That’s rehearsal night for the Greenbrier Valley Chorale, a community choir celebrating its twentieth season under the direction of Barbara Wygal Lutz. 

Although membership in the group varies from year to year, an average of 50 to 65 singers from all corners of the Greenbrier Valley and beyond volunteer their time and talents to prepare for the choir’s annual Christmas and Spring concerts.  Some members have no formal musical training, while others have extensive musical knowledge and experience.  They range from high school students to senior citizens, and they all have two things in common:  they love to sing, and they love learning how to improve their singing technique from Lutz.

The Chorale evolved from an earlier group that gave an annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah” during the Christmas season. 

“I sang in the ‘Messiah’ when Phil Fife directed the group, and one year he decided not to direct it and they asked me to do it,” Lutz recalls.  When some of the singers later expressed an interest in performing other major chorale works, they invited Lutz back to direct them, and she’s been at it ever since.

Marta Lemley, who is currently the president of the group’s board of directors, was one of that original group, many of whom are still Tuesday night regulars. 

“I have had the great honor of working with Barbara over many years beginning in the mid 1980s through our collaborations in the pit orchestra for musicals at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, through the St. James' Episcopal Church choir and through the Greenbrier Valley Chorale.  Her knowledge of choral music and choral interpretation, her immense patience when working with a volunteer choir and her great sense of humor have made Tuesday evening rehearsals at Carnegie Hall the highlight of my week for over two decades,” Lemley notes.

The choir went through several name changes before settling on the Greenbrier Valley Chorale in the early 1990s.  A few years later, under the leadership of president emeritus Hal Peterson, it incorporated as a nonprofit organization, a move which opened the door to grants and other fundraising opportunities.

All singers are volunteers who pay modest dues to help pay for their music.  It is a tribute to Lutz’s talents as a director and her ability to convince amateur singers that they can perform incredibly difficult music that members drive from as far away as Raleigh and Monroe Counties to weekly rehearsals.

David Fleming, who joined the Chorale last fall, wins the distance award this year, driving from Green Bank in northern Pocahontas County to take his place in the tenor section each week.

"I saw an ad in ‘The Pocahontas Times’ last fall for auditions for their upcoming Christmas Concert.  It sounded like fun.  The audition with Barbara was a joy.  She is wonderful at putting one's nerves at ease, and makes singing so fun and such a learning experience.  Barbara's love of what she does is contagious, and is the reason so many singers - veterans and rookies alike - make even the longest drives weekly to be part of the wonderful experience that is the Greenbrier Valley Chorale,” Fleming says.   

Long-time chorale member Susan Adkins is the executive director of Carnegie Hall, where the chorale both rehearses and performs. As a former public school music educator and currently director of the Carnegie Children’s Choir, she has a unique appreciation for the benefits the chorale brings to the community. 

"Barbara is an excellent music educator. Under her leadership the Chorale has become recognized for quality artistic performances of vocal literature ranging from the classics to modern day pop and swing tunes.  Singing is a life-long skill and the chorale allows those who developed a love of vocal music during their high school or college education to continue singing and sharing their passion with others."

She adds, "The Greenbrier Valley Chorale has welcomed the Carnegie Children's Choir to be a part of their annual concerts.  This wonderful partnership gives adults and children the opportunity for an amazing cross-generational experience that is beneficial for old and young alike." 

Carnegie Hall has been home to the chorale from the start.  “We are fortunate that our auditorium is so perfectly suited to their needs,” Adkins says.  “Their presence adds tremendously to the cultural mix that gives the Greenbrier Valley its reputation as an outstanding arts community,”

Another long-time association that has greatly benefitted the chorale is the presence of Teresa Bryant at the piano as accompanist for rehearsals and performances. 

“Having a professional accompanist frees me up to direct,” remarks Lutz, who does not have the luxury of a rehearsal accompanist when she works with her school choirs.  Bryant, like Lutz, is a gifted musician blessed with an offbeat sense of humor that has added many a light note—literally—to some long and tiring rehearsals.

As Lutz reflects on her 20 season with the chorale, she recalls highlights such as the performance with legendary chorale arranger Alice Parker at the podium and the invitation from the Clay Center to be part of a mass choir that performed a commissioned work at its grand opening.

It is sometimes hard to imagine how Lutz maintains her schedule of teaching, conducting several high school choirs in addition to the chorale, serving as musical director for shows performed by high school students at Greenbrier Valley Theatre and a host other projects  and professional development activities. 

“I actually think the chorale has been the most stable part of my career over the past 20 years,” she comments. “I love what the chorale offers me.  It nurtures a different part of me.  The other great thing about the chorale is that there is a committed board of directors who are responsible for a lot of things other than the music.  There are strong workers and leaders to take care of every aspect of the organization.”

Mary Thompson, another of the group’s founding members, sums up the secret to the chorale’s success and longevity this way:  “The best thing about Barbara is her ability to take a ‘lump of clay’ and turn it into a lovely piece of art.  She is incredibly skilled at working with singers to overcome their Achilles heels.  Everyone’s voice is as unique as any handmade instrument you can think of, and her ability to assess your needs and give constructive feedback is awesome,” she says. “She is the spirit of chorale music and no doubt has touched thousands of lives with her talents and patience.  She doesn’t live for a flawless performance but more for the joy of teaching and to experience the development and personal growth of her student – whether they are 16 or 70!”

You can hear the results yourself when the Greenbrier Valley Chorale performs its annual Spring Concert next Sunday, May 9, at 3 p.m. at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg.  Guest performers will be the Carnegie Children’s Choir and the Greenbrier East High School Chamber Choir. 

Tickets are $10 and $15 and can be purchased from the Carnegie Hall box office, (304) 645-7917.  Children in grades K-12 will be admitted free, but will need a ticket.  If you do not purchase tickets in advance, please allow extra time for parking and purchasing tickets on the day of the concert. 

      For more information about the Chorale, visit the website www.gvchorale.com, or contact Barbara Lutz at 304-645-6892.