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. |
