Latin School of Chicago

arts Student/Faculty Chorale: A Tradition of Music & Community S earching through old programs and musical scores one day, upper school choral director Jim Lunsford came across a piece of Latin history: a program from the first Student/Faculty Chorale concert. The program dated back to 1984, making this spring's performance the 26th of its kind. The discovery was especially exciting for Lunsford, who says Student/Faculty Chorale is one of the reasons he was drawn to Latin. "I thought it was the coolest assignment because it brings everyone together, in an experience that is rewarding for students and adults alike," he says. "The choir gets a boost not just from the extra voices but also from the musical expertise that many of the teachers and staff bring with them," Lunsford explains. Student Jack Simborg '12 agrees. He sees a major improvement to his knowledge of the pieces after attending a weekly faculty rehearsal and finds the benefits carry over. "Kids who come to student/faculty rehearsals tend to know what they're doing in music class a lot better than kids who don't." And what do the adults get out of it? For many, it's an opportunity to exercise their love of singing. Others enjoy getting to know students in a different way. When everyone is working together, facing the same direction, the dynamic changes. "I enjoy being on equal ground with the students. In this setting, they are more like colleagues," notes upper school languages teacher Mark Friedman. Friedman, along with middle school languages faculty Fran Lyne, has been singing since former choral director Phil Carey formed the original Student/Faculty Chorale. They remember Carey as charismatic and demanding. "He had a sense of humor, but you didn't fool around with him," says Lyne. It was Carey who chose the pieces for the early concerts – mostly classical – and Carey who recruited the first batch of faculty to participate in his fledgling choir. "It was a sort of cult of personality," remembers Friedman. "Phil Carey was the kind of person who "I enjoy being on equal ground with the students. In this setting, they are more like colleagues." could wrangle faculty into getting excited about a chorus." While initially the group included students and teachers only, in recent years a number of administrators and other staff members have joined. Student/Faculty Chorale has taken a different shape under each conductor over the years. Lunsford, for his part, tries to include a wide variety of musical styles. While this year's concert featured both a traditional Italian Mass and a medley of songs from the musical Guys and Dolls – show tunes and classical music being mainstays of the chorale's repertoire – it also incorporated a gospel song written by local Chicago composer Keith Hampton. Last year Lunsford conducted a piece from Zimbabwe and even brought in the composer to work with the choir. This variety, he believes, serves to connect the students with a wider musical community. Though the songs change, the purpose of Student/ Faculty Chorale stays the same: to strengthen the Latin community. "In a time of life characterized by change," says Lunsford, "it's important to have traditions. Traditions bring the entire school together." • – Tiana Pyer-Pereira '03 Latin School of Chicago 9

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