The Second Act: Voices in the valley

“I love barbershop,” she said. I thought that was a good start. “I love to hear the exquisite harmonies as they make the music solely by blending the sounds of their voices.” Yes, we were going to get along fine. “That heavenly sound, I can just sit back and listen to those chords ring — ” Yes, Allyson, tell it like it is! “— for about a half hour.”

Oops.

“I also like Gregorian Chant.”

Ohh.

I, a seven-year veteran of barbershop singing, was talking with Allyson Kuechmann, director of the Kalispell mixed-voice choir, Valley Voices. I had brought up barbershop as a possible common ground for two music lovers. As background, a true barbershopper can listen to barbershop for hours. And Gregorian Chant might be considered an early (9th-century) form of barbershop harmony, but without the harmony (harmony hadn’t been invented yet). It’s not part of our modern repertoire.

“We started out in the year 2000 when the local chapter of the women’s barbershop chorus, the Sweet Adelines, disbanded,” she said. “They said they wanted to reform their chorus to include both men and women and asked me if I would consider directing it. My experience at that time had been with directing children’s choirs composed of people no more than three-feet tall. I said if they didn’t mind my treating them like children, I’d be happy to give it a try.”

“But I wouldn’t limit the material to barbershop,” she continued, “because I like instruments, percussion and rhythm too.” There were 22 members of the Valley Voices that first year and they didn’t have a formal concert. Last year they sang at Carnegie Hall and the number of members this year will approach 90.

The group that Allyson picked up 17 years ago is now a full-blown 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a board of directors and a music committee that selects the music. But it remains a community choir that welcomes everyone who loves to sing.

“There are no auditions,” Allyson said. “Some of our recruits hadn’t sung since high school. In fact, some had never sung before. Some can’t read music and some have trouble matching pitch. Yet we make it all work with a lot of fun and humor.”

For those who don’t read music, Allyson makes learning CDs. These have full accompaniment and a single vocal track for the singers to learn. “I used to do all the vocal tracks, but now one of the men helps me with the bass and tenor CDs. Some members had difficulty with my rendition of the bass part,” she chuckles in a soprano register.

“Humor is important,” she added.

I’m beginning to notice. People join a choir not just because they love to sing, but because they love the whole experience. And a director with the gift of charisma and a sense of fun can do much to facilitate that experience. That a choir grows from 22 to 90 is a tribute to the director.

“I do what it takes to make the songs fun and to get the performance right,” she said. “Sometimes that may make me look silly, but that’s OK.”

It is rare for a manager to be willing to look silly in furtherance of a mission. Someone willing to do that is less a manager and more a leader. Businesses need managers, but choirs need leaders.

“We do a wide variety of music,” she says, “including sacred, secular, contemporary and rhythmic. Some of the songs have up to eight parts. And some are silly.” Silly? “We did a song called ‘One for the Altos’ that made fun of the often sparse alto part: ‘We sing very few notes, sometimes only two notes.’ And Evensong, a subgroup of our choir, did one called ‘Beethoven’s Wig.’ We put Beethoven wigs on some of the bald men in the group.”

Does it cost to participate? “We charge $45 each semester for the first family member and $35 for additional family members. That pays for the music. But some scholarships may be available.”

And how does one join? “Come to a practice or two and see if you like it. We’re just starting the fall semester, so this is a good time to start. We welcome everybody, but we’d love to have more men.”

Well, I’m intrigued enough to visit. Maybe I’ll see you there.

The Valley Voices rehearse Monday nights at Flathead High School. For more information, contact Allyson Kuechmann at AKuechmann@yahoo.com or visit the website at www.ValleyVoicesChoir.com.