HIGHLIGHTS
TOURS
CHRONOLOGICALLY

I shook my hands quickly (a pre-performance ritual), getting ready to sprint onto the brightly lit stage with the rest of my family - the Chicago Children’s Choir. No matter who we perform for, be it Chinese President Hu Jintao, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, City of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Oprah, patrons of the Lyric Opera or a small community group, we leave everything on stage, every time. On numerous nights, I have returned home coated in sweat, ecstatic and unable to fall asleep, restless with leftover adrenaline, knowing that we had made a positive impact that day.

Seven years ago, when I first joined the Choir, I had little doubt that it would be just another after school activity, a way to pass the time. Instead, I found that my favorite days of the week quickly changed to Mondays and Thursdays, a love incomprehensible to my friends at school. Under Mollie Stone’s direction at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Choir, I learned solfedge, theory, sight reading, the value of community and information about the numerous cultures whose music we were lucky enough to perform.

Throughout my time in the Choir, I have found myself surrounded by brilliant people with a similar passion for music, but who come to the Choir with vastly different backgrounds and worldviews. Being immersed in such a diverse community has not only taught me to respect and learn from views in conflict with my own, it has taught me the value of learning from one’s peers.

When I matriculated into the Concert Choir, the older singers constantly provided me with guidance, helpful suggestions and unfailing support as I began to acclimate into the fast-paced, challenging ensemble. Growing up in such a strong community, I have learned many of the values and lessons that I hold dear today. The Choir is my family and, like any family, the experiences I have had, the people I have met and the things I have learned within it have shaped me into the person I am today.

While a great deal of fun, singing in the Chicago Children’s Choir has also taught me valuable skills. To truly perform a piece of choral music well, no individual can carry it alone - the entire group must be confident in the piece. As an organization that fosters teamwork and community, the Choir has taught me the importance of hard work, given me confidence, and taught me to always stand up for what is right.

Reverend Christopher Moore founded this organization 55 years ago, determined to create an organization where children of diverse backgrounds could come together, sing and learn from one another. My experience in the Hyde Park Neighborhood Choir, the Concert Choir and the Madrigals ensemble of the Chicago Children’s Choir has been exactly what Reverend Moore intended, and I am a stronger, smarter person for that. Thank you for the past seven years!

Waters Cahill
2011-2012 Singer Representative
Chicago Children's Choir

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