Final Post...for now

Dear NBSO Chorus members,

I want to thank you for a fantastic concert yesterday and, above all, for a really good experience from first rehearsal to finish. Many of you came to see me yesterday to thank me for helping to pull the concert together, and now it's time for me to thank you for all of your hard work.

It's also time for me to thank all of the chorus directors who collaborated with me and the NBSO to make this such a special event. This could not have been done without your support, and I am particularly grateful for your collaborative spirit.

I want to specifically thank Gisele Pappas and Thom Sargent, without whom we would not have had the robust participation of the Spirit of St. Anthony's members. 

And I also want to specifically thank our accompanist, Terry Wolkowicz. In addition to coming in at the last minute, she revealed herself as an exceptional accompanist--much more than I ever could have hoped for.

Personally, while I always appreciate giving younger singers their first Messiah, I was particularly moved to learn that, for so many of the older singers, this was their first Messiah as well. For you new-to-Messiah people: let this be the first of many more Messiahs to come!

I also want to thank the NBSO for making this entire opportunity possible. We are so lucky to have this orchestra, its director, and its great leadership in our community. If you agree, then I encourage you to pay back your gratitude by attending at least one of their concerts this season. An organization like the NBSO can not exist without patrons and donors. This means you! 

Finally, I've long observed that members of volunteer choruses rarely attend the concerts of other choruses. Now that you all know each other a bit better, I encourage you to be supportive of each other. One easy go-to place for concert information is the NBSO's Classical South Coast site. Click here.

I'm sure there's much more to be said, but let me just leave this with a final thank you to you all.

With best wishes for Christmas and the holiday season,

-Paul