Terri Saar got a bottle of water and ended up finding her voice.
During the 2014 Pride Festival of Central PA, she stopped at a booth run by the Central Pennsylvania Womyn’s Chorus. Founded in 1993, the group long has had a presence at the festival, spreading the word about itself.
Staffers told Saar about the annual spaghetti dinner, a major fundraiser for the chorus every October, and parenthetically asked if she liked to sing.
A long-time nurse now studying for her nurse-practitioner degree, she replied, “I’d rather play sax, but I can sing well enough. I’d never do a solo, but I can carry a tune.”
Since that chance meeting, Saar, possessed of a low-range “alto 2” voice, has been with the chorus.
“It’s been very much fun,” she said. “I was looking for camaraderie and found it.”
Love to Sing
The Central Pennsylvania Womyn’s Chorus began after area resident Diane Gumboc approached the Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus, asking if she could join.
Then-artistic director Dan Kryack said “absolutely not,” recalled Cynthia Swanson, board president of the Womyn’s Chorus. But he did offer to help Gumboc organize a choral group for women.
“So, you could say it was really Dan who was the mover and shaker of our chorus,” she said.
The Womyn’s Chorus also discovered Jordan Markham, its interim artistic director, through his earlier tenure with the men’s group.
Markham is a classically trained lyric-baritone who studied at the prestigious Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, performed in opera, musical theater and other genres, and serves as organist and director of music ministries at the historic Grace United Methodist Church.
The Womyn’s Chorus is relatively small, comprised of about 25 singers. But it’s “always looking to build—in all categories of voices,” said Swanson.
There are also opportunities of other types. Swanson and her partner, Mary Nancarrow, both non-singers, have served on the board for 12 years and now co-chair the time-intensive fundraising committee.
“We hold two major fundraisers a year,” Swanson explained.
The first is in the spring, boasting the self-explanatory title of “Breakfast with the Chorus and Big Rummage Sale.” The second is the annual spaghetti dinner, to be held this year on Oct. 17.
Although the only feminist- and lesbian-identified choral group in the area, the chorus is open to all women. “All you have to do is love to sing,” Swanson emphasized.
Singing means a varied repertoire, including classical, folk, jazz, a cappella, show tunes, chants and rounds and popular songs of most decades of the 20th century, as well as music recently composed.
The concerts are themed. Recently, these included “Babes on Broadway,” which offered show hits, one devoted to 21st-century music, and another to the works of women composers.
“But we’re also activists,” Swanson said. “We’ve given concerts in support of women’s issues such as Breast Cancer Month, AIDS education and immigrant and refugee women.”
The spelling of the chorus’s name reflects that activism.
“It was created to be more distinctive than that of general women’s choruses,” said Swanson. “We focus on the issues that affect women as well as strive for music excellence.”
Friendships, Music
The chorus is generally an amateur group. But Cathy Nelson, a “soprano 2” and board member, has sung professionally with a band and with St. John’s Lutheran Church in Shiremanstown.
Looking for more singing opportunities, she answered a notice in the Harrisburg-based newsletter, “Lavender Letter,” which called for new members for the Womyn’s Chorus.
There was another female choral group in the area, Sweet Adelines International, but Nelson “wasn’t into” barbershop singing.
“I knew the Womyn’s Chorus was for me,” she said.
Nelson has made lasting friendships in the group, bur her main reason for joining was musical.
“It’s definitely the singing, being able to sing good music under a good director,” she said. “I’ve learned an incredible amount.”
She also likes the diverse repertory. Despite its name, the chorus isn’t strictly devoted to choral music. “We strive for excellence in everything we take on,” she said, “including Broadway tunes—which make us happy.”
Arleen Shulman had sung with other choral groups before joining the chorus, right after the group celebrated its 10th anniversary. While the other choruses were enjoyable, she was drawn by a chance to sing specifically with other women and by the appreciative audiences.
“We get cheers and standing ovations,” she said. “And I felt part of a community immediately.”
Quality, Technique
When Markham interviewed for the director’s position, he was asked how he would handle being a man leading a female group.
“He’s been fantastic,” Shulman said. “And we’re great learners. He can pull the women in.”
Markham uses a number of techniques to do that.
“First, I record a CD of all the music with me playing, just their voice part, and then another of all the music played together,” he explained. “That gives the singers a chance to have a rehearsal every day of the week, not just when I’m around.”
When Markham is around, he listens carefully to see what the singers need.
“Teaching vocal technique can be done with anyone, regardless of ability to read music,” he continued. “I spend about 10 minutes at the beginning of rehearsal teaching techniques through exercises. That way, when we get to the music, we can apply what we worked on. This is the same way I handle my private voice students.”
Markham is gratified by the calls and letters praising the quality and vocal technique of the chorus.
“It helps that the women learn as much as they can and are willing to work,” he said. “These women are the hardest workers I’ve ever seen.”
But, he added, the group exists for more than just to put on a concert.
“It’s also about having fun,” he said.
The Central Pennsylvania Womyn’s Chorus is on hiatus until its annual November concert, though its annual spaghetti fundraiser is slated for Oct 17. To learn more about the chorus, visit www.cpwchorus.org.
