From Flying Reindeer to Wiggling Snickelways—What a Ride!

By Patty McKeehan

​Whoa! As the last notes from our 2015 holiday concert stop ring-ting-tingling in my ears I’m amazed at how fast those 12 weeks of rehearsal flew by. Kind of like the reindeer….on Dancer, on Prancer, on Donner….oh there it goes again. Sorry to digress. After every concert a few of the pieces continue to play in my head long after the season is over.

Just as every journey begins with a single step, the Magnolia Chorale Winter season began with a single note back in September—the first of thousands over the 12 weeks of rehearsals. The repertoire always looks daunting at the beginning. Fortunately, both our director Jean-Marie Kent and assistant director Evan Norberg have the patience and humor to help us cut the music into smaller bites so that we all arrive at the finish with a remarkable sound.

This year we had the added treat of two elementary aged choirs to add a little extra spice to the mix. On Saturday the Lawton Elementary School Choir performed holiday classics and the Nutcracker Jingles—a whimsical combination of Jingle Bells and the Nutcracker. I hadn’t heard that one before, but it’s a new favorite.

​On Sunday afternoon Vivissimi, the third and fourth grade level of the Seattle Girls’ Choir, led the Chorale in an enthusiastic rendition of “Children Go Where I Send thee”. After we left the stage Vivissimi performed half a dozen other pieces including a French folk song and a South African piece about longing for home.
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It was great fun (and a little intimidating) to be upstaged by such talented groups of young singers during both performances. It won’t be long before they’re old enough to join us. For now, I’m still trying find my way through the Snickelways and their dawdling, dithering, wiggling, and winding ways... Happy Holidays!

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