As Vibrant As Ever: Reflections on Choral Music Today October 4, 2024

Some reflections from outgoing Executive Director Christopher Eanes; Dr. Eanes will leave the Cathedral Choral Society on October 25 to begin a new role as President & CEO of Chorus America. For more information, click here.

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Choral singing is one of the most ancient and universal art forms. The simple act of singing together has played a role in communities throughout the world, all the way back to the beginning of recorded history. 

Perhaps because the art is so universal, we rarely stop to ask ourselves “why?” Why do we make art in this way, and what is the role of an organization like the Cathedral Choral Society in today’s complex world? 

When we come together to sing together, it is an act of community building: we need to trust our neighbor to breathe at the same time as us and to sing the correct pitch and vowel, as we each do our part in service to the musical score. By doing this, we foster personal connections and build empathy for those around us.  

Attending a live concert is itself an act of community; surrounding yourself with others, whether you know them or not, and engaging with the music is a shared experience that cannot be replicated on any other day or in any other place; it is unique to that moment.  

This is crucial in a time when we are living more solitary lives. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared loneliness and isolation a national epidemic; to address the issue, he recommends that we “Cultivate values of kindness, respect, service, and commitment to one another.” The best choruses embody these values, and I have a hunch it is one of the reasons that CCS singers stay in the chorus for so long. (It is not unusual for a CCS singer to have multiple decades of membership under their belt.) 

Every so often, a writer will publish an article lamenting what they feel is the decline of interest in and support for classical music in the United States. I wish, just once, that these writers would include choruses in their accounting. In the U.S., fifty-four million people sing in choruses. It is by far the most participatory art form in the country, and it is as vibrant and healthy as ever. At CCS, we have seen record numbers of folks turning out to audition, and our audience numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels (and then some). 

Why is this? In this digital age, I think there is something compelling about the fact that choral singing is an entirely analog art form. There’s just nothing like being in the room when a chord locks, perfectly in tune, and the individual notes add up to something far greater, much the way that people are stronger together than we are individually. There comes a resonance within us, connecting us with our ancestors and our neighbors and awakening in us the very essence of what it means to be human.