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At their holiday performance Dec. 10, members of the Henrico Pops Chorus celebrated the end of 2019 with the usual merrymaking and Christmas fanfare.
They also marked a beginning: the kick-off of the chorus' 25th anniversary year. The chorus' spring season that follows on the heels of each new year was to culminate in two special June concerts, featuring snippets of favorite tunes performed in shows from 1996 through the present.
What followed on the new year's heels, however, was not the spring concert season, but the deadly coronavirus.
And a string of cancellations.
And no end in sight.
But the virus hasn't stilled their voices, say chorus members. They are singing and humming their way through the quarantine – whether or not anyone is within earshot.
"I always sing along with the radio, or when I'm working in the yard and listening to my iPod," says Ruth Wilson, one of the group's original members. "I probably scare my neighbors half to death."
And while Zoom practices have had limited success due to the lag time, members are diligently keeping in touch with their chorus friends. If they can't celebrate their silver anniversary year by singing in a gala performance, they have found, they can at least reminisce, celebrate numerous fond memories – and sing the praises of the group that brought them together.
More than music
Despite the fact that members of the chorus range in age from their twenties to 70-plus, says member Hilda Braswell, they have bonded as a family.
Braswell, an 18-year member, got into the group when a friend in her church choir recommended it. She liked making new friends who shared her lifelong interest in song, and delighted in the appreciative audiences at performances. She also enjoyed the challenge of learning "current Broadway or pop pieces that I otherwise wouldn’t get to sing or be familiar with," Braswell says. "I liked that exposure to new music – being able to not only hear it, but also perform it."
But it was when her husband died of cancer that Braswell really began to understand what the group meant to her.
"One of my dearest memories is how many of the chorus members came to my side," she says. Even though it was summertime and their season was over, many fellow members showed up not only to offer moral support, but also to rehearse and perform the Faure Requiem at her husband's funeral.
"I knew from that point on I had friends who cared and were there for me," Braswell recalls. "That’s the way this chorus is – you begin with rehearsing some great music, and in the process end up with lifelong friends."
Tracie Grady, who had sung in church choirs on and off through the years, also found the chorus to be a lifeline during a difficult transition in life.
"I was going through a divorce and needed to find myself again," Grady says. While looking for ways to branch out into activities she had not done with her ex, she discovered the chorus in an online Henrico County post.
"I showed up to the first meeting not sure of what to expect," Grady recalls, "and was greeted and welcomed with open arms and encouragement." When she learned the group was practicing Disney music – a favorite – she was sold.
"Joining the choir," Grady says, "gave me a special part of 'me' back in a troubled time in my life."
BeginningsFounder and director Bobbie Moore had the idea to form the chorus in 1995 as a way to allow people who tried out for theatrical productions and musicals, but were not chosen for the cast, to venue/showcase their talents. A piano and music teacher at Music & Arts, she approached Henrico County Recreation and Parks for sponsorship, and assembled a small group at Belmont Recreation Center.
At that first rehearsal, 12 people showed up. Among them was Ruth Wilson, who says she was drawn partly by the appeal of singing Broadway tunes.
"It sounded like fun to join a group that was just beginning," Wilson recalls, adding drolly that "not having to try out" was a bonus as well.
Membership eventually grew to a peak of more than 90 in 2006; today, the number hovers closer to 60. Rehearsals, which are currently suspended for the pandemic, are held Tuesday evenings at Lakeside United Methodist Church.
Members like Kathy Ritchie, who drives to rehearsals from Chester, says she wouldn't make such a trip without the motivation Moore provides.
"It's the director who draws people in," Ritchie says. "You have to have a good director to make you want to work and get the best out of you. . . It's amazing what Bobbie gets out of everyday people like us who want to sing."
Long-time member Debra Willis agrees that Moore has been key to the success of the group. "Bobbie expands your talents beyond limits," Willis says. "You learn so much more than just singing a song."
When John King joined the chorus in 1997, his vocal experience was limited to church choir and singing back-up in a rock band in high school. "Singing comes easy for some people," King says, "but I have to work probably more than some to feel comfortable with my part . . . [especially] if doing a solo or a duet."
One of King's favorite places to sing is at retirement homes, because the residents get so much enjoyment out of the music. "It makes all of the time we have spent practicing worthwhile," he says. King also has the all-important job of managing and setting up equipment, and makes master rehearsal CDs in addition to helping Moore create slides for concerts.
HighlightsAsked to recall some highlights of their time with the chorus, members cite such moments as performing in 17th-century St. John's Church and singing the national anthem at the state capitol.
"Caroling in period attire at Maymont and ending with candlelight songs on the porch, and singing at the Jefferson for tree lighting," adds Debra Willis, going on to list several other cherished memories. "Celebrate Illuminate with Steve Bassett in the bitter cold, Ashland Berry Farm with trains rolling by, the Hanover Tomato Festival at 100 degrees outside, and Festival of Lights at Lewis Ginter -- to name a few." The range of musical themes and genres, Willis says, has run the gamut from jazz, Tin Pan, and Beatles to patriotic, '70s, and "singing legends."
But while performances invariably play a part in their fondest memories, members agree that the relationships they've formed are even more meaningful and memorable.
For Grady, who has had to miss occasional concert seasons due to work obligations, rehearsals are as essential to the spirit as performing. She attends practices even when on hiatus from concerts, she says, because "singing makes me happy. And the group of people there are wonderful to spend time with."
"It's been a blessing -- a family," Braswell says of the friendships she has made through the chorus. In 2017, she traveled to Ireland with a group of them to visit Gladys, a former member who lives there. They called themselves The Dublin Eight.
"We had a wonderful time," Braswell says. "No squabbles; everything went off without a hitch. Gladys joined the tour and we got to see most of the country, south and north, in a little over a week. It was an amazing adventure."
"It has grown to be like a second family to me," echoes Ruth Wilson, who – as members invariably do – points to Bobbie Moore's central role in that family. "She's the glue that has held us together all these years," Wilson says.
"Bobbie Moore," Braswell maintains, "is the cornerstone of the group in every respect."
Moore is not simply skilled at directing the chorus and at melding dozens of disparate voices to produce beautiful music. She also has a knack, Willis says, for making all parts of a concert come together into a cohesive whole.
"Bobbie chooses the music and theme. She adds skits, dancers, props, children, Santas, or whatever," Willis explains. "She is immensely talented. It is her vision and brainchild."
When Moore was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, Willis adds, she became a "beacon and inspiration" for the group as well. "She overcame cancer, losing her hair, and chemo – and she's missed only one time in 25 years."
"She was strong through it all. She's amazing! " Grady agrees, noting that at one rehearsal during Moore's chemotherapy, the entire group showed up wearing their best hats in a show of solidarity. The Nov. 2012 Facebook post accompanying the photo reads, "What a great-looking bunch . . . of hats! Happy chemo, Bobbie! We are all here to support you."
"It has been an honor to be a part of this group," Willis sums up. "We have experienced death, disease, tragedy, births, and everything you could imagine in a family of 25 years.
"It’s been the best of times, with lifetime friendships formed that will never stop."
