Noted conductor Nick Page will lead Children’s Chorus of Springfield, Young Singers of Greater Westfield, and members of the Western New England University music department.
Internationally known composer and conductor Nick Page is set to return to Springfield on Feb. 15, for a day celebrating the theme that we "are all neighbors on this Earth." Page will be featured in “Bridging Communities Through Song,” a singing celebration at Western New England University, hosted in collaboration with the Children’s Chorus of Springfield, Young Singers of Greater Westfield, and the Western New England University music department.
Page founded the Chicago Children’s Choir, and was its first director. He is currently director of the Mystic Chorale of Boston, and leads workshops all over the U.S. and Europe.
Page said the theme of “bridges” will be evident throughout the day.
“We will celebrate songs that built bridges, like the beautiful Quaker song, ‘Building bridges between our divisions, I reach out to you, will you reach out to me? With all of our voices and all of our visions, friends we could make such sweet harmony,’” Page said.
“We will also have fun taking songs from different traditions and combining them together to celebrate the universal messages in the music we make.”
Area choir directors, teachers and interested adults are invited to attend a free workshop in the morning at 9 in Rivers Auditorium on campus. Then, at 3 p.m.in Rivers, Page will lead the three choral groups in a song. Audience participation will be encouraged.
Vera Baker, Children’s Chorus of Springfield managing director, said this type of programming is part of her organization’s purpose.
“We’ve always had, as part of our mission, providing opportunities for adults in the community to learn about music in people’s lives,” Baker said. “We offer professional development for area choir directors and teachers. We’ve had Nick Page once before and he was just incredible.”
The Children’s Chorus of Springfield (http://www.childrenschorusofspringfield.org/) has about 70 members, and the Young Singers of Greater Westfield (www.ysgw.org/) includes about 40 members. Members range from age 7 through high school age.
Baker said Page will spend about an hour singing and talking with adults and college students in the morning. They will watch while Page listens to the three choirs sing, and then works with choir members to teach them a song for the afternoon performance.
Baker said Page knows a lot about African folk music, so she expects to see some of those influences in what he teaches.
Page said he hopes everyone walks away from the experience with a good feeling.
“Our goal is to build community, to show children and audience members that we are all neighbors on this Earth, and that when we join voices, it is powerful and it is good,” Page said. “The Yiddish song, ‘Ale Brider,’ shouts out, ‘We are all brothers. We are all sisters. It is good that we gather to sing and to dance.’ Our goal is to envelop the audience in this joy.”
Baker said the choral groups will sing one of Page’s songs called “A Mighty Stream,” which is about justice, equality and opportunity for everyone, rolling like a stream.
Since the young Springfield and Westfield singers are collaborating in the workshop, Baker said they’ll also sing, “Ferry Me Across the River,” which is about going from one place in one’s life to another.
Baker said she hopes all participants enjoy the day.
“Singing is the most unique, thoughtful way one can express oneself,” she said. “Lots of times, you don’t need any special training to start out with. It’s a way for people to communicate, without getting broiled up in syntax and all the other customs we have in our languages.”
Page said he enjoys how sound comes to life.
“I love how light can shine from young voices and seemingly bring brilliance to the world,” he said. “Whenever we take an old song and reshape it and make it our own, we are creating something new and alive. It is quite exciting.”
The public is invited to both the free workshop and choral celebration.
For more information on the Feb. 15 events, contact Baker at (413) 733-3033.