The Capital (Annapolis, MD), March 27, 2009, page A6
By: Diane M. Rey
The young members of All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis expected to learn more about singing when they joined the group – but who knew they’d also be getting lessons in world geography and social studies?
That’s what will happen when they host 22 visiting choristers from Croatia next month. It will be an opportunity for ACCA members to work on their international diplomacy skills before many of them pack their bags and head to Paris in June for their own chorus trip abroad.
As ACCA director Liz Barrett says: “We’re broadening our horizons.”
Since their first rehearsal – on the fateful date of Sept. 11, 2001 – Liz has wanted the chorus to spread international goodwill through song. “That was my mission from day one,” she said. Today, the ACCA is a diverse group of 67 young voices. Children ages 6 to 17 sing in three choral levels.
Their world view is reflected in the songs they practice at weekly rehearsals at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Rowe Boulevard. Last week, they rolled their “R’s” to warm up for a song in Spanish. They also worked on a Brazilian folk song in preparation for their performance last Saturday at the Young Voices of Maryland Choral Festival in Baltimore. They’ve sung songs in Latin, Hebrew, German, Norwegian, French and Italian, to name a few.
While they’re used to singing in foreign languages, learning to converse in Croatian will be a whole new experience for chorus members and their families.
Liz was introduced to the Croatian chorus Amorette last summer while singing in the Balkans with an adult choir. Professor Maja Maruic directs the choristers from Dubrovnik, who are all female and range in age from 12 to 22. While in Annapolis, the girls and their chaperones will stay with ACCA families as well as some West Annapolis neighbors of Liz and her husband, Bryan. It’s their first trip to the United States.
“Our girls are practicing very hard for the concerts in USA and as we say here, they are already with one foot on the plane,” chorus administrator Ana First wrote in an e-mail. The chorus has invited the ACCA to visit them in their country as well.
Christiana Logansmith, her husband, Stephen, and their son, Jack, 12, are readying their home in the Saefern community to host two of the visiting teenage girls. Jack is in his sixth year with ACCA.
The Logansmiths hope to give their guests a “real life” view of America. “Their only experience is what they’ve seen in the media,” Christiana said. “We’re sure they’re coming over here with heads full of ideas about what we’ll be like.”
As for Jack, a precocious sixth-grader at Montessori International Children’s House, he’s feeling pretty comfortable with his new role in international diplomacy. Asked if he knew where Croatia is located, he quickly replied, “It’s on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea in Europe.”
While they’re here, the members of Amorette will divide their time between sight-seeing and performances. The two choruses will present a joint concert at 7:30 p.m., April 15 at Trinity United Methodist Church, at 1300 West St. The concert, titled “A Better World,” is free and open to the public. The choruses will present songs they sent each other to learn.
ACCA will hold tryouts for new members in April. For more information, visit www.allcca.com or call the director at 410-263-9191.
While they’re here, the members of Amorette will divide their time between sight-seeing and performances. The two choruses will present a joint concert at 7:30 p.m. April 15 at Trinity United Methodist Church, at 1300 West St. The concert, titled “A Better World,” is free and open to the public. The choruses will present songs they sent each other to learn.
ACCA will hold tryouts for new members in April. For more information, visit www.allcca.com or call the director at 410-263-9191.
Interested in opening up your home up to a young visitor from a foreign land? Joann Smith, community coordinator for the Intercultural Friends Foundation, is looking to place Spanish students in local homes this summer.
The students, ages 14 to 17, will be in the Annapolis area from June 25 to July 22 to work on their English skills and learn first-hand about America, its culture and people. Joann said the students are generally highly motivated, proficient in English, insured, and have their own spending money. The basic responsibility of the host family is to provide a bed, food, transportation help, “and lots of TLC by making the student feel like part of the family,” she said.
For details, contact Joann at jodyblair@aol.com. For more information about the IFF, visit www.iffusa.org.
Speaking of local news with an international bent – here’s a story that’s not only out of the country, it’s out of this world.
Last Saturday , NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston used a song by the local band Pilgrim & Trout as the wake-up call for the crew on board space shuttle Discovery.
“In a Little While,” written by band member and Annapolis resident David Majerowicz, roused the crew of seven as they floated somewhere high above northeastern China. On a recording of the transmission, astronaut Richard “Ricky” Arnold, who requested the song, can be heard saying, “We’re ready for another great day here in orbit!”
Band member Greg Whipp said the astronaut, who grew up in Bowie, is a longtime fan who became a friend over the years. (He’s noted as playing the guitar on his official NASA bio.) The two have been talking online in recent days. “It’s pretty cool getting an e-mail from outer space,” Greg said.
The band played at a send-off party for the former science teacher when he joined the space agency, and he promised to return the favor by taking the group’s music to a “higher” level. He’s on his first trip in space as a mission control specialist on Discovery, which blasted off March 15 to perform work on the international space station. The astronauts of the STS 119 mission are scheduled to return to earth tomorrow
To hear the wake-up song and see the Discovery crew in action, click on the YouTube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT5smLrmRNk.
Those who are earthbound can catch Pilgrim & Trout at Sam’s on the Waterfront, Ram’s Head venues, and the Woodfire in Severna Park. Check their schedule at www.pilgrimandtrout.com.
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