Still singing...
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I first sang in front of other people when I was three years old. It’s one of my first memories. I was in dance class (tap and acrobatic ballet), but we also sang, and we had to get used to singing in front of people. I don’t know why Miss Zoey taught us that, as I don’t recall any of us singing at our recitals. I was singing Twenty-Four Blackbirds into a mic.
At age six, I sang in school, in Sunday School, and when our Sunday School put on a program for the adults.
One Sunday, I went to church services with my parents. A woman was singing a “special,” and I asked Mom how she got to do that (you may have heard this story before). Mom said I should ask her, so after church, I went up to the woman, asked her how she got to do that. She asked if I wanted to sing a solo? Yes, very much, thank you. She must have arranged it, because from then on, I periodically sang solos in church.
In high school, I was the high school soloist. I also sang in choir and in a girl group. Concerts, contests, Baccalaureates, etc.
I stopped singing in my forties, but picked it back up shortly before Covid when I joined a community choir. When Covid hit, that choir was no more, so I joined the San Diego Women’s Choir, as well as the Portland Lesbian Choir (distance meant nothing during Covid).
Now I’m in Portland singing with the Portland Sage Singers. We started up last January, had our first concert in June, and we just had our second concert last week.
I was thrilled to be a part of the concert. I sang with the choir, and I told a story as well.
We’re having a bit of a break for the holidays, and back at it in January, with our next concert already scheduled for two nights in June.
I’m 81 years old, soon to be 82. Yet, I am not the oldest member. She is 89. Our leader will be 75 in January. Our median age is 69.2. Our audiences love us, because they come expecting easy stuff, and are thrilled to see what we can do.
If you’re interested in seeing us, we live-streamed last week’s concert. It will be available through the end of December. It’s about an hour and a half, and lots of fun for the holidays. One $30 ticket is all it takes to view it, with as many or as few people you want. You can also view it as many times you want until the end of December, when it will go away.
Here’s the link: Portland Sage Singers Livestream