"Everyone Sang" - Behind the Scenes

You've heard the story of how Becky Graber came to create "Everyone Sang," but making the video happen was no small or easy task! Here are some photos of the process from rehearsal to performance.

Rehearsals for the spring session of Brattleboro Women's Chorus began at the end of March 2022. With almost 90 women singing in three different rehearsals each week, organizing the learning of a beautifully complex piece was not easy. 

It was after rehearsals began that Becky found out she received a grant from the Vermont Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts to help fund the making of a professional video of "Everyone Sang."

A recording session was scheduled for Mother's Day, May 8, 2022 at the Brattleboro Music Center. Throughout the afternoon the string quartet rehearsed with Becky and with a small group of BWC singers who learned the piece in advance of our June concert. Becky had to rehearse the timing of the piece precisely, as the score had to match the chorus and vice versa. 

You will see pieces of this recording event in the video. It was a powerful experience for the chorus members who sang - how often do we get to sing with a string quartet in such an incredible space? It was a very special day to hear Becky's piece come together.

The string quartet included: Kathy Andrew on Violin I, Michelle Liechti on Violin II, Gregory Diehl on Viola and Sabine Rhyne on cello.

The full chorus would be singing along to the audio recording of this performance during our live outdoor concert a month later at the Retreat Farm. The two performances the first weekend in June could not have been more beautiful: warm, sunny and clear skies! You will see for yourself in the video just how glorious it was (and sounded). 

Members of the Brattleboro Women's Chorus have been singing Becky's compositions for the past 26 years, but this one was incredibly special and unique.

We had not performed to a live audience in-person since November 2019! After 2-1/2 years of singing on Zoom, it was an incredible honor to stand next to each other and hear our own voices combine with each other's. To be able to bring the spirit of "Everyone Sang" after such a long Covid hiatus was an experience nobody took for granted.

Thank you for being a part of our audience - please share this amazing video far and wide!

To get information on Becky Graber's songbook, "All I Need Is Here," featuring "Everyone Sang," please visit her website!