A Very Big Deal for Tobin {SVCC Voce Choirs}

For two years, Tobin has been a proud member of the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir.  When he was in 1st grade, he was part of the Explorers I class; and this past year, his 2nd grade year, he was in the Explorers II class.  They are WONDERFUL classes, and he loved every bit of them (and wished for more class sessions each semester because they were so much fun).  :)  But they don't perform in those classes.  There are very good reasons for that (in a nutshell, children in those early stages are more successful learning music in a fun, no-pressure environment where they can learn the foundation of musical principles through games, simple songs, movement, and other activities, without the stress of performance).  But after watching his big brothers perform a number of times in their respective choirs, Tobin was more than eager to participate in a performance as well!  

And so, he was completely thrilled when he got to sing with his Viva Voce group during the last session of the SVCC spring choirs. It wasn't a concert, per se, but rather a "sharing session" so that families and friends could see what the choristers in these only-six-week-long, decidedly-laid-back Voce choirs had been learning.  But it was a performance, and Tobin got to be in it.  :)

At the last minute as we were heading out the door for it, I thought to grab my camera.  It came in handy.  :)

When looking at the choir from this perspective, Tobin is second from the left in the front row, and David is second from the right in the back row.

So far, I haven't had a chorister in the Bella Voce group; but in another four years or so, maybe Moriah will be up there with the girls in their pink shirts.  :)

Several kind friends held Benjamin for me so I could use my hands to take pictures.  :)

He is at a stage where he can be a little clingy at times, so I wasn't sure how he would do away from me.  He did just fine with Yvette.  :)

The Nova Voce group includes young men with changed voices and young women.  Because the pieces they sang were more complicated (and six weeks wasn't enough time to learn and memorize it all), they used sheet music--certainly not something that is normally seen at an SVCC concert, but necessary in this situation!

Benjamin did just fine with Kris, too.  :)

Josiah is third from the right in the front row.

Snuggly baby.  :)

The choirs combined for a few pieces at the end, and for only having practiced a half-dozen times, they sure sounded good!  :)

This isn't a great picture, but it shows our beloved accompanist, Miss Maurita.  She is about to get married and move across the country to California (which is exactly what I did a "few" years ago) ;-), and we are simultaneously thrilled for her and intensely saddened for ourselves!

This sharing session happened to land during the time Jeff's mom was here, so she got to see three of her grandsons perform in it.  :)

By all this emphasis on Tobin, I don't mean to imply that Josiah and David didn't enjoy this sharing session or that the Voce choirs weren't meaningful for them, because they DID enjoy it and the Voce choirs ARE a highlight of spring for them!  But this year, this performance did have an extra special significance for their next youngest brother.  :)

It was Tobin's first concert, but assuredly not his last.  He's been accepted into the Preparatory Choir for the fall and can hardly wait for the Christmas concert when he, too, will be able to wear the standard uniform for the choir and stand on the big stage singing with the rest, becoming the third Fisher son to be a part of the SVCC performing choirs.

My heart may very well burst!  :)