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Save the date! On Sunday, May 22nd at 3 pm, there will be happiness in the air at the Cotting School Auditorium, as MMMH shares an entire program of music about being happy! You can expect rousing renditions of "I Love to Laugh", "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and "When You're Smiling" as well as lesser-known musical gems such as "Powder Your Face with Sunshine" and "Smile, Darn Ya Smile." You won't want to miss the chance to sing, smile, and appreciate the genuine happiness of our exuberant singers!
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Chorus Concert Dress
We are excited to announce that our chorus members will be looking bright and unified at our next concert!
After several months of research and conversations with members, family members, and staff, we have purchased yellow lace scarves for the women and yellow dress ties for the men to wear with their dress black skirts /slacks. We believe this simple "uniform" will help chorus members feel an extra sense of importance and pride in what they are doing and who they are, both as individual singers and as a chorus.
While we have tried to be frugal with our purchases, it nonetheless amounts to a significant part of our budget. If you would like to donate to the Chorus Concert Dress Fund, we would be so grateful! As our thank you, you will be acknowledged in our spring concert program booklet.
Donate today through PayPal or contact Kathryn (kathryn@mmmh-singers.org) about mailing a check.
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Mary previewing the yellow scarf.
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Blythe with her parents visiting from Utah.
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A Glimpse into the Weekly World of
Music Makes Me Happy Chorus:
The Welcome
As chorus members and volunteers walk (or roll) onto the stage of the Cotting School Auditorium, they are greeted warmly. Marsha and Kathryn are welcoming and enthusiastic about each arrival, and the chorus members are genuinely happy to see each other. They often shake hands, hug, or high five as they say hello. As they find their seat in the circle of chairs, there is chatter about their weeks, their new haircuts, their favorite sports teams. They often keep track of which group members have not yet arrived, and inquire where those who are missing could be?
At 7 pm, it's time to begin. Kathryn plays a lively piano introduction, and Marsha leads the "Hello" song (the same each week, though we vary which language we sing "hello" in), and follows up with "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day". By this point, the energy in the room is palpable, and spirits are already starting to lift. We often do a "roll call warm up" where each member's name is called in song ("Is Jeremy Here?") , and he/she stands up to respond in song ("Yes, I am here"), followed by a group response of "We are glad Jeremy's here" which is always accompanied by applause, and a bow by Jeremy, before moving on to another singer.
These welcoming rituals set the mood for an uplifting evening, and acknowledge how valuable each chorus member is to the group. In future newsletters, we'll share more glimpses into our world, including rehearsals, birthdays, special moments, snacks, and sharing time with the Music Makes Me Happy Chorus.
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The MMMH “star” of this newsletter is Sylvie Lammert whose interview took place on her 19th birthday, March 22nd.
Sylvie is a student in the upper school division of the Cotting School in Lexington where she is presently enjoying E. B. White’s novel The Trumpet of the Swan. In addition to her classes, she is in the school chorus and is on the basketball team, the Falcons.
Outside school, Sylvie likes to ride her bike, play games, bowl, and of course sing in the Music Makes Me Happy Chorus. She especially likes hanging out with her friends -- Michaela, Rebecca, Sophie, Alice, and Kathryn to name a few. She also enjoys horseback riding at Lovelane in Lincoln. Her favorite horse there is “Sake” whom she calls “Purple Sake” – more on that in a minute. Not only does Sylvie like riding, she loves doing barn chores. One of her favorite songs is “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen, and her favorite food is spicy Mexican.
Sylvie lives in Lincoln, MA. In addition to her parents, she has a younger sister Sarah and two brothers James and Jack (who is grown and lives in Berlin, Germany). Sylvie’s family also includes “Sally”, a white and fluffy golden doodle (retriever and poodle), and two-year-old bunnies named “Bella” (tannish color) and “Minnie” (black and white). Sylvie’s family and friends are very important to her and she often tells other chorus members about them during our sharing time.
Now, about purple: Sylvie’s favorite color is purple and ALL the clothes she wears are some shade of purple. She also loves glamorous, pretty rings and wears as many as she has fingers for. Sylvie will sacrifice wearing purple only when absolutely necessary for her basketball team or chorus. Now we all think of Sylvie when we see “her” color.
Sylvie adds so much to our chorus and we are SO happy she is a member and our friend!
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Jacob befriends our visitor
(Kathryn's husband), Burke.
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Sylvie and Peter welcome back Jim (center) after a long recuperation.
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Thank you very much for all your support!
Sincerely,
Marsha Martin (Director) and Kathryn Lieppman (Pianist and Assistant Director)
Music Makes Me Happy Chorus: www.mmmh-singers.org
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