A young singer's story from Eugene (where I am headed next week) --

   Singing in choir a heavenly experience
   By AMBER HICKS
   For The Register-Guard

   THE INTRODUCTION starts.  I am completely absorbed and there is no
   turning back now.  My head is held high, my shoulders are back and
   I stand up straight with a bright smile.  My eyes are fixed on the
   conductor.  The sound of the orchestra takes me to a peaceful part
   of my soul.  One deep breath on the pickup note as I am cued and I
   my mouth opens wide.

   The energy I have collected in hours and hours of practice is released
   through my mouth.  Two hundred voices join the orchestra.

   It brings pleasure to my ear.

   The second movement begins.  The music flows through the glory and
   beauty of a Latin text.  It rises high and far into the sanctuary.
   We are halfway through.  It has been flawless.

   The music continues into the fourth and final movement.  "Dona Nobis
   Pacem (Grant Us Peace)." My emotions are overflowing.  The cutoff is
   clear.  The walls hold the reverberation of the last note, reflecting
   my desire for the music to never end.

   The beauty of "Messe Basse" by Gabriel Faure brings tears to my
   eyes.

   I am in heaven, or close to it.  At least that's how it feels in this
   moment at the end of our festival experience in Eugene as part of
   last year's Pacific International Children's Choir.

   Music has always been a major part of my life.  I love to perform.
   It gives me so much joy and nurtures my spirit.  Many times it has
   been a way for me to express thoughts and feelings I could not
   communicate verbally.  I have been given the gift of song and I
   cherish it.

   I'm off to college next fall, bringing an end to eight years as a
   member of the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir.  Without a doubt, singing
   and traveling with the choir has been one the highlights of my youth.
   During that time, we have given concerts in Canada and throughout
   the Northwest in addition to traveling to Denmark for the Three Spires
   Children's Choral Festival, Italy for the Tuscany International Choral
   Festival and Australia for the Pacific Connection Four Choir Festival.

   We have been directed by some of the world's great youth choir
   conductors: Doreen Rao, Jean Ashworth Bartle and Stephen Leek.  I
   have great memories of some wonderful choir festivals.  But you don't
   have to travel around the world for a similar experience.  Just around
   the bend in Eugene is the Pacific International Children's Choir
   Festival.  Last June, we joined guest conductor Judith Willoughby
   and five other choirs for the festival's debut.

   Choirs included Phoenix Boys Choir (Arizona), Coquitlam District
   Children's Concert Choir (British Columbia), The Elm City Girls'
   choir (Connecticut), Die Meistersinger Children's Choir (British
   Columbia) and the Oregon Girlchoir (Eugene).

   Before arriving, all the choirs had learned a common repertoire.  We
   spent several hours each day rehearsing as a festival chorus of 220
   conducted by Willoughby in preparation for two performances.  The
   first of these was the featured event of the Oregon Bach Festival
   Opening Ceremonies on the steps of the Hult Center.

   After three more days of rehearsing and perfecting our music, we sang
   the Gala Concert along with the Oregon Mozart Players orchestra, the
   final event of a very full week.  As a unified group, we raised our
   voices in song.

   Each choir presented its own music in two Sharing Our Songs concerts.
   Since the festival was designed as a noncompetitive event, everyone
   was free to enjoy each other's performances without the anxiety of
   competition.

   This choir tour was most memorable for me for many reasons.  When we
   first arrived, a personalized welcome was posted on each of our dorm
   room doors and a bag of goodies was on our beds.  In the bag was a
   festival shirt, a tie-dye bandanna, some sweets, stamped picture
   postcards (have to keep the supporters happy back home) and the
   singer's required equipment: a water bottle.

   We immediately felt welcome and at home.  That's no easy feat for an
   event hosting 220 young people and 50 adults from four states and
   two countries.  But at every point, the festival staff was focused
   on the kids' needs with regard to schedule, pace, accommodations and
   activities.  It was smoothly run, had a broad array of choirs and it
   was musically challenging.

   The week was filled of meeting new people, watching others perform,
   lots of singing and playing together in a beautiful place.

   What could be closer to heaven than that?

   ------------

   Amber Hicks is a 1999 graduate of Sunset High School in Beaverton.
   In the fall, she plans to attend Cornell College in Iowa and study
   performing arts.

Janos Gereben/SF
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