The Stairwell Interviews - Lyndsay, alto - Solo Saturday

Lyndsay, welcome to the Stairwell Carollers! 

Can you tell us a bit about what it was that made you want to join our choir?

I first heard about this group in December. A friend of mine in the Bytown Voices, the other choir I sing with, was helping to usher this concert and asked if I wanted to usher as well. I love choir music and I knew that ushering was a great way to get involved as well as learn about other choirs in the Ottawa area. Plus, a free choir concert is a free choir concert. So of course, I said yes.

During the concert, once my ushering duties were done, I noticed that Pierre was a composer and arranger and that there were even composers in the group. It seemed like the type of environment I needed to be in.

Then I saw the ad on Kijiji in January and decided that I needed to audition.

It's been 25 years since I had my own audition with the Carollers, but I remember being very nervous at the time, as I had just spent a decade in Africa (Tanzania) and hadn't sung in a choir in years. Tell us a bit about your own audition and how you were feeling.

I hadn’t auditioned for a choir since 2012. I auditioned for a large choir in my hometown and was accepted. But I only stayed for one year before I was accepted into my University of choice, which, as a voice major, required me to be in the University choir. So I was nervous about this audition. I knew it was a smaller group and that it was specifically a cappella music. But I was confident.

You've only had a few weeks of rehearsals, but perhaps already you have some favourite songs that we'll be singing this spring? 

Abendlied was a pleasant surprise for me. I have often found singing choral music in German to be a chore ( All those consonants!) But I absolutely love the sound of this one. I’m also looking forward to Northern Lights, particularly because it favours the altos.

Tell us a bit about your own singing background. Have you sung in a cappella choirs before? What challenges do you face being in this kind of a choir, and what do you like most about the experience?

While I have never sung in a choir that only performed a cappella music, my university choir sang many pieces without accompaniment. As some have already learned, I hail from North Carolina, where I received my BA in music composition with voice as my primary instrument at Campbell University. Before that, I sang in my high school choir for two years and before that, I took piano lessons.

Music has always been a part of my life, however, as I have grown as a composer, I have found my niche in writing for the voice. I believe the voice has so much to offer. That is part of the appeal of an a cappella choir for me. That being said, every choir I have been a part of, from a University choir where eighty percent of the singers are music majors, to a community choir where few have any sort of musical training at all, we have always used a piano in rehearsal. Which is great for pieces accompanied by piano. So it is interesting to be part of a choir that relies solely on the voice.

Any other thoughts you'd like to share?

I am just excited to be here!

Interview by David Rain

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales. Net proceeds benefit charity.

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