Page 9 - Spring 2022 Tags and Swipes

Tags and Swipes, Spring 2022

Berkshire Hills Chorus (continued)

Back to singing on Zoom this winter

Along with our eager anticipation of the beautiful season of spring, however, is our growing
excitement for yet another change for our chorus... a NEW rehearsal space. In January, we received the
news that we had to move out of our old rehearsal space QUICKLY, so a team of chorus members and
some of their significant others (husbands, sons, brothers) got together one morning and moved out all
of our chorus supplies in under an hour. We are now thrilled to have begun singing together again in a
large classroom at the “Ready-Set-Learn Pre-School” in Pittsfield, MA, which is owned and run by the
daughter of our co-director Gail Wojtkowiak. The truly fun fact about our new rehearsal space is that it
was once the ORIGINAL rehearsal space for Berkshire Hills Chorus 52 years ago! At that time, the
new chorus met in what was then the basement of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. Amazing how
seasons circle around. We are all excited to rehearse in-person again!

In other changes, we have been sad to have some members of our chorus need to take a leave of
absence or resign during and/or because of Covid. But we’re delighted to still be growing in
membership. We have welcomed new members Laurelyn, Mara, and Jane with open arms and are
eager to continue to share our mutual love of singing with them. As we look ahead, we are currently
rehearsing our songs to perform for the Region 1 Contest this spring and we are anticipating
opportunities for more outdoor performances this summer. I read somewhere recently, “It’s a new
season. A perfect opportunity to do something new, something bold, something beautiful.” Kristin
Armstrong also said it well: “When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a
promised change, I feel something stir inside me.

Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness? Whatever it is, it’s welcome.” May we all welcome this new
season in each of our choruses and look forward to what lies ahead!

Jill Topham
9

North Atlantic Region 1 Sweet Adelines