This was the first time the event was held completely within the confines of the USF School of Music.  While there were logistical challenges in getting everything to run as scheduled, keeping the Festival at the School of Music avoided losing precious preparation time trying to relocate everyone to a different concert venue, as had been done in the past. 

There is also the benefit of fully utilizing the state of the art facilities at the School of Music, with acoustically tuned rehearsal, recital and concert halls and a Steinway piano in every room.  These factors combined to offer huge benefits for the students.  After all, the students are what this is all about.  Ordinarily, high school students only get an opportunity to participate in an event like this if selected for All-County or All-State Honor Choruses.  Festival of Voices reaches out to a wider population of students to experience preparing and performing artistically challenging music side by side with experienced singers from USF and The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.  This kind of partnership adds another important dimension to the Festival experience.

It is this kind of environment that yielded one memorable moment from our rehearsals.  Dr. Jim Heck stood up and told the students that, at 85 years young, he had been singing all his life, and that he would continue to sing until his vocal cords no longer allowed him to do it.  Speaking of their mutual love of singing, Jim remarked that “You will never lose this”.  What a joyous statement of affirmation for his passion and love of music!

From my perspective as a Master Chorale singer, I look forward to this event every year.  The chance to work with young people energizes me, and their sense of musicality always leaves a lasting impression on me.  One of the changes to the Festival this year was involvement of the USF and Master Chorale singers at more rehearsals, giving us an opportunity to integrate ourselves more completely into the ensembles.  By “sharing the journey”, so to speak, the ensembles benefit which only serves to bring the music to a higher artistic level.

I have been participating in the FOV ever since I joined the Master Chorale in 2007, and this is the best Festival I have been a part of.  In an event of this magnitude, the contributions of the staff and volunteers who put this together cannot be overstated.  When I stood on the risers with all those talented and dedicated young people, making memorable music to an appreciative audience, I was thankful to be able to contribute in some small way of making our world a little better.  As Dr. Bass said to the audience on Saturday, “Think of how much better our world would be if there were more people in it like these”. 

I absolutely agree…..Carpe Diem!!