Would you believe we just kicked off our 30th season? We started as a small group of people in a church basement, hopeful that we might have have a total of 30 singers after a year or two.

Last Tuesday, we kicked off our season with 100 singers in our address book. We now average 75 singers per concert, and our smallest audience now exceeds what used to be a full house.

As we grow, we are committed to being a teaching choir — not only for our singers — but for the next generation of music lovers and professionals. Every concert will feature either professional, or the next generation of professionals. Because youth musicians need a place to grow into the stage, to work with one another, to learn to be in front of an audience. And we are delighted to do offer them the opportunity.

We are especially excited to do two large works this season — the Rutter Gloria and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo! There’s a symmetry to those two works. Rutter composed the Gloria in 1974 and Forrest’s Jubilate Deo premiered in 2016. Both are works with deep roots in sacred music, but composed for a modern audience that relates to a much larger, inclusive, welcoming world. They are a perfect fit for the VCS experience. They are also reflective of who we have become — the area’s premier teaching choir, a place where singers create community, where the repertoire soars, and both you and we leave the evening with an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience.

None of this — the friendships, the music, or the “you had to be there” moments unavailable on iTunes or anywhere else — happens without your support.

We hope you’ll help make it happen again during the 2017-18 Friends of VCS campaign.

We are so grateful for the music, fellowship, and joy of the last three decades. Here’s to another 30 more!

Join us!