My Rose E'er Blooming

When she was in first grade L joined a vocal training class sponsored by El Camino College in which two of her church friends, S and A, were involved and loved. That class was a prep class for the far more serious and focused South Bay Children's Choir. This year she was old enough to join the formal choir, bequeathing her spot in the little-kids' class to N, who jumped at it enthusiastically. Since then she has spent every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 12:00 in some pretty serious rehearsals. Last night, after a particularly grueling week of every-night practices, all the training was put to the test. The South Bay Children's Choir performed their Holidays in Harmony 2012 concert at Marsee Auditorium on the El Camino College campus.

L's choir, the "Meistersingers" performed a half dozen Christmas and Hanukkah choral pieces, alone and with various combinations of choirs of older kids, the "Choristers," the "Choraliers," and the "Bel Canto Singers." L's group, being the youngest, was decidedly more squirrelly, but they did sound amazing for such young kids so early in their training. The older choirs were simply phenomenal. There is a transcendent, unearthly quality to a seriously well-done classical children's choir that gives you goosebumps on your soul.

There were a number of notable guests in the audience. Grandma Lynne, Aunt Joyce and Aunt Claudia all came down. Uncle Kyle and Miss Sera caught the show; Mrs. McCarthy and Kathy George (a.k.a. "Grandma Boop") from church were able to make it. Even Pastor Greg was able to come.

I've got to admit, she had a pretty proud Pop in the house as well.

The diva greets her fans.

The show doesn't end there, however.  On Christmas Eve L will be travelling with the choir up to Los Angeles where the South Bay Children's Choir will perform at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the Christmas Eve Music Fest, broadcast nationally.