Kids choir entertains at Inter-Faith

• Sing a song

Director Sheri Herman tries to elicit even more sound from her young choir members. Jana Peterson/Pine Journal

Talk about it

More...

• Photo gallery Carlton/Wrenshall after school community choir

On Tuesday, members of the Carlton/Wrenshall after-school Community Choir sang their hearts out for the residents of Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. Dressed in their Sunday best, the children in the choir performed eight songs, taking turns introducing each song and singing solos. A little tentative at first in front of a room full of people, the choir didn’t take long to warm up for what was essentially a dress rehearsal for their Tuesday evening Christmas concert at South Terrace Elementary School.

One of the eight songs was “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ... in Norwegian.

It wasn’t their first time singing in a different language. Over the past five seasons, volunteer director Sheri Herman said the kids have sung songs in Latin, Spanish and Hebrew as well.

“It’s a really young group this time,” said Herman, pointing out that although the choir is open to kids in second through sixth grades, about 90 percent of this semester’s group was in second or third grade. “Sometimes you wonder if they’re getting anything when you’re sitting in the choir room, but it’s really fun when they pull together under pressure for a concert, like they did here. I also get satisfaction out of seeing my son enjoy [the choir].”

Inter-Faith resident Berneice McBride said she enjoyed the performance as well, especially “when they sang real loud,” she added from her seat near the back of the room.

A music major herself and a member of the Arrowhead Chorale group, Herman started the after-school choir with Regina Roemhildt in September 2009 because they saw a need in the community. Herman said it’s been fun watching the program grow from the first Christmas concert when only family members came, to the concert held Tuesday night, which was attended by more than 100 people.

Although the Christmas concert ended the choir’s fall season, the group will begin meeting again after school next semester. Herman will likely be back as volunteer director, too, at her son’s insistence.

“It’s exciting to know I’m able to offer something to the community,” Herman said. “It would be nice if we could feed into a high school

program.”

Dear Santa, any chance of fulfilling that Christmas wish?

Tags: carlton county, arts and entertainment, updates