Building community through music
What happens when you bring together TGS students, parents, faculty, alumni, and alumni parents and grandparents, add in community members from across the Tucson region, and secure a venue with an organ to perform Fauré’s Requiem? Magic. This is what TGS choir and piano teacher Dr. Chris Fresolone created on Sunday, November 3, a date chosen in recognition of All Souls’ Day the day before.
I have never seen such an amazing act of community. The mix of students, parents, alumni, and teachers working together to make the beauty was rich and deep and magical.
Mr. Jeff Clashman,
audience member and TGS teacher
Last academic year, The Gregory School students were preparing to go to Carnegie Hall to sing the Fauré Requiem with other choirs from around the country in honor of the 100th anniversary of Fauré’s death in 1924. In the spring, organizers of the event decided that the choirs would perform a different piece. Our students went anyway and performed in Carnegie Hall in June, but when they came back to school this fall, they still wanted to perform the Requiem. This would require many more voices.
Being in the Requiem is a wonderful experience. It's really a beautiful piece that is very dramatic and intense. I really enjoyed being part of it.
Paloma Thomas-Martinez ‘29,
TGS student
Since Dr. Fresolone is also the director of music at St. Michael & All Angels Church, he decided to pair up with their choir. This would additionally enable the performers access to an organ, which is mandatory for the Requiem. He then added The Gregory School’s fifth and sixth grade choir students. “I performed in the Requiem at that age and it had a big effect on me as a musician,” he explained. But he still wanted more voices. “I thought it would be cool to get some alums and faculty and staff. Then parents said, ‘Can I do it?’ and then we opened it to the St. Michael’s school community and then to other school choirs around Tucson.” Four of the participants traveled thirty miles from Marana High School.
It was a joy working with Dr Fresolone on this really beautiful community event. He masterfully brought together current TGS band and orchestra students, professional musicians, and a choir made up of students, parents, grandparents, faculty, his church choir, members of the Girls Chorus, and TGS alumni. I was impressed with the diversity of the group and the grace and mastery with which Dr. Fresolone directed us through this beautiful experience. It was truly special.
Ms. Lorie Heald,
participant, TGS teacher, and alumni parent
While Dr. Fresolone rehearsed with TGS choir students at school and the St. Michael’s choir at church, he sent other participants their parts, highlighted, for self work. There were six all-group rehearsals at the church, and choir members had to attend at least two.
Part of building community at The Gregory School is having the privilege to say “yes” to moments that bring both teachers, students, families, and neighboring schools together. What better way to do this than through the gift of music! Singing in Dr. Fresolone’s Fauré Requiem choir was a beautifully amazing experience of community, where my children and I could share our love of music with so many talented members of our school.
Mrs. Christina Grossman,
current parent
To accompany the group at the performance, Dr. Fresolone hired a small professional orchestra. Impressively, the caliber of musicianship at The Gregory School is such that four of these paid orchestra members were Gregory School students!
It turned out to be a really cool community event. My mother-in-law even sang in it. It was a lot of extra work, but I would do it again.
Dr. Chris Fresolone,
director