History

Novi was founded in 1978, during a time of exciting growth in the number of area choral groups. The large symphonic choirs and the Hampshire Choral Society had been around for years, but by the early 1980s a number of new choirs appeared, including Schola Cantorum (later re-formed as Schola Nova), Pioneer Valley Cappella, Da Camera Singers, Greater Westfield Choral Association, Westfield Festival Chorus, New Valley Singers, and Greenfield Chamber Singers. By the mid-eighties there were plenty of opportunities to sing in the Connecticut River Valley.

Novi's first director was a singer named Rick Harris. The group consisted of sixteen singers, four per voice part, and they sang a wide range of a cappella repertoire including lots of early music. There are few written records from those days, so my information is limited to what Pat Larkin, one of the founding members, has told me. From the start, Novi aspired to a balanced, pure, and well-blended choral sound, reminiscent of an English choir. This characteristic sound quickly became the trademark of the group.

Rick left the area in 1984, and Charles Page was chosen from among several candidates to be the new Director. Under Charles's direction Novi expanded in size to eighteen members and made great strides in musicianship and accuracy. Charles has always been able to attract very fine singers to his church choir, and a number of them joined Novi as well (a trend that continues to this day). The size of the group varied a bit as members came and went; I believe the largest group numbered twenty-two, in 1990.

I first heard Novi Cantori in December 1984, when they performed at the Tuesday Morning Music Club's Christmas program at St. Paul's, Springfield. The combination of the church's superb acoustics and Novi's beautiful sound was overwhelming - I was very impressed. Charles invited me to accompany the Spring concert in 1985, marking my first professional association with the group. In later years I accompanied rehearsals and sang with the group when not playing. Charles and I worked well together; in 1987 he asked me to take a few rehearsals for him while he was away. This eventually led to a position as Assistant Director, whereby I was permitted to conduct a few of the pieces at each concert. Needless to say, this was a wonderful experience for me. When Charles left the group in 1992, I became the new Director.

Novi currently has nineteen singers, a size that I've found to be just about perfect. We've been fortunate to have a very stable membership during the last few years. We find our new singers by word of mouth, usually on a recommendation from a current member. Over the years we have raised the minimum standards for new singers, and this has helped more than anything to raise the overall level of musicianship. We look for a special kind of singer: one with excellent pitch, reading ability, and musical sense, and possessing a somewhat neutral vocal quality. We are fortunate to have a number of first rate soloists in the group, but every one of them can blend seamlessly with the ensemble. This is an absolute, ironclad requirement. (When aiming for an English-style sound, louder is not always better.)

After a successful audition, new members begin a probationary semester, and to be honest, this is how we truly find out about a person. At the conclusion of their first semester the Board votes on admission to full membership. And yes, we occasionally have to let someone go after the probationary semester. It's really not my favorite thing.

We have a lot of fun in Novi. The current members get along particularly well - it's like a family. There is a seriousness of purpose underlying everything, however, and all of our singers know our main goal is to produce the highest quality music possible. Personal fulfillment and social interaction are dividends, although I think they're an essential part of what we're trying to do. One of the ways we've been able to recruit and keep talented singers is to compress the rehearsal schedule. We typically put a program together in seven or eight rehearsals, which means that there are substantial breaks between semesters. We demand a great deal of commitment during the season, but it's finite in terms of time.

Our normal formation has the singers scattered about rather than blocked in voice parts. We rehearse almost everything a cappella, a technique that has helped intonation and blend. The group learns very quickly, but they also struggle with the same issues as every other choir.

Our members are typically active musicians. Right now (and there is some overlap here) we have four organists, two voice teachers, one flutist, eight choir directors, five music teachers, and twelve singers who either have now or recently had paid soloist positions. That's a lot of experience. We also have an attorney, a dairy farmer/truck driver and a systems analyst, among other professionals - it's a diverse group, and that diversity is one reason everyone gets along so well.

Novi is a fine arts concert choir, funded entirely by concert fees and individual donations. I'm paid a fixed stipend each year; we pay our accompanists per gig. Singers are paid a modest stipend as well, which varies according to how many concerts we've sung, and how well we're doing financially.

Opportunities to gain conducting experience are hard to come by, and I am very grateful for the chance to have worked with Novi all these years. I believe the following is true in all things musical: a good instrument is itself a good teacher, and Novi has taught me a lot.

--Allan Taylor