Generations unite in song at Holland Chorale’s Adventures in Harmony

This is part of the Shore Stories: Life Along the Lakeshore series, which includes columns by local and former residents about their lives.

This summer, I had the privilege of joining Holland Chorale as operations manager. One of the many things that drew me to join this organization is the commitment to music education, with the annual Adventures in Harmony event being just one example. 

This year’s event featured tenor and bass voices from across generations, with singers from Holland Chorale and Hope College’s VERITAS joining choirs from four area high schools for a choral workshop and concert. 

The event, held at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, featured guest clinician Adam Reinwald, a nationally recognized conductor, educator, and founding member of Cantus.

Singers participated in an all-day tenor/bass workshop led by Reinwald, exploring vocal technique, ensemble artistry, and the joy of collective singing. The workshop culminated in a concert showcasing 150 performers singing moving works such as Cantus’ arrangement of There’s a Meeting Here Tonight and Vaughan William’s Vagabond.

“The energy and collaboration in the room were extraordinary,” said Philip Moody, artistic director of Holland Chorale. “This event was about more than a performance—it was about connection through a shared love of choral music.”

Participating high school students came from Black River Public Schools, Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, Holland High School, and West Ottawa High School. The experience offered young singers a glimpse into the lifelong possibilities of music-making through college and beyond the classroom. It was truly amazing to see the preparation and hard work students put in to make this event a success.

Holland Chorale’s next concert, Welcome All People: Sing for Joy!, will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, at First Reformed Church in Holland. This concert continues our tradition of a joint concert with the West Michigan Children’s Choir. Tickets are available at: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=holch

Photos courtesy of Vincent Frank

Vincent Frank is the operations manager for Holland Chorale. He studied music performance at Saginaw Valley State University and is membership chair for the Piano Teachers’ Forum of Grand Rapids and a board member of the West Michigan Choral Lab. He also teaches private music lessons in Grand Rapids.