Anniversary Reflections
Don Armitage, Director Emeritus
Cantor of Augsburg Lutheran Church
The Piedmont Chamber Singers was born from a dream that Sally Gant and I had in 1976 – a dream of a small community choir that would sing, as authentically possible, all of the music composed for small, chamber choirs. For months we talked and wondered and wished until our spouses, Bob and Mary, told us to quit talking and do something about this dream of ours. We had no idea whether there would be any interest in Winston-Salem for such an ensemble. We had no money, no ‘business plan,’ no place to rehearse, no music library, no singers and, in the beginning, no name. Against the odds, despite the quiet, well-meant advice from a couple of ‘knowing’ people that what we were considering had little possibility of success, and hoping for the best, we hand-wrote a flyer announcing auditions for a new chamber choir and posted copies of it around town and held our breath. Much to our surprise, fifty folks showed up to audition on that Saturday morning in September. From that group we selected twenty-four singers and began rehearsals. The rest, as they say, is history. I doubt if Sally or I ever thought that thirty years later this group we formed would not only still exist, but have a rich history of choral performances upon which it continues to build.
I treasure my twenty-one years of association with the Singers. We performed an enormous amount of music, made lasting friendships with some extraordinary people, had more great times together than any of us can remember and we beat the odds, over and over again. The many friends, the music-making, and the experiences we shared were a blessing to me for which I shall be eternally grateful.