Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin, April 23, 2003

This week features the multi-faceted
Bill Sano - teacher, conductor, accompanist, "lobster roll fundraiser
facilitator," and Salem tour guide! Bill has enthusiastically audited
the BSR auditions for the past two years, and in his interview,
he shares with us what he looks for in soloists.

Bill Sano is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. He attended Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio, graduating first in 1966 with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, and again the following year with a degree in music education. Sano then moved to Boston, where he attended the New England Conservatory of Music for one full year, working an a masters in theory and composition. Deciding that 6 years in college was enough, he began teaching elementary vocal music (K-6) in the Marblehead Public School system in 1968, a job he held until retirement in June of 2002. Somewhere along the way he graduated from the New England Conservatory with an M.M. in June 1972

Bill has been active a church music director for forty years, beginning with three years in a Congregational church in the Cleveland area, continuing with a brief stint at the East Weymouth (MA) Congo Church from 1967-68, and then became employed as music/choir director at the first Parish Church in Weston (UU) from fall of 1968 to the present time. He has no intention of giving up this job, working with fine musicians such as Terry Decima and Luellen Best, and an appreciative choir that presents two all-music Sundays a year. In March, the Weston UU Church was chosen to premiere the William Bolcum setting of "May-Day" with text by Concordian Ralph Waldo Emerson, to celebrate the bicentennial of Emerson's birth.

A former member of the Masterworks Chorale of Lexington, Bill has had 24 years experience as a community chorus director, from 1979-1986 as director of the Choral Art Society in Scituate, and from 1987 thru the present directing the Concert Singers of Greater Lynn. The Concert Singers, Inc., is presently celebrating their twenty-third year of singing. They are a group of sixty people from North Shore (and South Shore!) communities, who enjoy singing good classical music. No audition is required for this ensemble, and the annual dues are modest. They are supported in part by the MASSACHUSETS CULTURAL COUNCIL, and receive support from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, General Electric, the Walmart Foundation, and the John Hancock Fund. Twice a year the Concert Singers members work on a lobster-roll sale, making and delivering almost 2000 lobster rolls! The proceeds pay for all salaries, professional soloists, small orchestra, hall rental, programs, etc. No personal donations are solicited, and no program booklet ads are ever necessary! Such a deal!!!

The Concert Singers spring 2003 program will be held on Friday evening, May 2 at 8:00 p.m. at the UU Church in Swampscott, and repeated on Sunday afternoon, May 4 at 3:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart R.C. Church in Lynn. This year's program includes the HARMONIEMESSE of Haydn, and Broadway medleys of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Elton John's The Lion King. Next December they plan to perform Britten's CEREMONY OF CAROLS, John Rutter's "WHEN ICICLES HANG" and arrangements of familiar Christmas and Chanukah pieces with harp, flute, strings and organ.

Bill has also teaches a course in symphonic analysis at Marian Court College in Swampscott (since 1979,) and takes his class to the open rehearsals of the Boston Symphony four times a year. He lives in a 200-year-old house in downtown Salem, which was once a stopping place in Salem's notorious red-light district (which, hopefully, he has gentrified it somewhat during the years.) And, in the off-season, he works as a Boston/Salem/North Shore tour guide.

LS: A seaside chorus fundraiser of making and delivering lobster rolls, how brilliant is that?! Who came up with the idea?

BS: I inherited this "lobster roll sale" when I took over as director 16 years ago. The idea was conceived by Carol Dixon, former accompanist and founding member of the group. Presently the head honcho is Ed Fee, a bass singer, who has a very busy schedule as a cancer research scientist at MGH. We buy the lobster in 5 pound frozen blocks from a local company. Each block makes 10 equal rolls. The night before, the lobster is thawed, picked over, all the lunch bags are set up, and the next morning at 5:30 a.m. the final assembly is done. We hope to make between $3500 and $4000 profit this coming Friday, and will serve up about 1500-1600 lobster rolls.


LS: What a great, unique fundraiser - congratulations! And what about the infrastructure of Concert Singers? How is that organized? Are you allowed to just "be the conductor" in this group?

BS: We have a board of 9 members who assume everything from publicity to finance to grant writing to physical arrangements. I would like to be only the "conductor" of this group, but ultimately I have to look over everybody's shoulders, and see that all jobs get done. After all, there are only two people who actually get paid for this organization--myself and the accompanist.

LS: And you have a spring concert coming up on May 2 and 4?

BS: Yes, The Concert Singers spring 2003 program will be held on Friday evening, May 2 at 8:00 p.m. at the UU Church in Swampscott, and repeated on Sunday afternoon, May 4 at 3:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart R.C. Church in Lynn. This year's program includes the HARMONIEMESSE of Haydn, and Broadway medleys of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Elton John's The Lion King.


LS: You've directed choirs (church and community) for so many years. Do you have any favorite pieces to conduct?

BS: My all-time favorite work is the Durufle Requiem. I have done it several times using the reduced orchestration.

LS: Are there any pieces that you would like to conduct that you have not yet had the opportunity?

BS: Hugo Distler has a strange piece called "Dance of Death." Check it out. It may be too far out for this group. Also, I've only conducted the Brahms' Requiem with organ accompaniment. I'd love to do a full orchestral version of it sometime. Very expensive, unfortunately.


LS: You pay such wonderful homage to your church in Weston. And, after speaking with you several times, I can tell you have such patience and respect for people in general, and, in particular, for singers of many different levels. Any tips for working with volunteer singers?

BS: Have lots of patience and give constant praise, even if you wish they could be better. Things could always be worse, you know.


LS: You have also attended the BSR auditions for the past two years. Have you found success?

BS: Very much so. We have needed something like this for a long time. For years Paul Madore and Trudi Hill and I have organized an audition in June to pick singers for the Paul Madore Chorale summer sing series. I will draw on my list of people I heard at BU in March.


LS: What do you look for in soloists?

BS: Professionalism. Can they handle standing in front of an audience, and come thru without shrinking? It doesn't matter if they are 21 or 61 if they can do this. Naturally, they have to have all the vocal skills and be very dependable. I never hire a soloist without checking them out with someone that they have sung for before. Will they know their music cold upon arrival? Will they dress appropriately, and be on time? Soooooooooo important!!!


LS: Do you miss working with the elementary kids since your recent retirement?

BS: I still substitute in the Marblehead Public School System one or twice a week. That's so I don't forget what it was like to be a kid. This week I am an art teacher for K-4 the whole week long, and have to rethink myself!!


LS: One last question: How did you ever get involved with the tour guide business?!

BS: I really enjoy this work. About 25 years ago I was seeing a woman who owned her own tour company and needed help when two guides quit on the spot, and she had 5 busses coming in that weekend. It sort of mushroomed from there. Most of my work is in October in Salem. I conduct what is called "The Terror Trail Tour". I never tell people that I am a musician or a teacher as I put on a different hat to do this. This week, April 9, I am giving a two-hour standard Salem tour for a Chamber Choir from Toronto, and I may tell them . . . . Hmmmmmmmm.

LS: Thanks so much Bill! It is always great to hear about successful musicians who find enjoyment outside of music, as well in the business. Have a wonderful concert next weekend and happy haunting this summer!


For more information about Bill Sano or the Concert Singers of Greater Lynn, please contact him at: 978-744-4787 wcsano@aol.com