Spreading the love of music through song

Singing can bring new friends, perfect skills, provide opportunities to perform, invite the Spirit and calm the stresses of life here at BYU.

The BYU Honor Choir is a club where students can sing for their own pleasure without the pressures of auditioning. The atmosphere is relaxed and rehearsals are once a week for one hour. Valerie Buckhoff, majoring in exercise and wellness and the advertising coordinator for Honor Choir, invites anyone who has a love for music to join and help spread that love to the BYU community.

“We enjoy music and want to share it with others,” Buckhoff said. “Honor Choir is really chill and we are just focused on the music. The purpose is to have a fun (in a) low pressured and non-auditioned choir.”

Becca Pearson, majoring in special education and the program director, said that Honor Choir can provide a fun outlet for people who love to sing and want to get involved, but do not have time to make a serious commitment. She loves how Honor Choir has provided her a place to meet new people.

“As a freshman, you are more isolated from students in other grades or classes,” Pearson said. “(Honor Choir) gives you a chance to meet people from everywhere in all different stages of life. It broadens your friendships.”

Pearson also likes the spiritual aspect of what Honor Choir brings into her life.

“I love how music is a way to share your testimony,” Pearson said. “It is cool how we can use song as a different outlet to share our testimonies.”

Honor Choir creates an experience that is both fun and uplifting. Austin Papritz, majoring in philosophy and the Honor Choir director, thinks singing is a personable and vulnerable art form. He wants to show people who are embarrassed to sing out loud how rewarding Honor Choir can be.

“Singing in a choir is awesome,” Papritz said. “I’m a complete sports loving goofball, yet choir does something special for my soul. Students should join the Honor Choir for 3 reasons: to be spiritually lifted, to improve their singing ability, (and to) entertain and inspire the audience.”

The Honor Choir’s theme this year is shining forth and being a light to the University. There will be two performances where members of the Honor Choir can share their love of music. They will be singing a Russian piece as well as a choral setting of “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” The first performance will be on November 22 in the HFAC and the second, called Cocoa and Carols, will be on December 6 at 1 p.m by the stairs of the Wilkinson Student Center. Christmas carols and hot chocolate will be provided to help set the mood of the holiday season.

The BYU Honor Choir club meets every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. in room 5519 of the Wilkinson Student Center.