Kathryn Vilela: Musical Murmurations
Years ago, a non-singer friend of mine and I were talking about different types of music and what it’s like to experience them as a singer. I told her that for me, being a part of a group is much more rewarding as an overall experience than singing solo. We talked about the bands and small-group singing that I had been a part of, and I said, “But of course, being in a full choir is on a different level altogether.” My friend was curious about what I meant by that, but I couldn’t quite find the words to describe the magic, the transcendent feeling of being a part of a large group of singers when everyone is all-in, singing with not only skill but their whole heart.
A few weeks later, I saw a video on social media of an enormous flock of starlings in flight, swooping and swirling and dancing, forming incredible shapes in the air that were constantly in glorious motion. It’s a breathtaking phenomenon with a poetic name – murmuration. As I watched, my heart leapt at the resonance. THIS is what that choir-magic would look like if it were a visual experience rather than an aural experience. I sent it to my friend immediately, saying, “Watch this – imagine that you’re one of these birds, and you’ll have an idea of what it’s like to sing in a really good choir!”
Choral singers learn a type of extended awareness that unfurls as the various voices and harmonies move together. When it works – when you’re fully in tune with your group (pun intended!), that interconnectedness takes on a life and a movement all its own. Like a bird in flight, each singer knows she can trust her choir-mates around her, and that gives her the courage to soar.
My family can attest to the fact that I was absolutely giddy with delight when I was notified in the fall of 2023 that I was being offered a chance to add my own voice to The Isabel Voices. I already knew that the level of talent in this choir was sky-high; what I didn’t yet know was whether I’d find that interconnectedness and community that I was hoping for. But right from my very first practice, I felt welcomed and included, and I knew immediately that this was a flock I wanted to fly with.
Of course I can’t speak for the starlings, but as a singer, creating that music-magic requires genuine community. Friendships, laughter, encouragement, consolation. Conversations that range from the silly to the sublime. Those musical murmurations are incredible to experience, especially when we know, as a singing community, that the strength of the magic is rooted as much in our human connections as it is in our vocal skills. Maybe even more so.
When I learned that our first concert of the 2024-25 season is built on the theme of wild birds, I knew it was going to be a special one. The music we’re singing is glorious, the poetry is soulful, and the message of conservation – of interconnectedness – has never been more imperative. I can’t wait for concert night on Friday. And until then, my fellow Isabel Voices starlings and I will be stretching our wings, preparing to soar in harmony.
Kathryn Vilela
Alto, The Isabel Voices
The Lost Birds tickets: