Do you have any little celebratory traditions in your choir?

Some examples…

In my community choir I (almost) always remember to ask during the warm-up before our concert: “Who is singing their first concert with us today? Or their first ever choir concert?!” A few folks will put up their hands, and we all clap and welcome them to the joy of performing because we are proud of the commitment they made, and followed through with, all season.

I love when people announce special events, birthdays, anniversaries, or other causes for celebration. Although, I always double check if someone actually would like Happy Birthday sung to them, and then I honour that preference. (And I will defend it if others try to push the issue.)

Prairie Voices has a rousing refrain they sing — as loudly as possible — before sharing a beverage at an after party. (I truly cannot express how loudly they sing it!)

Aurora Chorealis members in Yellowknife always bring out recordings of past concerts to sing along with during after parties.

These little traditions and celebrations are important! Sometimes they are mindfully brought about, but other times they are just spontaneous actions that end up repeated until they are entrenched.

I’d love to hear about your choir’s quirky traditions!