Kevin Riordan: Raising voices in love of song

It's the first rehearsal of the season, and the Greater South Jersey Chorus dives one-two-three into "The Encore Song."

"We worked very hard to get all the songs as polished as we could," the members sing, blanketing the basement of Cherry Hill's Unitarian Universalist Church in a lush blend of soprano, tenor, alto, and bass.

Their sound is polished, all right - I swear there's a gleam in the air. These men and women make beautiful music together from equal measures of labor and love.

"Being here is a joy, but we do have jobs - some more than one job - and houses and kids, too," says Santina Smith, 52, an alto from Mount Laurel. She's also an X-ray technician; corporate banking, software development, and sales are among the other jobs of the 85 members, who range in age from the upper teens to the 70s.

Established in 1992, the chorus, which includes a 22-member chamber choir, is considered amateur because the performers don't get paid. But many are experienced musicians or music teachers, and some have worked professionally.

Karaoke this ain't. The singers must audition, most can read music, and all share not only a love of song but also a deep regard for the man on the podium.

That would be artistic director Dean Rishel, a 64-year-old conductor and composer who taught music in Florence Township schools for 34 years. A Philadelphian with a mellifluous voice (he's sung in opera choruses), Rishel has guided the GSJC for more than half its existence.

The GSJC is particularly proud of its spring concert, "From Earth to the Skies - Music of Soul and Spirit," which featured new and old, classical and folk, secular and sacred songs from Jewish, African, and Russian traditions.

"At some point in our concerts, I want every person in the audience to be able to say, 'Wow, that was great,' " Rishel says. "That's the goal."

To reach it, the chorus rehearses every Monday night for several hours.

"We try to work to very high artistic standards," Rishel says. "In the last year we've taken a quantum leap artistically. Part of it is due to the nature of the material, and part of it is pushing, pushing, pushing."

As their facial expressions and fierce focus attest, chorus members take singing seriously. But there's also plenty of laughter as the rehearsal heats up.

"If it's not fun, why do it?" Rishel asks. "Of course, fun can mean many things. Fun can be polishing the most serious song in the world and putting it across with great beauty and tenderness and artistry."

Barry Sutnick, who lives in Cherry Hill, joined in 1993. A 68-year-old retired band director and music supervisor in Haddonfield schools and elsewhere, he calls the chorus "a big commitment," time-wise and otherwise.

The leader of the 18-member bass section, Sutnick says simply, "Music has been my life."

For others, the GSJC is the first time they've sung with and for other people. It's their first chance to connect with other singers and with an audience in the way only music allows - and to hear applause.

Jet San Juan, a corporate banker who lives in Deptford, is starting his third season as a bass baritone.

"I've always loved to sing, but I had never really done anything about it," he says. "I auditioned and got in, and it's probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life."

Christina Dickson, a 30-year-old software developer, describes singing (she's a soprano) as a spiritual experience.

"Music has always kind of touched me that way," the Glassboro resident says. "You know the saying: 'God gave us music so we can pray without words.' "

The relationship between singer and conductor adds to the power of this particular sort of prayer.

"When Dean is on the podium, he reflects back to us the love and passion of the music he's directing," Dickson says. "Some of my favorite moments during performances are watching him emote."

When things click, when the months of rehearsal pay off and the voices rise to the ceiling and beyond, "I just fly," Rishel says. "When it's right, the chorus and the music and I all become one."