When Doreen Falby, a native of Scotland, moved to Maryland in 1989, her sons wanted to be in a children’s chorus. So, she started one — in September 1990 in Columbia, Maryland, with 21 singers. By the second year, she had more than 200 students. Today, some three decades later, the Peabody Children’s Chorus has grown into an expansive choral program serving more than 500 children, ages 5–18, on two campuses (Towson and Howard County), with nine ensembles and four chorus prep classes.
Falby credits the choral program’s growth and excellence to her mindset of never giving up: “I’ve had to be very persistent for 30 years,” she says. “Seeing the benefits of PCC for our students, I was determined to keep musical standards high while building a successful organization.” The chorus studies a wide variety of music, from monastic chants to spirituals to Bach. “If you choose the right music, children will respond with boundless love and dedication,” she adds.
The PCC instills a strong connection with students and families, evidenced by the fact that about 90 percent of the children return each year. Some stay for the entire 12 years, bringing their friends. “We try to keep rehearsals moving at a fast pace,” Falby says, and then dives into a list of rehearsal techniques used to keep the children engaged. “We sing, move, dance; study song texts and the International Phonetic Alphabet; focus on vocal technique, ear training, sight singing; and have fun with tongue twisters and rhythm games.”
The PCC has been around long enough now that some of the group’s alumni have become music teachers and had their own students audition. “For me, it’s just all about the children,” says Falby. “I try to encourage them to develop a passion for studying great music and most importantly to express that passion honestly from their hearts.
The Peabody Children’s Chorus has two major performances each year (one in December, the other in May), and also embarks on a biannual summer tour, most often to Europe but sometimes domestically. Falby uses the trips as a way to introduce repertoire that will resonate both with local audiences and the young singers. “I try to choose music of the highest quality, so the choristers feel connected to history and to other cultures,” she says. “It’s a chance to show our students where the music we sing comes from.” The group also performs frequently with local organizations such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Falby is indebted to a large group of parent volunteers and to a small and very loyal staff that includes chorus manager Sharon Spicher, accompanist Bradley Permenter, and assistant director Mary Poling, an orchestral conductor who has been training the last two years with Falby to work in a choral setting.
Poling says that she herself has become a better musician by working with Falby, and as a parent and staff member she’s seen the difference that Falby has made “in the lives of countless children and families.” Adds Poling, “This chorus is ground- ing for the children. It’s home. It’s a place that is safe. They know what to expect, and they know that, together, they’re creating beautiful music.”
When considering her legacy, Falby says, “It’s really not my legacy — PCC belongs to the generations of young singers who have, through their commitment and enthusiasm, brought us so many beautiful performances. I hope the organization will continue to draw in many more generations of children. That’s what it’s all about.”
