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Watch the Chamiza Elementary School Chorus, one of the largest elementary school choruses in the nation, rehearse for upcoming concerts. Watch »

Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

Students' backpacks litter the cafeteria floor behind the packed risers during a Chamiza Elementary School chorus rehearsal. The West Side school's 157-member chorus is believed to be the largest elementary school choir in the United States.

Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

Chamiza Elementary School teacher and chorus adviser Walter Rich directs students to sign in before the start of practice. The chorus, with 157 members, is believed to be the largest elementary school choir in the country. With so many children, attendance sheets must be spread out by grade throughout the school's cafeteria.

Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

Chamiza Elementary School Chorus members sing at rehearsal. The group meets every Thursday after school.

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The bell rings, and chaos ensues as hundreds of children run every which way through the hallways of Chamiza Elementary School. But more than 150 of them are not headed to the parking lot.

Once a week, these children have a special kind of excitement in their step as they flood into the school's auditorium.

Within 15 minutes, the children who make up the Chamiza Elementary School Chorus have organized themselves neatly into rows on a set of risers and are watching their young maestra with anticipation.

With a flick of her wrists and a slight motion of her arms, choir director Lauren Spangler, 17, lets a smile spread over her face as the piano music starts and the children begin to sing.

"It's the time for play like a whipped cream day." Their little voices fill the room in unison, lifting the world around them with their harmonies.

A 'different look'

Walter Rich, a fourth-grade teacher at the northwest Albuquerque school, started the chorus when he began teaching at Chamiza almost 10 years ago.

Rich, 59, was inspired by his participation in a local barbershop chorus called the New Mexichords.

"That was quite a thrill to be in a chorus, and I thought, 'Wow, I could do that with the kids,' " he said.

Rich, who remains as the chorus adviser, says the 157-member choir is the largest elementary school chorus in the country.

And "with that many kids, they will just entertain the socks off anybody.

"Your job is to make sure that they work together as a team, sing the right notes, sing together and have fun," he said. "And then - ka-pow! - they'll steal the show from Tony Bennett."

There is no doubt the children are happy to be at their Thursday rehearsals.

Christan Lewis, 9, is a fourth-grader who said her love of singing is what keeps her involved with the choir. She says her parents' support is an important factor.

"They (my parents) just love and care," Christan said. "They are very supportive, and that makes me feel really happy."

Damian Banks, 8, is also a Chamiza fourth-grader who said his experience in chorus has been fun and exciting.

"I decided to join the chorus to give singing a different look 'cause I used to think that singing was not for boys and that it was just for little kids," Damian said. "But then I just thought I should give it a try because I like singing."

Managing the choir plays an important role in the children's experience. Among Spangler's ways of handling the crowd is a rhythmic clap: a clap-clap, then a clap-clap-clap.

"I think Lauren is such a great director, because she never yells and she has a neat way of getting the kids quiet," Christan said.

Damian echoes her sentiments.

"Lauren is an awesome director," he said. "She'll tell you exactly what she wants to hear."

And the children always give Spangler what she wants to hear.

"When I communicate to them that it is a privilege to be able to sing and that there's a certain amount of respect involved — once you establish a director/singer relationship, they are very professional about it," Spangler said.

"They understand the necessity of focus and of energy. They understand that if you put something in, you get something back."

Damian concurs about that energy: "I like listening to the different beats, the different types of self-expression and seeing people's reactions when you start singing the song."

Popularity soars

In the beginning, the chorus was open only to fourth- and fifth-graders with a limited number of third-graders.

Three years ago, time constraints forced Rich to serve mostly as an adviser to the chorus.

So Spangler took over directing. She is a senior at Cibola High School and an alumna of the Chamiza choir.

Spangler decided to open up chorus participation to all third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.

Needless to say, the chorus numbers reached an all-time high.

"Any kid who wants to sing and wants to be involved with music, I'm not going to tell them no," Spangler said. "Yes, it's big. But when you have 150 kids who want to be in there, it's just as easy as 80 kids."

Rich says he can't get the claim of the country's largest elementary school chorus officially recognized because he cannot pay an expensive registration fee to join any one of the various nationwide music organizations.

Not that it might matter: The popularity of the chorus is evident at public musical performances, which generally occur twice a year.

The chorus has become so big that last year's popular Christmas performance took place at the Don Newton Taylor Ranch Community Center and was standing room only.

Because of the hundreds who show up, his spring performance in May was moved to Cibola High's auditorium

"If it got any bigger, we'd have to book Popejoy," Rich said.

This year, the chorus is experiencing a first — the opportunity to perform for a paycheck.

The chorus will be part of the New Mexichords' Christmas performance at First United Methodist Church on University Boulevard and Central Avenue.

The money — it's still unknown just what the figure will be — will be used toward the choir's expenses.

Wellspring of support

The wide-ranging success of the chorus can't be attributed only to its adviser and director, Rich said.

"It's this community," he said. "The minute I came to this school, the chorus roared in size. The parents were all for it and make sure the kids get here, have their snack and pick them up.

"They encourage them — cheer for them at shows, give them standing ovations. And they tolerate the strictness that I'll have to raise the expectations of the chorus."

One parent, Linda Bork, is the pianist. She has been accompanying the chorus since her fifth-grade daughter, Melissa, joined the group in third grade.

Other parents have taken on even other active roles this year, including starting the choir's own government and promotions team.

Kelly Johnson serves as president. Her fifth-grade daughter, Nekeisha, is currently in her third year with the choir.

Johnson said the group formed when parents realized the chorus might have to disband because of a lack of funds.

In the past, parents paid a $5 participation fee per child. This year, parents are paying a $25 fee for each child — which mostly will fund the group's field trips, such as performances at other schools.

Other expenses, including a small compensation for Rich, are covered by state- and government-issued grants.

"I'm responsible for doling out work and making sure that it's getting done," Johnson said.

Johnson said she spends as many as 12 hours per week doing chorus-related tasks. And she's not alone.

The chorus boasts another 29 parent volunteers. They have a gamut of tasks, including organizing field trips and setting up and taking down heavy risers for practices and performances.

Denise Winn is another volunteer and parent of a new chorus member, Dylan, who is a third-grader.

"It's very well run," Winn said. "The kids . . . learn how to stand up in front of people, open their mouths and let these beautiful sounds come out," she said. "I know a lot of adults who can't even do that."

And, of course, there's Spangler, a gifted high school senior who is directing her last year because she will soon be going off to college.

For now at least, there is no replacement director in sight.

"I don't know what will happen," Rich said. "This chorus has got my hands full so sometimes I have to fly by the seat of my pants."

Still, he doesn't intend to let the chorus fade out.

"I want to keep it going," Rich said. "I want the president and the vice president and all the filter coordinators and the riser crew to eventually become so independent that I can kind of let the parents do it."

What inspires Rich, a busy teacher, to make sure the chorus happens year after year?

"Just go in there and listen," Rich said, gesturing toward the voices lilting out of the auditorium. "Sometimes I come to practice and I'm having a bad day, but then I'll listen to them sing 'It's A Marshmallow World.' "

He sings a few bars.

"I'll hear them all start on the word 'It,'" Rich sighs and looks amazed. "I mean, that's 150 kids. One is charming — 150 just overwhelms you."