Discover Smith Mountain Lake
WINTER 2016
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The choir is noted for its purity in tone, artistic
performance and varied repertoire, says Ms.
Davidson. Musical selections for the concert will
include traditional, classical and lighthearted
Christmas music.
Until recent years, the choir had been called the
Roanoke College Children’s Choir, and had
been affiliated with that college’s
music department for 26 years.
However, as their numbers
swelled, Ms. Davidson
decided to form
an independent
nonprofit
organization.
As such, they
were offered
free rehearsal
space at
Hollins
University,
where they
practice weekly
in DuPont
Chapel.
“Being a nonprofit
organization has enabled
us to offer more scholarships
and other opportunities to our
choristers,” Ms. Davidson says.
She has served as both artistic and administrative
director for the entire 30 years that the choir
has been in existence. A graduate of Valparaiso
University, she has previously taught music at
the junior high and elementary school levels. She
has also served as director of youth and adult
church choirs. Today, her position with RVCC
has demanded her full attention. She is the only
paid full-time employee in the organization,
but is assisted in many areas by a small part-
time administrative staff, accompanists, and an
assistant director of the training choir for the
youngest choristers.
The RVCC has a loyal, wide base of volunteers who
lead 29 committees ranging from costumes
to fundraising and backstage choir
managing to leading trips and
the annual Fall Retreat at
the 4-H Center at Smith
Mountain Lake.
“I love working
with all of our
wonderful
volunteers,”
Ms. Davidson
says, “They
make our choir
sparkle!”
Among the
volunteers is
Ms. Davidson’s
daughter, Kirsti,
who has written
arrangements and original
compositions that the choir
has performed. She helps with
administrative duties and behind the scenes
jobs, such as preparing press releases and fielding
phone calls. She is also instrumental in researching
and selecting the choral repertoire, concert
logistics, photography, and filling in wherever the
choir needs her.
Under Ms. Davidson’s tutelage, the choir has been
selected to perform jointly with the US Army
Band, and was chosen twice as the Official Choir
mUSIC
ROCKS
SML 4-H Conference Center
by Kate Hofstetter
T
he hills were alive with the sound of music at the W E Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at
Smith Mountain Lake on October 8 and 9, when the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir (RVCC) came for
their annual Fall two-day rehearsal retreat.
The nationally recognized choir is Roanoke Valley’s “best kept secret”, says Kimberly Ruse Davidson, director
and founder of the choir, which began with 23 singers and today boasts a membership of 270 children, ages
8-18.
Singers spent their SML 4-H retreat practicing for the Choir’s upcoming 30
th
annual holiday concert, which will be held at the Jefferson Center
in Roanoke on Sunday, December 11 at 1:30 and 4:00 PM in the Shaftman Performance Hall. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to each
performance. Tickets are available through the Jefferson Center at 345-2550 or
