Swan Song: Crescendo Community Choir’s finale brought on by COVID-19 pandemic

Count Crescendo Community Chorus among the COVID-19 casualties. In January, the nonprofit children’s choir ceased operation.

“With all the pandemic restrictions, we just couldn’t get enough kids enrolled to be sustainable,” longtime board member Jurene Phaneuf said.

It was heartbreaking news to former artistic director Sharon Rodkey Smith.

“I never actually got to retire,” Smith said.

“Everyone has their pain from the pandemic. This one is mine.”

Crescendo Community Chorus has had a variety of names since its inception at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in 2002.

It began as the South Hill Children’s Chorus under the direction of Lynn M. Brinckmeyer.

When she left in 2006, Smith took over, broadening the group’s reach and rebranding it as Kinderchor of Spokane, a 501(c)(3).

“The kids said the name sounded like kindergarten, so in 2013, we became Crescendo Community Chorus,” Smith said.

Whatever the name, the mission to offer an affordable and inclusive choral performance experience for area kids remained unchanged.

“Music should be available to every kid because of its incredible power,” Phaneuf said. “Sharon said if a kid can fog a mirror, they can sing.”

Over the years, hundreds of students performed with the group.

“The only thing they had in common was they all loved to sing,” Smith said.

Many of them still do.

Mead High School senior Clarissa Flores said she got butterflies the first time she heard the chorus sing.

“It’s a different sound than any other choir I’ve been in,” she said. “Such a whole, super-resonant sound. I felt like I clicked. It was a good fit.”

Flores was part of Crescendo from fifth grade until last year. She’s in several choirs at Mead.

“I still sing all the time,” she said.

As does former Crescendo member Jacob Smith.

Smith is on tour with Concordia Choir from Minnesota’s Concordia College where he’s a vocal music education major. He was part of the chorus from fifth grade through high school.

“Crescendo is probably what drove me to do what I’m doing today,” he said. “I learned so much from Sharon. I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.”

Collin Pittman echoed that sentiment.

Pittman is involved with several local musical theater communities and is applying to graduate school.

“In the applications, they ask about touchpoints or inspirations in music and drama,” he said. “Sharon is that for me. She believed in me and has been so supportive. In choir, each of us felt like she was our biggest fan.”

As Crescendo closes, the board has decided to donate the organization’s vast music library to Spokane Area Youth Choirs.

The distribution of other assets will be decided at this month’s meeting.

“We’ve existed on a prayer and a song for so long, it’s amazing that we have money to give to other organizations,” Phaneuf said.

Though Crescendo’s long run has come to an end, the choir’s legacy continues to reverberate.

“We’ve had some unbelievable musical moments over the years,” Smith said. “When you’re in a choir, you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”

Correspondent Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com.