By Gina Smith
April 03, 2012?

The Bella Voice community choir performed their spring concert last week. This celebration of music featured Antonio Vivaldi?s ?Gloria? and other favorites.

Vivaldi was a Italian composure that lived from approximately 1669 to 1741. His ?Gloria? is a moving arrangement of opera hymns and is among many other arrangements he composed.

Director Klark Black graduated from Southern Utah State College (now known as Southern Utah University) in 1974. He then went on to attend school at the University of Arizona, Brigham Young University and then attended the University of San Diego where he received his Masters in Music Administration. For the last 10 years he has studied at Florida State University in Choral Conducting.

Mr. Black lived in Lincoln County from 1997-2001 and then moved to Las Vegas where he taught music. After retiring, he and his wife Tonya has chose to return to Lincoln County to and teach music part time a C.O. Bastian High School in Caliente. ?We have lived here before, and my wife is from the area. It?s a good place to retire, a little more quiet,? Mr. Black explained.

?I am very passionate about the choral arts. A lot of community has not sang much since high school, and I am amazed on how much experience they have. There are people in the community that have very nice voices. I wanted to see if we could put something together in the county.?

Having a community choir isn?t without its challenges. Mr. Black said the main challenge is meshing busy schedules together to hold practices and to hold the amount of practices necessary to put on the quality of concert he is seeking.

However, the members are very willing and wanting to put in the work that is asked of them.

?There are many different techniques and approaches to music,? Mr. Black said. ?They are so energetic and willing to practice on their own and try the things I am explaining to them and ask them to do to improve their own individual talents in music. I appreciate the willingness to commit and give me their all.?

?I appreciate the community’s support,? he added. ?We are offering something that is enhancing the community. We are offering something that is a bit different than the county might be used to and a different perspective to music.?

Now is the perfect time to get involved in Bella Voce. Mr. Black invites anyone who is interested in learning and developing their talents in music to join them. They will start practicing in October for their December concert.