Choir provides a safe, comfortable place where students can feel at ease and focus on the joy of creating something bigger than themselves. Organizers of the Cary-Apex Youth Choir want to bring that experience to students in western Wake County.

Founded in 2018, the Cary-Apex Youth Choir is a nonprofit community chorus for third- to eighth-grade students. In its first year and a half, the group quickly grew from 18 to 45 students and split into two separate ensembles. In 2020, the group has found ways to adapt and to allow the kids to continue getting together for learning and fulfillment.

Currently, the choirs rehearse outdoors, wearing masks, spaced at least 6 feet apart, using book lights to see their music after dark. The digital piano and director’s voice are amplified so the kids can hear better, and on the worst weather days, rehearsals are held over Zoom. Virtual rehearsals focus more on musical literacy and student bonding, since singing together on Zoom is not possible.

Choir director Laura Delauney leads an outdoor rehearsal.

Cary resident Laura Delauney started the choir after noticing that there weren’t a lot of nearby opportunities for young people to sing in a choir, in school or otherwise. As an experienced choral educator, she wanted to share her passion and make choir more accessible to this fast-growing area. Her vision includes providing a well-rounded musical experience and making sure that the choir is representative of our community.

Her positive impact on the students is obvious. “I like Ms. Delauney and how she includes all of us and how she makes us all one big harmony,” says one student. “It’s a place where you can relax and not have to worry about other things,” says another.

The youth choir produced a virtual performance of a song called “Give Us Hope” in the spring and is now working on recording more digital performances to share with the community, as long as regular public performances are not possible.

The choir is accepting new singers through the end of January. To learn more, visit www.caryapexyouthchoir.org.

Choir members observe social distance protocols during an evening rehearsal.