Barbara Retzko

For many years, I served as the host of a fall Choral Festival at Ridge called Choralpalooza.  Five area high schools – Somerville Karen Gorzynski, Hanover Park Helen Britez, Newark Academy Viraj Lal, Warren Hills Lauren Voight and New Providence Susan Kirkland – would spend the day with me and my choirs as an in-school field trip – performing for one another in the morning, breaking for lunch and dessert at noon and reconvening in the afternoon to work with the clinician of the day.  For years, we would finish with a Massed Choir Sing of 450-500  singers – check it out! (https://youtu.be/dBXGoSOZfJ8) The current director of Ridge Carol Beadle – who was an elementary choral director in the district at the time – would often come to observe and hang out and sometimes accompany.  The seven of us are affectionately known as the SPG – Screen Porch Guild as we have met on my screen porch every August for close to two decades to plan Choralpalooza for that school year.

March 13, 2020, was the last time I formally heard my Ridge Concert Choir sing.  We were preparing Through the Decades – our one-night-only project which was scheduled to be publicly performed the following Thursday.  ZOOM (ugh…) ahead.  NO Through the Decades. NO Spring Competition travel.  NO Spring Choral Concert. NO Senior singing of the Star-Spangled Banner at Graduation. and ultimately, NO MORE RETZ as the Choral Director of Ridge High School.

Since then, Karen, Susan and Lauren have also retired from their positions as Choral Director of their respective schools.  Each was able to plan their final farewell concert… choose their favorite repertoire, contact their alums to come and sing under their direction – one more time.  Each of their celebrations was truly glorious!  Recognizing that I did not have the opportunity to arrange the same, the SPG began planning…

Unbeknownst to me at the time and with Rick’s help, they had organized a Ridge Choral Reunion Weekend for June 21-22, 2024 Retztravaganza!  space    Via ZOOM, they lured me to the screen by asking if I would help them plan this year’s Choralpalooza.  When they let me in the meeting, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes was playing in the background and this was what I saw…

I. Was. Floored. What an amazing gift to receive!

Retztravaganza is going to be so much fun!  Inviting four decades of singers back to participate, the Alumni Concert preparation will begin on Friday afternoon with rehearsal and sectionals.  We will reconvene on Saturday for rehearsal, a lunch break and call to run the program.  The community-at-large will be invited to attend the 7p performance.  Hope you’ll join us!