Name: Terry Lee

Age: 53

Occupation: Singer with Contra Costa Chorale, Mah Jong teacher at the El Cerrito Open House Senior Center

Lives in: Richmond Annex

How long have you been involved with the Contra Costa Chorale and how did you get involved? Since 2006. I sang with the Albany Community Chorus and we did our last concert in November of 2006. And I said, “Well, where can I sing Christmas carols?” And somebody said, “Well, I sing with the Contra Costa Chorale. They sing Christmas carols, and this Monday they're going to be rehearsing.” So I showed up, and they handed me a book full of carols and we learned them. And I've been with them ever since.

And how long has the group been around? Oh gosh, since the '60s.

Beside Christmas carols, what sort of repertoire do you perform? Right now we're rehearsing specifically for a gig we're doing at the Craneway Pavillion on Saturday, October 15, for a city function. Last season we did the Brahms Requiem in German. We sing Vivaldi and we sing Beethoven.

How long have you personally been singing? Since I was a little kid. I'd take 10 years off and then come back to it. This is kind of a cool thing, to be able to sing like this, and with people who know what they're doing. John is just wonderful. John Montanero is our director. I think he's been with them for five or six years. I don't know how else to say it, he's just a great guy. And you can tell we like him because we're always laughing, and he knows his stuff.

I noticed there is a good mix of ages here, from teenagers to older people. Is this something families or couples do together? Couple have come. It used to be kind of a social thing, this kind of singing – classical singing and popular singing. I'm finding that's getting less and less popular because people are sitting at home doing their computer games or whatever, and they're not getting out and singing. And it's a real neat thing to be able to sing with people. There's something about it that you can't get on Facebook or somewhere else on the Internet.

How does somebody get involved with the group? They just show up and say, “John, I want to sing.” He gives them what they call an “audition,” but he just mainly does it to find out what section you will be singing. If they're going to sing soprano, alto, tenor or bass. It's called an audition, but unless you're totally bad, you're going to get in.

What do you like singing? Classical and jazz.

Any favorite artists or composers? I like Eva Cassidy. I like Horace Silver. Of course I like Itzhak Perlman. The Manhattan Transfer. Anything that sounds good, I just love it.

What do you do at the El Cerrito Open House Senior Center? I teach Mah Jong. I also teach it at the Emeryville Senior Center. I also teach guitar and I'm trying to get a chorus started at the Emeryville Senior Center. So I kind of like the senior center concept. A lot of it is volunteer, but it's interesting. 

The Contra Costa Chorale rehearses every Monday evening at Hillside Community Church in El Cerrito. Newcomers are always welcome regardless of skill level.