"Our long-term goal is to connect with a love of choral music, which isn't widespread in our culture," says Vivace Director Peggy Spool. "It was important to me growing up, and I want to see it continue in the community."

Vivace was born out of the ashes of the Willow Glen branch of Cantabile Children's Chorus, a program of Palo Alto's Baroque Choral Guild. Spool, who was Cantabile's assistant director, and Willow Glen resident Sophia Hack, who sang with the defunct chorus, are working toward forming a new group.

"Peggy instantly became Sophia's favorite teacher," says Vivace President Carol Hack, Sophia's mother. "She'd give up anything else before she'd give up singing with Ms. Spool."

A chemical engineer by profession, the elder Hack developed a love of choral singing herself when she was a child. She's adamant that her daughter's generation should be able to experience the same joy she got out of singing with the choir.

"Music education for children should be the norm, not the exception," Hack says. "We'd like this chorus to be accessible to the community. And we'd like to support local schools' music programs by providing them with capable singers.

We don't look on it as a competition at all."

Spool adds, "There's a lot of variation in school music programs. We'll get into arrangements that might not be possible in school choirs."

As Vivace's director, Spool will employ the same Kodaly teaching methods she used with Cantabile. Based on the methods of 19th-century Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly, the choral program emphasizes music theory, ear training, combined choral and instrumental performance and a repertoire of folk and classical music. The aim of the Kodaly method is to make students musically literate, using their voices as their primary musical instruments.

"When they come out the other end," Spool says, "they'll be able to pick up a simple piece of music and read it."

Spool also teaches the children how to use their bodies as percussion instruments to help them learn the basics of rhythm. "Through musical games, they develop confidence in their own voices," Hack says.

Hack describes Spool as a tough but fair teacher.

"Peggy never gets mad, but she has high expectations," she adds.

In her years of teaching, Spool says she's come across only one tone-deaf child.

"I think pretty much anyone can learn to sing on pitch," Spool says. "Being able to sing can really change the way children study an instrument. When they sit down to play the piano, it sounds more lyrical."

On the performance end, Vivace members learn how to conduct themselves onstage, both in rehearsal and in front of an audience.

"They're getting one of the better introductions to music that anybody could have," Hack says.

About 30 of Spool's former Cantabile singers moved with the director to Vivace. Hack says organizers are expecting a full choir of about 50 children.

"We've already seen a lot of interest from the community," she says.

And Spool notes, "It's been in the back of our minds that it would be really nice to be a San Jose choir. San Jose needs these things."

Vivace Youth Chorus will host an open house on Sept. 4 at
5 p.m. at Stone Church, 1108 Clark Way. The open house welcomes all interested singers ages six to 14 and their parents. For more information, call 408.979.9997.