Patricia Guth Creates a Choral Sisterhood

Rider University senior Natasha Fuller visited with Patricia Guth and the Bucks County Women’s Chorus last fall and wrote this profile about Pat and the ensemble.

Patricia Guth Creates a Choral Sisterhood

Westminster graduate, Patricia Guth ‘81, has always dreamed of conducting a community choir. “I realized that there were no women’s choruses in Bucks County so I decided that was my new project and mission,” says Guth. In September of 2012, in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County, Guth’s dream was realized with the first rehearsal of the Bucks County Women’s Chorus (BCWC). 

The BCWC has grown from 70 members in its first year to its current membership of 85 women with ages ranging from 21 to 80, accompanied by Susan Clark ‘79.

Guth says, “When I think about them, I think about the original mission of Westminster, which was to train professionals to go out and bring music to the masses. I feel like I’ve done that with this group.”

Sitting with eight of the BCWC members, the outpouring of gratitude for Guth was overwhelming. Most of the women in the choir did not consider themselves musicians before joining the group.  Many hadn’t sung since high school, and others can’t read music, but in the BCWC the only thing that matters is that you love to sing. One of the BCWC women said, “You never feel like you’re being judged or like you’re doing anything wrong. Pat always has a smile on her face. She makes us believe that we can do this. She knows we’re going to do it.” Another member chimed in, “When we’re performing she sparkles. She gives us a smile that makes us want to sing even better. It’s just such a great feeling. I love her sparkle. She inspires us all with it.”

The BCWC members are not the only people who are inspired by Guth. While observing one of the choir’s weekly rehearsals, I found myself comfortably humming along as they rehearsed one of their holiday songs. The friendship and community of these women is electric and can be felt the moment you walk into a room with them. Guth explained, “BCWC has become so much more than a choir. It’s now a group of friends.” And the feeling is unanimous throughout the group. Every BCWC woman I talked to said the same thing: “The friendships, I think, are the most important thing.” “I like the comradery. All the friends you make. It really comes down to that.” “It’s like a sisterhood. No matter who we are we have this is common- we all love to sing!”

And sing, they do! The BCWC rrehearses every Monday night and performs approximately 15 concerts each year, featuring songs from every genre of music. Their current repertoire includes a range of music from holiday classics to the African spiritual Ogo Ni Fu Oluwa. After their 2014 tour to Italy, the group is looking forward to a 2016 tour to Vienna and Salzburg. Guth says, “This choir has been such a gift in my life. The women are simply lovely and are so dedicated to the choir. They work hard every Monday evening and aside from their musical abilities, they all possess wonderful hearts. I feel so blessed to be leading this chorus.”

For more information on the Bucks County Women’s Chorus and concert information visit www.buckscountywomenschorus.com.