One of the best things the choir program I’m a (small) part of does is hold an annual Freshman Retreat. Attendees come from multiple choirs, which is what makes it special. Freshmen choir students attend, but so do the junior-senior Chamber Singers, as counselors, guides, and participants all in one.
The beauty is that the students become connected to the choir beyond their own class or choir. And there is a chain going backwards. When you’re a freshman, Eric is a senior, but when Eric was a freshman, Mitchell was a senior, and when Mitchell was a freshman, Ellie was a senior. It’s an unbroken chain across the years, expanding and building traditions and connection.
There are a lot of things to value about an ensemble retreat that allows a particular group to connect and form the bonds that will help them make better music through the year. There’s just as much good to be said about this type of expanded retreat, building a community that goes beyond the singers in each ensemble.