Out on the Mira:
A Place of Belonging

On a rainy night in the summer of 1973, a young Irish Canadian named Allister MacGillivray wrote A Song for the Mira while he was homesick for his beloved Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. A Song for the Mira refers to the Mira River, which travels the Cape Breton area and the community of people who live along its banks. That this folk song continues to strike a lasting chord with all who hear it is due in no small part to its message: “Out on the Mira, the people are kind…and, if you come broken, they’ll see that you mend.  I wish I was with them again.”

Stuart Calvert’s choral arrangement, Song for the Mira, is one of my favorites for treble voices. When I programmed it for the Massachusetts Northeastern Junior District Treble Chorus concert in March 2023, I knew the students and audience would adore it. Junior Districts are regional honor choirs made up of singers in 7th-9th grade, which span three days of rehearsals and culminate in a performance.  The singers come from a variety of schools, and while some of the singers may know other participants from their school chorus, others do not know anyone at all. During our first rehearsal, I attempted to break the ice by engaging the singers in a discussion of our “places of belonging” - places, people, and communities where, like MacGillivray, we feel we belong. “Where is your Mira?” I asked.

The responses were initially tentative- a few hands raised across the crowded room. Yet, once a few people volunteered to share, the floodgates opened. Summer camps, families, church youth groups, school choirs, athletic teams, and friends were just some of the communities mentioned. Some students explained why a place or group was special; some simply shared their “place.” With each new share, the  individual and collective understanding of A Song for the Mira deepened, and the energy throughout the group increased. Not everyone in the room chose to share, but all of the singers were engaged in the discussion. This exercise not only served to increase our understanding of MacGillivray’s text, but it also served as our first step in building community across the group - both of which were crucial in our journey together as an ensemble. 

After three glorious days of rehearsal - filled with learning, growth, discussion, and joy, the Treble Chorus sang a beautiful concert. I was so proud of all they had accomplished in such a short time, and I was deeply impressed by the heart and soul in their performance. As I stood at the end of the risers following the performance and thanked each student, I saw her approach. She’d been very quiet in rehearsals - deeply engaged and attentive but preferring not to share during discussions of text. She stopped in front of me before walking off the riser and said, “This is my Mira.”  It was an emotional moment for both of us as we felt a shared belonging and one that I will remember for a long time. “I wish I was with them again.”