"I think he is incredibly talented — it's extraordinary talent, is what it is," Bernier said. "He has a passion for music that has really defined who he is."

Bernier puts together a newsletter for the choir, and in April she compiled comments from chorale members to include in the newsletter.

"One of them said, 'Singing in this choir is what it must be like to sing in a celestial choir,' " she said.

Bernier said she can't say enough good things about the group, and the weekly rehearsals give many of the members something to look forward to.

Fillmore is one of those members.

"Saturday morning, what else are you doing?" he said. "Sleeping or eating pancakes or something. . . . You get so much out of this. I have two weekly commitments, church and this, and I'd much rather be here."

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E-mail: nclemens@desnews.com