In Memory...

In memory of Robin Lynn Hall, Seattle Choral Company 1st Soprano who passed away from breast cancer on December 29, 2009.

We thank you for your musicianship, your commitment to the Seattle Choral Company and most of all, your lovely, strong soprano voice. May you sing evermore in heaven, and may you continue to inspire us to achieve those moments in song when time seems to stand still and our audience is taken to a place of peace and joy.

Goodbye dear friend. We will all miss you.

Looking back and looking ahead...

A few thoughts on last season’s Great Mass by Mozart and looking ahead to holiday performances

Being in a choir is kind of like being in a revolving door – you spin around in rehearsals for a while, jump off for a performance, and then jump back in again for rehearsals for the next stop. The last stop was for Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, performed last April at Benaroya Hall, and at present we are spinning around through intensive rehearsals for our next stop in December for a series of what will be spectacular holiday concerts.

Mozart’s Great Mass was the last mass Mozart wrote, reputedly to celebrate his marriage to Constanze Weber. It was unfinished at his death, but was later completed in 2004 by Mozart scholar Robert D. Levin. It presents, therefore, a series of unique challenges as the completed work, with the movements by Mr. Levin, adds different tonalities and styles which clearly embrace but also diverge from Mozart’s stylings. Last April, regardless of the authorship of the music, from the first notes of the Kyrie to the Dona Nobis Pacem, the orchestra and choir delivered a stunning performance, greatly enhanced by the contributions of soloists Jennifer Ceresa (Soprano I), Juliana Rambaldi (Soprano II), Christopher J. McCafferty (Tenor), and Victor Benedetti (Baritone). In the spring, the SCC will undertake another great work, this time Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms.

After a respite over the summer, the SCC reconvened this fall with a new season’s programming, starting with the upcoming holiday concerts. On December 5th, the choir will perform at the Bastyr University Chapel in Kenmore and on December 11th and 12th at St. Mark’s Cathedral on Capitol Hill, offering A Cathedral Christmas. Both venues offer spectacular acoustics for a holiday program composed of glorious music for women's and men's voices as well as for the full SCC chorus.

The program consists of Holiday classics including traditional favorites in contemporary settings as well as some less known but equally enjoyable holiday music. Among those you may not know, but appealing to the Scandinavian heritage that permeates Seattle, is a song performed by the men of the SCC, Jõulud Tulevad by Veljo Tormis. In all honesty, it feels and sounds like a drinking song, but what would the holiday season be without a bit of warm holiday cheer? The treble voices of the choir are featured on A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, with text from medieval Christmas carols, which he wrote during a month-long Atlantic crossing. Always a favorite, the SCC will also be performing Franz Biebl’s setting of Ave Maria, which was originally scored for men’s voices but later rearranged by the composer himself for full choir.

The choir will also perform Over the Skies of Israel, a piece written by Robert Seely for Seattle’s own Men’s Chorus in 1999. In 2002, the SCC premiered a new arrangement by Mr. Seely for full choir, and we are again proud to be performing this work, a reflection on the spirit and prayers of Hanukah. Joining the chorus as guest artists will be harpist, Bethany Man, the Bells of the Sound hand bell choir, and organist Thomas Joyce.

We hope you will be able to join us for these wonderful performances which, I can guarantee, will provide a few moments of respite, reflection, and enjoyment during the always busy holiday season.

~James Newton, Tenor

SCC SINGS STAR WARS!

I’m sitting on the bus with about 50 other SCC singers, just arriving in Tacoma to pick up a few more as we head down to Portland for our second Star Wars in Concert performance. Last night we had the time of our lives, performing with an 85-piece orchestra and Anthony (C-3PO) Daniels in a grab-the-edge-of-your-seats multi-media light speed trip through the galaxy. Complete with flames, lasers, movie clips, a colossal HD jumbotron screen, and Mr. Daniels’ impeccably delivered narration, the show described the entire Star Wars saga, as the orchestra and singers (us) sent the listeners into orbit.

We arrived around 4 pm and wove through the backstage choked with cables and impressive looking equipment that took up at about 12 semi-trailers. Before our call we had time to wander around and see the immense size of everything involved in this production. The video clip at the bottom of this post shows what it looked like before the audience was there- a pale imitation of the actual performance! But if you really want to see fireworks from the audience's perspective, check it out, this is us at Key Arena*!

It took more time to get us lined up and into our seats than to rehearse our 2 numbers. (Why is it always so hard for choirs to line up?) To our surprise, the conductor, Mark Watters, did not ask for a repeat, courageously assuming we knew what we were doing and would behave like professionals. Of course! Then we had time to tour the lobby which had Star Wars displays of costumes and props such as the guns they used for different characters, and any number of video screens showing the growth of ideas from sketches to fantastic animals and space vehicles used in the various shows.

Finally it was show time! We lined up more quickly, and moved onstage through a dense CO2 fog, with scrim-type curtains surrounding the stage. We all wondered exactly how they would part so the audience could see us, and watched in amazement as some of the scrims whisked up to the ceiling and others dropped to the floor. The audience went nuts about that time, and when the main Star Wars theme came on, the noise was deafening. Then it was our cue. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking singing with a strange conductor and this time was no exception. The music is not difficult in terms of notes, but the rhythms of John Williams are very complex and the orchestral score kept us on our toes, counting, counting, counting. But it did go much better than the rehearsal and we got wildly enthusiastic applause and cheers. As we waited through the first half of the program for our second piece, we could hear Mr. Daniels’ narration but couldn’t really understand what he was saying. We were aware of images above us and to the side of us, but really didn’t have any idea just how much of a sensory blast the audience was getting. I’m glad we now have someone’s video of The Duel of the Fates (see link above)

It was over too soon. We exited at intermission and quite a few of us took advantage of comp tickets and stayed to watch the second half. It was a mind-boggling experience to see what we’d been a part of. And now we get to do it all over again in Portland!

~Ann Griffin, Alto

*a little legal note: the YouTube video embedded above was NOT taken by the SCC or any of it's members. The video below, which illustrates the size and magnitude of the space, however, was taken by me. :-)

Teaser, or Get Ready for 2009-2010

Well kids, it looks like next season is going to be quite something! We have two spectacular concerts lined up, and some really exciting things in the works. Be sure to check back to the Seattle Choral Company website regularly, and just for you out there in the blogosphere, here is a sneak peek at the "look" for next year's Seattle Choral Company Auction... Isn't that DeLovely? ;-)

Keep the Music Coming!

~Kathy, Soprano

The SCC Auction – a great time and successful event!

This past Saturday, the SCC put on its annual fundraising event, the basics of which was discussed on this page previously. It’s an amazing evening that has more things to coordinate than a wedding, more people working at it than a convention, and more stress involved than having to move across country (if for no other reason than if this event doesn’t do well, the SCC would be, in all honesty, in tough straits financially).

The Mambo Italiano, as the auction/dinner/show was known, came off better than even the most optimistic forecasts. First and foremost, the bottom line: our incredibly generous guests made the auction one of the most successful ever and ensured that the SCC will continue on in these tough economic times. To them I’d like to say, and I think I can do so safely on behalf of the entire choir, it’s staff and friends, a most sincere thank you. Without your support, quite simply, the SCC would cease to be, and no one wants that, I don’t think.

As for the evening itself, it was, in no uncertain terms, a heck of a lot of fun! For starters, many of the guests got in the spirit of things and came in outfits to fit the theme. The silent auction provided great opportunities for everyone to get involved, and the live auction was incredibly energetic and enjoyably competitive. The band, led by bassists and arranger Phil Demeree was, to put it mildly, fantastic. And while I may be biased since I was in the show, but the singers did a great job with some real Ratpack-era Italian American classics. After getting to know this music I can see why many households have a picture of Sinatra right next to their picture of the Pope!!

Moreover, the true generosity of donors and buyers alike came to the forefront, and some did on the spot as items were added to the live auction while it was on-going. For example, our Director, Fred Coleman and his partner, Randy Fisher, annually donate an incredible dinner for ten in their home. As two bidders battled back and forth for the honor of enjoying this meal, Randy and Fred decided on the spot to add a second such dinner so both parties could win, and win they did! [Now I just have to figure out how to get myself invited…… ;-) ]

Across the board, from the staff of the Bellevue Hyatt Regency where the event was held, to the lights and sound crews, to the performers and Phil and the rest of the band, and most important to the folks who volunteered so much of their time to set up the actual auction, a "yes we can!" spirit permeated the evening to make it the incredible success it was. Not a bad way to get a great meal, a fantastic show, enjoy some great company, and to come home, with or without having won anything in the auction, knowing that you had supported an incredible and important arts organization in Seattle!

Oh, and one last thing: there is no rest for the weary, however, as planning for next year’s auction is already underway. The theme, you ask? Well, let’s put it this way, “It’s Delovely.” If you like Cole Porter, this could the event for you!

~James Newton, Tenor

History & Mystery of the "Great" Mass

Mambo Italiano: Great food, entertainment & shopping!!!

Every year, the Seattle Choral Company holds a fund-raising auction which includes both a live and silent auction, dinner and drinks, and a performance/variety show along a chosen theme. To say this is an important event for the choir is an understatement as it raises a significant amount of the SCC's operating budget for the year. Simply put, if this event isn't a success, the choir could be in the proverbial weeds. This year, that is more true than ever as the recession has hit and hurt arts organizations just it has banks, lenders and borrowers, etc etc.

The good news, however, is that the choir has an amazing event in the works, which will hopefully meet the challenge and allow the SCC to engage wholly in next year's fantastic season, which starts in the fall!

This fundraiser is being held on May 9, 2009, at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency. The theme of this year's event is "Mambo Italiano" and the show will include such Italian-American classics as Volare, Eh Cumpari, Bouna Sera, That's Amore, and of course, Mambo Italiano itself. Members of the choir will be performing in both ensemble and smaller groupings, complete with costumes and staging. If you're not careful, you may be dragged into the performance! In addition, a fantastic live jazz combo will accompany the singers as well as perform their own set. Then of course comes the amazing food and of course, desserts; Chianti steak with artichoke risotto and broccolini as well as a vegetarian entree of ratatouille stuffed zucchini canoes with marinara sauce. Yum!

To my mind, the dinner and performance is worth the price of admission itself, but then you have the auction as well!  

The fantastic list of items in the auction run the gamut - from coupons to local businesses to a stocked wine cellar to jewelry and art to various services and week-long vacations all around the country. For the record, click here for more information about the auction, what's available, how you can contribute, and registration to attend. It's a fantastic social event with well over a hundred attendees from all around the region - a can't miss event! 

Hope to see you there!