Concert Reflections
Being the choral geek that I am, I counted the number of concerts offered by local choirs from the beginning of spring on March 20 to the beginning of summer just days ago within a 60 mile radius of Portland. There were fifty-one unique choral programs posted on Tom Hard’s Choral Calendar. Again, just local choirs, not counting workshops or those special appearances by Chanticleer, Tallis Scholars and Berkshire Choral International or the wonderful choirs in Eugene, Corvallis, Bend, Ashland and elsewhere.
If we average that out to two-hours per concert that’s one hundred and two hours of choral repertoire offered to us in just over 90 days. And some choirs performed their concerts twice. Point made?
Let’s just pause and give a collective thank you to the thousands of local singers through the entire September to June concert season. None of us can hear you all, dear vocal artists, but we appreciate you. Singer participation numbers and choral audience numbers are up overall. People are singing, people are loving choral music and composers are writing for choirs. And this spring there were several concerts at which new choral works were introduced. Here is a look at some of the new works that came into existence in and because of our singing loving community.
Good Angle
On May 15 Third Angle New Music performed the final concert of their ERAS 40th season for a packed audience at the World Forestry Center’s Miller Hall. Along with striking contemporary works (well done, as usual) by composers Kenji Bunch, David Lang, Sarah Kirkland Snyder and Katerina Gimon, Third Angle performed Following Fire, their newly commissioned world premiere. Premieres are not unusual for Third Angle, but this premiere included photography and poetry and young choral singers. That is unusual for Third Angle.
Following Fire was also an unusual adventure for Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir who not only performed but whose singers wrote the text for Following Fire after attending the World Forestry Center Exhibition of David Paul Rayles’ photographs. The way Rayles captured the five-year trajectory of forest renewal after the devastating 2020 Holiday Farm/Cascade Range fire is stunning; the young singers’ poignant words were then set to music by Kirsten Volness, Iman Habibi and Michael-Thomas Foumai,
What was most musically appealing about the piece was the purposeful “conversation” between voices and instruments. The choir sang and the instruments responded; words and the emotions were heard and validated.
A reaction to a moment in nature documented in photographic art informed by research, illuminated and shared with the public through the poetic, instrumental and choral arts. This kind of multi discipline artistic collaboration is important, and inviting young musicians to share in this kind of creativity is valued added. Well done.
Words of love in song
The Oregon Symphony Lullaby Project performance on May 12 at Alberta Rose Theatre was, as in past years, a beautiful and meaningful community event. The theatre was filled and many in the audience were the families themselves. More than a concert, the Lullaby Project, a worldwide endeavor initiated by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, is an uplifting gift to families whose lives could use a little uplift.
Parents poured their hearts into the texts and all of their words of love, devotion, hope, faith, fear, gratitude and more bubbled to the surface through songs created and sung by our local songwriters.
Kudos to the Oregon Symphony and to their musicians — flutist Zachariah Galatis, vionlinists Inés Voglar Belgique and Vijeta Sathyaraj, violist Amanda Grimm, cellist Kevin Kunkel, and bassists Colin Corner — who performed with such graciousness and good will as each number was rehearsed and then recorded from midafternoon through the early evening concert.
Since we are musing about premieres it seems appropriate to point out that the Project premiered 17 songs composed and performed by 12 local singer/songwriters. Their task began in March, meeting with parents associated with Portland’s Path Home; five of those songwriters also wrote a second song with The Family Preservation Project for a parent at Coffee Creek Women’s Correctional Facility. This May, OPB’s “Think Out Loud” interviewed Coffee Creek parent Ada McGraw, Jessica Katz of the Family Preservation Project and songwriter Bre Gregg about a Lullaby on which they collaborated in 2025; listen to or read that interview here.
The family-centered texts that became beautiful melodies and rhythms and patterns were set in intricate instrumental settings by 5 more local composers. Now you can hear all of these beautiful songs recorded at Alberta Rose before or during the concert. Here are some of the highlights.
In concert, several parents joined the teaching artists on stage like Stephanie Schneiderman who was joined by Samantha and child for “My Greatest Joy”. On the recordings you can hear Naomi LaViolette and J-Beleen letting the emotions flow in “My Love To You” and Miranda singing to her “Beautiful Baby,” with Beth Wood.
Versatility of texture and vibe can be heard in two Ximena Violante songs. “Mis cuatro Amores” with Carelis and “Son mi Castillo” with Jessica.
The songs help eyelids droop before blissful sleep, as in “Rosumi’s Song” with Marilyn Keller, or bring a joyful message guaranteed to bring sweet dreams, as in “With Me Through Time” by Amanda with Lullaby Project Artistic Director Marianna Thielen. They are the loving soundtrack of a family.
Several Lullabies are set to the family’s spoken and/or musical language as in “Tu eres Bendicion” by Patricia with Anna Tivel, “Un Pericito del cielo” by Isabella and Kyleen King and “Nei Ajeneninijeng” by Tara with Yawa aka Amento Abioto.
In ”Mama’s Favorite Place,” Sarah Clark and Keshara demonstrate how a few words in a swaying rhythm can say all that needs to be said about where home really is.
Then Holcombe Waller took the stage with a song that transported us right to the child’s bedside, surrounded by puzzles and toys and “penguin Mimi”; and an entire narrative about the meaning of “home-made love.” It was then that I realized I had been so entranced by the songs’ construction I almost forgot to just enjoy the beautiful voices of all of the singers. Waller’s voice woke me up. Listen to Melvina and Waller’s “The Beginning of Everything”.
How can we best show our appreciation to these mostly independent songwriters and performing artists? Summer is a great time to catch many of these artists at wineries, festival and community gatherings which, in many cases like the Bridgeport Village Commons concerts, are free. Here are the artists and links to their websites:
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Interesting that the above two premiere projects, Lullaby and Following Fire, have a few things in common. The most obvious commonality is that the respective premieres were created by Oregonians to share Oregon stories: One an artistic reflection on the power of nature, the other artistic reflections on the living connection between parent and child. But also in both endeavors the collaborative process of creating these original works is the broader worth.
Beyond one grain
Many opportunities were offered in Resonance Ensemble’s “A Grain of Sand, Revisited” concert on June 7 at Alberta Rose Theatre. Resonance Ensemble Associate Conductor Shohei Kobayashi, Adrianna Tam and Paolo Debuque put together a concert that not only revisited the iconic 1973 album A Grain of Sand but revisits their own lives within a broad Asian community.
The three conductors offered their life experiences: revelations about heritage, difficulties around self awareness and image and about blatant snubs and unkindnesses and responsibility. All of the personal stories were illuminated in the repertoire predominantly by Asian or Asian American composers.
The sheer beauty of the precious solo work Something About Me Today performed by Adrianna Tam set the concert’s purposeful and contemplative tone. Then Tam spoke clearly, bluntly and with an ironic humor sprinkled with grains of truth.
Some of the music in this concert was wonderfully complex. Professional singers like those on stage for this concert love to stretch their capabilities on challenging repertoire and they met that challenge even singing under three different conductors. On the wonderful Ma ziltu hayyan (I Am Still Alive) by Shireen Abu-Khader, which excerpts lines from Al Jidariyya (The Mural) by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, the unison tenors and basses were silky smooth. But behind Resonance’s equally silky and powerful trebles that lovely lower voice sound was muted. Perfection but a riser away.
If the audience was only seeking an opportunity to be introduced to a body of choral music by Asian composers they were well satisfied. If the Resonance fans attended to hear the excellent choral music they have come to expect they were well satisfied. If folks wanted to engage with music that has the power to reshape perceptions, to affirm self or to form community bonds, it was there. If you just wanted the opportunity to sit back and experience beautiful music, you certainly got that. This Resonance concert offered opportunities.
A Celebratory Commission
Performing organizations often commission works to commemorate notable occasions. So it was with Corvallis Repertory Singers who commissioned Philadelphia-based Melissa Dunphy to compose Judith, a work in honor of their 25th anniversary season. If Dunphy’s name sounds familiar it might be because you were fortunate enough to hear New Wave Opera’s production of Dunphy’s Alice Tierney last summer. Listen to NWO co-founder Lisa Neher perform “Dirt” from Alice Tierney, at a backyard preview concert and read OAW’s review of the full performance here.
But your first introductions to Melissa Dunphy may have been when Resonance Ensemble performed What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach in 2018 and commissioned and performed the world premiere of Dunphy’s LISTEN on their “Women Singing Women” concert in 2019. Resonance later featured the work, along with Portland composers Stacey Philipps and Renee Favand-See and more, on their 2023 LISTEN album named for Dunphy’s work. Read more about those Resonance collaborations with Dunphy here.
Dunphy attended the Corvallis Repertory Singers premiere. Do any of you get excited about meeting “the actual composer” at a concert premiere? I sure do (remember, geek). And so did the approximately 60 folks who attended Dunphy’s pre-concert talk about her body of work, composing process and about her piece soon to emerge in the concert hall delivery room.
The composer, a gracious and engaging speaker, immediately established contact with the crowd, allowing as how a premiere is always nervous making for her. Not only was Dunphy prepared to chat, she and Oregon State University professor Tekla Bude — who specializes in Medieval languages and also sings in CRS — provided historical background, spoke of the beauty of the Old English text and displayed artwork, including that of Artemisia Gentileschi, whose story and art served to inspire Dunphy in the creation of Judith.
Judith is scored for double choir, a perfect configuration for the cascading “Gloria” with which Dunphy begins the work. Texts were chosen from a middle portion of the Nowell’s Codex (Beowulf manuscript) poetic translation of the Book of Judith and Dunphy doesn’t ease in; the Hebrew heroine, now holding the head of the Assyrian warlord Holofernes in her hands, is feeling pretty confident at this point in the narrative and so begins the work. “Glory for eternity!” Judith has accomplished her first deed. With harmonic sashaying and teasing modalities in the first sixteen measures the music settles into a position of stable power with undercurrents. But now Judith must address her people and inspire them to face the enemy forces.
In the next segment, a brief fugue in the first choir begins the conversation. Tension escalates as Judith illuminates the grievous crimes of Holofernes. “Prepare yourself with haste to fight” rings out. Dunphy builds that tension with alternating moments of homophonic bluntness, befitting the straightforward Old English narrative style, and quick-change choral progressions and fugal snippets as if what Judith is proclaiming is being relayed from person to person in the crowd. Thus fortified, the people set off with another round of “Glory!”
This is music that paints suspense and emotion with a deeper passion than exists on the surface in the Old English the lines of poetry. That is the gift Dunphy offers the choral world.
She is a choral storyteller, composing right into emotion of the moment whether she is setting the of words of modern-day champions like Anita Hill and Phillip Spooner or the early American voice of Abigail Adams, as set in Dunphy’s Remember the Ladies.
Many of her choral works are stories of meaning, stories that need to be told. Choral non-fiction with overtones of social commentary. Never heard of that genre of choral work? Melissa Dunphy is helping to define it with singable, audience accessible and beautiful music. Check out all of the her works, including operas, art songs, chamber and orchestral music and more, on her website.
Corvallis Repertory Singers’ performance of Judith was a joy. And what canny programming to select Ola Gjeilo’s Luminous Night of the Soul to follow the Judith premiere.
My only hope is that when Judith is performed again – as it will be very soon – Artemisia Gentileschi’s inspirational art will be shown as a backdrop and the text translation will be rolling on screen. The story should unfold with the music.
Haven’t heard a choral concert in OSU’s wonderful Patricia Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx)? Check it out. There is plenty of choral music and more on the calendar. It is a terrific choral hall, a worthy acoustic model for any new concert halls under current consideration. Wink, wink.
Commissioned by In Medio
On Sunday, June 7, In Medio premiered their commissioned work by Canadian composer Don Macdonald within a concert of music only by Macdonald. Seventy or so minutes of the music of one composer, even if it is an oratorio or symphony or mass, must offer varieties in texture, of performing forces and/or a stimulating throughline. For this, Macdonald was a good choice. He has a rich catalog of choral works and In Medio represented many of them beautifully.
In Medio’s audience after five active years trusts the high quality of musicianship and trusts the choice of repertoire. And In Medio put their trust in one of their singers, poet and local educator Sara Quinn Rivara, to supply the text for the Macdonald commission, Two Songs. Kudos to all for a compact work, with precious text, for treble soprano and choir which complemented the titular Macdonald work on the concert, Tabula Rasa, in the theme of life unfolding.
Another good reason for a In Medio to perform this all-Macdonald concert is to showcase works they will be including on their all-Macdonald album. We’ll be sure to let you know when that has been released. In the meantime, check out the works of Don Macdonald right here.
Connections
Post your events!
Sing it out, friends. Oregon Arts Watch has just launched ArtsLink Events. Already humming are the first two phases of ArtsLink. This Events phase is where you can let the community know about your artist events: dance, choral, orchestra, art exhibits and more. Free outreach to thousands of art lovers. Be among the first to post and, as OAW Editor Laura Grames writes:
“Spread the word! ArtsLink is only as successful as the people who make it happen. When all the engines are firing, everyone will be able to see in one place the full range of our vibrant arts community, which will strengthen its ability to advocate for itself.”
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