Director Catherine Pederson conducts the Orcas Choral Society at this spring's school benefit concert.
By Kathi Ciskowski
From the warmth and movement of the Argentinian tango, to the poetic images of England’s Lake District, then back home to the world of Hoagy Carmichael, Orcas Choral Society offers the listener a chance to travel in musical time and memory during the upcoming concerts on Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 17 at 3 pm at the Orcas Center.
Focusing on romantic, humorous, and spirited songs for spring, “Songs on the Lighter Side” is a contrast to the Faure “Requiem” the group performed in March. Directed by Catherine Pederson and accompanied by Patty Johnson, Orcas Choral Society welcomes guest instrumentalists Dimitri Stankevich playing tuba and Linda Slone, flute.
“Blue Tango” by Leroy Anderson, will be directed by Eric Gourley while Catherine Pederson and Patty Johnson play a 4 hand piano accompaniment. Tango dancing by Stan Miller (charter member of the group) and his wife Kay will fully complement this dynamic piece sung by the choir. Also in the romantic realm, “Hoagy Carmichael-A Choral Portrait” includes a medley of favorites such as “Star Dust”, “Heart and Soul”, “Georgia on my Mind,” “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” “Lazy River,” and, featuring soloists, Denise Thomasin and John Heath, “The Nearness of You.”
Traditional Irish folksong,” The Whistling Gypsy,” with soloist Wally Logan, and “Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One,” also follow a more sedate romantic springtime theme. “Three Hungarian Folksongs” by Matyas Seiber and A.L. Lloyd is a unique a cappella piece of beauty, whimsy, and absurdity.
A romance with nature emanates from the English romantic poet, William Wordsworth who wrote the text for the piece “There Was A Time” composed by Dr. Donna Gartman Schultz from Tacoma. The words are taken from a poem entitled “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” In an unusual pairing, Dimitri Stankevich provides a tuba counterpoint to this song composed for tuba and choir.
As island dwellers, Orcas Choral Society members and the audience can share the emotions emanating from British Columbia composer Dave Baker’s song “This Land is What I Am”. His line “My island home is calling me, where the wild and swirling waters greet the sea…” gives a flavor of the upbeat but locally meaningful lyrics to the piece.
Nature continues to receive her musical due, looking upward with “I Cannot Count the Stars” by Eugene Butler and back to the earth with “The Month of May” and “Afton Water”, the latter featuring soloist Caroline Scott.
Another Northwest composer, Melinda Bargreen wrote the bluesy “The Big Easy on my Mind” after Hurricane Katrina. Proceeds from the sale of the song were used to benefit the Katrina victims.
Pam Evans is the soloist for the traditional spiritual “The Lily of the Valley” while “Soon and Very Soon” has the choir actually moving their feet!
Tickets are available from the Orcas Center Box Office at 376-2281, via the Orcas Center website www.orcascenter.org, or during normal Orcas Center Box Office hours. They are $10 for adults and $3 for students and children.
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