Noteworthy News, January 8, 2021
Happy New Year!
Important upcoming dates:
Monday, January 25, 7 pm 1st session, Virtual Masterworks Series (Zoom)
Monday, February 22, 7 pm 2nd session, Virtual Masterworks Series (Zoom)
Our first meeting of the Virtual Masterworks Series will feature Joshua Habermann, who will share his expertise and lead us in a reading of the Verdi Requiem. Dr. Habermann is currently the Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale as well as the Chorus Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He was Assistant Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Grammy nominee for best choral recording and album in 2009. As a singer, he has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene. Here is a LINK for more information about our guest. The special link for Choir members to attend the Zoom meeting will be included in next week's Noteworthy News. The choral score for us to read (sing) will be shared as a part of the Zoom meeting.
Our Masterworks Series will be a special opportunity for us to work with conductors from outside the Portland area who have expertise in the work presented. These four Zoom gatherings are designed to add a depth of understanding of the work while giving us the opportunity to get together (virtually) and keep singing. They are in place of our "normal rehearsals" for the next few months. Hopefully, a calming of the Coronavirus (distribution of the vaccine) will result in our ability to sing and really be together as an ensemble. For now, we Zoom. More information about the Masterworks Series can be found on our website, pschoir.org.
Our recent Wintersong concert was successfully shared worldwide. As of a few days ago, there have been over 1000 "views" on YouTube, over 1900 views via our website, and over 12,000 views via Facebook! Due to the financial limitations with our Musicians Union Agreement (instrumentalists) those pieces with instrumental accompaniment can only be available to view for 30 days -- meaning we have until January 12 to relive the concert and share it with our friends. The easiest way to access the recording is to visit www.pschoir.org, scroll down, and click on the Wintersong play button (the triangle). Here are some helpful links to share:
Full Virtual Wintersong Concert
Gaudete
I Wonder As I Wander
This month, the Portland and Seattle area news publication The Skanner made a generous donation to the Portland Symphonic Choir's Lift Every Voice & Sing virtual project, benefitting Don't Shoot Portland. The Skanner will be featuring Lift Every Voice at their yearly breakfast meeting this month, held virtually, of course. We are grateful to The Skanner for their support! (To view and share our Lift Every Voice & Sing virtual project, click here).