New York City Here We Come/ or Not!

Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY) announced May 23, 2014 that Director Sam Evans and the Itasca Community Chorus have been invited to participate in a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem on the DCINY Concert Series in New York City.  This performance is planned to take place on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium.  These outstanding musicians will join with other choristers to form the Distinguished Concert Singers International, a choir of distinction.

So show up at the Zion choir room, Thursday, June 26 at 6:00 pm to make your first payment of $300 and vote on which Broadway show we'll see. 

How exciting is that!

Tribute to Veterans Hardly Begun

After after after. . . . Always the feeling of letdown, especially after a superb performance like yesterday's Prayer of the Children. So many worked so hard and so long to bring The Prayer of the Children together. So here are the kudos for all.

But in truth, it's hardly begun.  The historical display has migrated to Central Square Mall where more people can see the work and pay tribute to those veterans who've served the USA from WWII to the present.  At the end of the week, it will move again to Itasca County Courthouse.

The reception remainders moved to Grace House last evening where the homeless can enjoy the treats. 

ICTV has sent a press release alerting area media to Veteran Day activities.  Among the activities is viewing of the concert and the interfaced veteran interviews.Tron was busy editing the coverage this afternoon.

The congratulatory letters are arriving, the professionals are reviewing the performance for the grantees, the grant reports are in the process of being completed, and choir members are wondering what they'll do without the wonderful music and activity of the past 20 weeks.  And the invoices are coming in. . . .

Plans are coming together for fall including a collaboration with the The Great Northern Union, Oct. 3rd at the Reif.  The fall concert will center on a holiday theme so until September, fill your Tuesday nights with good memories and all the other good things in your life, choir members.  If you're missing the music, call ICTV next week and order a DVD of the concert. 

And please do keep The Prayer of the Children in your hearts and minds. 

Veteran Tribute Concert--May 18th

The Prayer of the Children concert coming up Sunday, May 18^th at the Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids, MN is one of the best examples of collaboration in the area.  Partially funded by an IRRRB Culture and Tourism grant, this quality choral presentation was inspired by Director Sam Evans’ realization that WWII veterans are leaving us without having told their stories, without having instilled in us the values they fought so valiantly to preserve. 

Included in the presentation are clips from interviews Sam did with local veterans—WWII to the present.  Taped and edited by ICTV, these will be beamed on the wings of the Reif. Eighty square feet of Itasca Historical Society display board, including the Naval plank and full dress uniforms greet you as you enter the Reif. The concert itself is10 quality choral numbers, two of which include the Deer River Middle School Honors choir. Following the concert, enjoy a light snack and visit with the interviewees and singers.

                                                     

This is not a naïve performance.  It acknowledges the hardship of war from the start. “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye,” based on an Irish folk tune sets the heart thrumming with the sound of guns and drums while the female narrator works through the process of how she can accept and love Johnny, who abandoned her and the unborn child and now returns with no gentle look in his eye nor dance in his heart.  In fact, he has no  legs with which to run.

The title piece “Prayer of the Children” is best explained by its composer Kurt Bestor:  http://kbestor.blogspot.com/2005/09/prayer-of-children-story-behind-song.html

Every number is equally powerful in its own way.  Capitalizing on his superb training by Concordia’s reknown director Rene Clausen, Sam has tuned this chorus of high school vocalists to octogenerians to a fine resonance that works the heart and soul through all the nuances of hope and grief over what war does to us all.  The accompanists Stuart Boehr, Maria Annoni, Deena Skaja, and Loren Squires are equally well-trained and sensitive musicians who almost instinctively respond to the shaping of sound to support the choral lyrics and musical score. 

And best of all—this concert is a gratitude concert to and for community.  Adult tickets are only $8 at the door; student tickets are free (courtesy of a Lake Country RoundUp grant) and veterans tickets are free (courtesy of the the Itasca Community Choir’s fundraising).  

The excitement is building and nearly everyone I talk with about this concert has a story to share.  Please come and join this community event.