Prayer of the Children

Itasca Community Chorus presents Prayer of the Children in collaboration with the Deer River Middle School Honor Choir, Sunday, May 18th at 4:00 p.m. at the Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids.

Sam Evans, artistic director, says simply, "This is a tribute to all our veterans and their families.  We are so thankful for what you've done and so sorry you had to do it."

Sam has been interviewing local veterans who have served from WWII to the present.  Taped by ICTV, cuts from these interviews will be interspersed between choral numbers.  Modeled after The Band of Brothers, this tribute came to be when Sam realized, upon the death of his wife's grandfather, a WWII vet, how much of the real story we are losing and how fast it disappears.  Questions for the veterans were prompted by the National Veterans' Project.

In December Sam presented the concert plan to the Itasca Choral Society Board and the Grand Rapids' City Council, before submitting a grant proposal for an IRRRB Arts and Culture Grant.  In collaboration with the Itasca Historical Society and ICTV, Itasca Choral Society Board members have worked toward a concert of unsurpassed artistic excellence.

A fine tension between the yearning for peace and the horror of war is maintained throughout the concert.  Most graphic is the Irish folk piece "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" where Johnny's illusions of glory are contrasted with the his wife's acceptance of the legless husband who returns.  An unpublished arrangement of Walter Kittredge's "Tenting on the Old Campground" concludes "Many are the hearts looking for the right to see the dawn of peace [lie] dying on the old campground."

But there's hope too as choir sings of lux aeterna (L. eternal light) "In Remembrance," pleads for mercy on my soul in "Kyrie," and attests "...music and singing have been my refuge [as I] sing, be, live see, PEACE"  in "Earth Song."  "Homeland," "Inscription of Hope,"  and "Give Us Hope" commit to working for a world where the "Prayer of the Children,  "help me to feel the sun again upon my face for when darkness clears, I know you're near bringing peace again" is realized. 

The Itasca Community Chorus has doubled its rehearsal schedule and the Men's Chorus has been meeting overtime to polish "The Soldiers' Chorus" from Faust.  Accompanying various numbers and intensifying the rich sound of the chorus are expert musicians Stuart Boehr, accompanist; Deena Skaja, horn; Loren Squires, soprano sax; and Maria Annoni, guitar.

Thanks to grant monies from Lake Country Power's Operation RoundUp and IRRRB, student and veteran tickets are free with ID and adult tickets are only $8.  Tickets are available from choir members or at the door. This a community event and one of those very rare opportunities to really thank those who have given us so much to secure the freedoms we all enjoy.  

Come early to browse the 80 sq. ft. of historical display by the Itasca Historical Society, stay late to enjoy the reception and visit with veterans and musicians, but most of all just come and enjoy this amazingly rich tribute to all our veterans and their families--Prayer of the Children, Sunday, May 18th at 4:00 p.m. at the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids.

Soup'r Good Needs YOU!

We've the recipes, the cooks, servers and live entertainment.  But what we really need is YOU!  Gather your friends and schedule an evening out Tuesday, March 18 from 5-7:00 at Zion Lutheran Church. On the menu are delicious soups--chicken noodle, chicken wild rice, and hearty beef vegetable and two vegetarian variations, complemented by a choice of breads and crackers. We're preparing 240 servings of soup so if there are any leftovers, they too will be for sale at the end of the evening.  

Come early for the best selection in delicious homemade breads and goodies. Have fun with the silent auction that's featuring everything from paintings to services. 

Throughout the evening there will be live performance by some of the areas best musicians and certainly a lot of lively camaraderie as you interact with the chorus.  And you can leave the dishes for us, too. What more can you ask? 

For a $10 donation for adults and a $5 donation for children 5 and older, you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat evening of soup, bread and song and help Itasca Community Chorus raise the funds necessary to continue its mission of making quality choral music accessible to all. Tickets are available from choir members or at the door.

That's Tuesday, March 18 from 5-7:00 pm at Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. 

 

Prayer of the Children

Itasca Community Chorus reconvened Jan. 7 with 32 hardy singers who braved -35 F temperatures to check out the spring repertoire.  Director Sam Evans shared his vision of a war/peace concert where actual interviews of Itasca County Veterans of Foreign Wars are projected on the wings of the Reif Performing Arts Center. The interviews prefacing the Band of Brothers series and the sparcity of WWII veterans motivated Sam to write an ambitious concert plan with solo cello, soprano clarinet, and trumpet.

Among the selections is unpublished work by Rene' Clausen, "Prayer of the Children," " Inscription of Hope," "Earth Song," and "I Am a Small Part of the World."  All have those wonderful chords and delicate balance that Director Evans emphasizes to help each selection become a part of the soul.

Funding is being sought to contract with ICTV for the interviews and the Itasca County Historical Society for the lobby display.

This is a non-audition chorus for singers who enjoy working hard to create a quality choral concert for the community.  This week we welcome several who could not participate last week and encourage you to come out if you've ever wanted to spend Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 at Zion Lutheran Church in the company of our joyous volunteers.

Wanting Memories, Nov. 24th Concert

Itasca Community Chorus is singing with that old-time college choral sound thanks to the hard work of our new director Sam Evans.  Assisted by his lovely "new" wife Lenora, singers are digging in, rehearsing outside the Tuesday evening formal time together, and laughing a lot during our intense rehearsals.

Sunday, Nov. 24th the 45-piece ensemble will perform at the Reif Performing Arts Center at 3:00 pm.  Repertoire includes wonderfully rich text and scores by Eric Whitacre, Matthew Coulton, and Paul Christianson.  Each selection leaves vocalists asking "How Can I Keep from Singing," but my all time favorite is "Wanting Memories." I'm "sitting here wanting memories to teach me to see the beauty of the world through mine own eyes."

Joining the full choir accompanied by Stuart Boehr is the Deer River Senior High Choir.  This will be a great concert to introduce our seasons of thankfulness and holiday joy.

General admission tickets ($8) are available from choir members or at the door.  Student tickets are free courtesy of the Lake Country Power Operation RoundUp grant.

How Can I Keep from Singing

Yes, choir members.  It's here! Tuesday evening, Sept. 3 at 6:30 pm we start our new season with a fresh, new director Sam Evans and a seasoned, new accompanist Stuart Boehr.  So what's old?  How about a repeat of "How Can I Keep from Singing"?

Come early, pick up your folder, and enjoy getting acquainted with new choir members and old friends.  Better yet, bring new members with you.  Dues are the same as last year--$25 per semester, but the procedures are new:  we'll start singing promptly at 6:30.

If you can't make it, please email  itascacommunitychorus@gmail.com.  That will take you to conversation with Sam. 

See you there on Tuesday, Sept. 3

New Director, New Accompanist, New Season

Tuesday evening, June 11, 2013,  Itasca Community Choir was privileged to audition two outstanding candidates for the position of artistic director.  As singers left, several commented,  “Good luck.  I’m so glad I’m not on the Board.”  

The decision was not easy, but after careful deliberation, Itasca Choral Society President Charlie Talley entertained a motion to offer the 2013-2014 artistic director contract to Sam Evans.  Sam graduated from Concordia with a BA in vocal music education.  

Accompanying the choir this season will be Stuart Boehr, the Zion Lutheran music director.  Stuart looks forward to relinquishing the baton to a director and doing what he loves best—supporting the ensemble from the keyboard.     

The Board greatly appreciates all who turned out for the reading chorus and provided feedback. After Labor Day, we'll see you Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 at the Zion Lutheran Choir Room.  Plan ahead and bring your friends.

It's Young & Old. Song & Dance. It's Broadway. . .

Last evening Itasca Community Chorus was mesmerized by the costumed Reif Dancers who lit up the lyrics "There's No Business Like Show Business." Dancing to the mellow tones of Greg Tuttle's "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and spoofing themselves in Chicago's  "all that jazz," these young women brought energy and fresh appeal to the beloved Broadway music.

Well known directors like Rhoda Flinck, Maria Annoni, and Eileen Grosland warmed the mikes with quality renditions of sections of 100 Years of Broadway and Beyond and narrators filled us in on the history of Broadway while slides of the show posters played on the wings of the Reif.

Several generations of Grand Rapids talented have joined hands in bringing this show alive.  And it's ever so affordable for families--$8 adult general admission thanks to an Arrowhead Regional Arts grant and free student tickets courtesy of a Lake Country Operation RoundUp grant.

 Tickets are available at the door. The Reif seats over 600, so come, savor a live performance, and acquaint yourselves anew with the heartwarming sounds of Broadway music. 

That's this Friday, April 5 at the Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids.