PORT TOWNSEND — The Summertime Singers will return for their ninth appearance at the Candlelight Concert Series at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The concert will be performed at Port Townsend’s oldest Victorian Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, 609 Taylor St. across from the Community Center, Uptown.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. Admission is by a suggested $10 donation, with children admitted free. Refreshments will be served following the performance.
Summertime Singers includes singers from local church choirs, Community Chorus, RainShadow and other music groups.
Colleen Johnson and Jonathan Stafford will conduct. Pianist Helen Lauritzen and cellist Maryann Tapiro will accompany the Singers.
“The musical theme for this year’s performance is “Bel Canto,” which means beautiful singing,” Johnson said. “That is our goal for this Candlelight Concert.”
Classics are planned for the first half of the program, with a second half of upbeat and lively pieces.
“The classical pieces stretch us — they are technically challenging, yet have proven over the centuries to be worth the effort, and they let us exercise our language skills,” Johnson said.
Selections include Bruckner’s “Locus Iste” in Latin, Bach’s motet “Lobet Den Herrn” and Brahms’s “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” in German, and Faure’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” in French. Translations will be provided.
The remainder of the concert consists of spirituals and gospel songs, with some spots for audience sing-along.
Of special note is Shawn Kirchner’s “Eye for Eye,” a prayer for peace based on Gandhi’s statement, “An eye for an eye only makes the world blind.”
“I believe our program is an attempt to understand the divine with music, a chance to explore the unknowable and immutable,” Stafford said.
“It is part of Port Townsend’s culture to love beautiful music done well, and we’ve been so fortunate to have dedicated musicians who want to spend part of the summer creating something wonderful.”
For more information, call 360-774-1644 or email rdanpurnell@msn.com.
