SEQUIM — Port Angeles songwriter Michael Rivers, best known for his work as the director of the Peninsula Men’s Gospel Singers, will release his third solo CD, “Surrender,” at a concert at 7 tonight.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. at Calvary Chapel Sequim, 91 S. Boyce Road.
Admission to the concert is by a suggested donation of $10 per person, which includes a copy of the five-song CD.
Rivers said that the first two songs on the recording, “Ruth’s Song” and “The Ones We Love,” were submitted to this year’s Tidepools contest at Peninsula College and both were selected for publication, having earned first and second place.
Rivers has directed the gospel choir for 15 years and several members of the choir will join him at the CD release concert to perform music he has composed for them as well as an arrangement of “Danny Boy.”
Rivers will accompany himself on acoustic guitar and piano on his original folk/gospel songs.
Joining him in the concert are violinists JoDee Ahmann and Kate Dean, violist Tyrone Beatty and cellist Marlene Moore — all of whom will perform as a string quartet on a piece titled “Love Comes Crawling.” Moore also will play cello for “The Ones We Love.”
Opening the concert will be Rivers’ son, David Isaac Rivers — best known for his work with Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys and as a guitarist with fiddler Kate Powers — who will perform a short set of his own original and singalong songs.
Several local musicians including Powers, Jeremy Cays and Leo Bidne have contributed to the recording.
Rivers said “Surrender” is a collection of songs that deal with those times in life, both good and bad, “when we face an opportunity to yield to something bigger than ourselves and trust that love will find us.”
He said it is his best hope that listeners will come and be blessed.
For more information, call or text 360-808-7050 or email nmrivers@olypen.com.
