PORT TOWNSEND — A cappella is singing without a net.
That’s how the Wild Rose Chorale has performed — without instrumental accompaniment — since 1992. The singers do it again in two upcoming spring concerts at 7:30 tonight and Saturday, June 8.
Both will be at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.
Admission for the Wild Rose Chorale concerts is a suggested $18 donation at the door.
The Port Townsend nine-voice ensemble is known for singing pop, jazz, folk, show tunes, lush ballads and novelty numbers – simply put, any songs that have interesting, complex, or rich harmonies, said Lyn Nowak, a member of the group, in a press release.
“Precision is key in such an intimate setting,” soprano Sarah Gustner-Hewitt, who is in her first year with this group, told Nowak.
“If you miss a note or an entrance, you stand out. In a concert setting, there really is no room for error.”
Baritone Doug Rodgers concurred.
“There’s no place to hide with only nine of us.”
Gustner-Hewitt said it is definitely a challenge, but she is enjoying the payoff when voices come together and gel to create one sound.
That’s what Charles Helman, a longtime tenor in the group, believes, too, said Nowak, an alto.
He likes hearing others and appreciates when all the parts unite as a cohesive whole. He said he gains a sense of accomplishment after a concert and feels invigorated.
Helman and director Leslie Lewis emphasized that the group is like a family. Some singers have come and gone; in the past the ensemble has numbered as many as 12 and as few as seven, but many members have sung with the group for nearly 20 years or longer.
“I love the support we give one another. And I love the interplay as we sing, both with our faces and in our harmonies,” Lewis said.
“It’s so much fun to sing with such a hardworking group,” Gustner-Hewitt said.
It will be the last pair of concerts for another longtime member, Marj Iuro, who is leaving Port Townsend in June.
“Losing Marj, who has been a member since 1997, will be a big change that will impact the group,” Lewis said. “We have fashioned our sound around our membership. Each new addition and each loss require a bit of a shuffle, but Marj has been with us longer so it will be a real adjustment.
“Marj has contributed her voice, her ability to harmonize on any part — from tenor to alto to soprano. She has brought solid musicianship and rhythmic skills. And she has contributed her stage presence and personality, which is our hallmark.”
Iuro remembers seeing an ad for a soprano more than 22 years ago. “After a few rounds of auditions, I got the gig and have never regretted a moment.”
She grew up in a musical family and enjoyed singing solos “as much as the next singer,” she said, but her true love has always been choral singing, and she calls participating in Wild Rose Chorale the pinnacle of her singing career. “I will cherish my time with this group forever.”
“We hope to send her off to her next chapter with a smile on her face and a song in her heart,” Lewis said.
The singers are reviving some of Iuro’s favorite songs from the last two decades, including many familiar melodies, but most incorporate something unexpected. Gustner-Hewitt said those twists keep it interesting. Listeners can expect to hear favorites such as “Lullabye,” made famous by Billy Joel, the folk song “Shenendoah,” and Queen’s “Seaside Rendezvous.”
Bass Al Thompson summed up his appreciation for singing with the Wild Rose Chorale: He likes making music with friends — and making friendly music. “This town has a rich musical culture and being part of that is both humbling and exciting.”
These singers love to sing for themselves and for the community.
“Singing fills my soul, and when I’m down, it lifts me up,” Helman said.
“I really believe that people who take in one of our shows will leave feeling better than they did before they arrived.”
For information, visit wildrosechorale.org or call 360-385-1402.
