SEQUIM — It will be an afternoon celebrating two of life’s sweet things: song and friendship.
The Peninsula Singers, with conductor Dewey Ehling, will host a singular concert at 2 p.m. today (Sunday) to benefit Brian Doig, one of their longtime members.
Doig, 69, is recovering from double lung transplant surgery necessitated by interstitial lung disease.
“While he has good insurance coverage, the not-covered expenses are overwhelming, so we are trying to help him out,” said Ehling.
The concert venue, Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., has been provided at no charge, and admission will be by donation.
Today’s (Sunday’s) musical program includes performers from the many groups Doig has been a part of, from the Port Angeles Light Opera Association and Olympic Theatre Arts to the Sequim Community Chorus and Readers Theatre Plus.
It all begins with the Peninsula Singers offering “Sure on This Shining Night,” the 1934 piece by Samuel Barber; then come Vicki Helwick’s rendition of Alan Menken’s “Somewhere That’s Green;” a piano solo by Gary McRoberts; Karen Pritchard’s “The Boy from . . .” by Stephen Sondheim and Trent Pomeroy’s “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Sammy Fain.
The Peninsula Singers will step up again to offer “Choose Something Like a Star” from “Frostiana;” Geri Zanon and Ray Hanson will sing “Do You Love Me?” from “Fiddler on the Roof” and Joel Yelland will do “Wonderful,” a song from the musical “Wicked.”
Then it’s two more from that show: “Defying Gravity” sung by Jaie Livingstone and “For Good” with Livingstone and Yelland. A pair of numbers from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” follow, featuring Ric Munhall and Linda Grubb.
The comedy keeps coming with “All Those Christmas Cliches” by Elise Ray, one of the singers in the forthcoming “Winter Wonderettes” show. That musical revue will arrive at the Dungeness Schoolhouse in November; information is at www.ReadersTheatrePlus.com.
“Beautiful Dreamer,” the Stephen Foster classic, will be sung by Pomeroy and the Peninsula Singers, and to close the concert, the singers will offer Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”
Yet goodbye is not to be the final word.
Seven months after his transplant on Feb. 21, Doig is doing well.
He sorely misses singing, as he hasn’t been able to perform since “Plaid Tidings” at the Dungeness Schoolhouse in November 2011. Now, he’s working on his exercise regimen, gaining weight and setting his sights.
“Brian plans to sing with us next spring,” said Ehling.
He added that while Doig is not the spotlight-craving type, he’ll be at today’s (Sunday’s) event.
Ehling invites concert-goers to stay for an informal reception with the performers and the Doig family, which includes his wife of 28 years, Anne, and his daughters Tricia Stratton and Lorrie Kuss, who is also a singer.
Those who can’t attend but who would like to support Doig may visit www.CaringBridge.org and search for the Brian Doig page. More information is also available at 360-457-4250.
