In a set of three concerts titled “I Dreamed of Rain,” the Rainshadow Chorale will sing in Port Angeles and Port Townsend this week alongside three well-known local musicians.
The chorale will join pianist Lisa Lanza, cellist Madelyn Kowalski and oboist Anne Krabill at these venues:
■ Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 Lopez Ave., Port Angeles, this Friday at 7 p.m., with admission a suggested $15 donation at the door.
■ Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave., Port Townsend, both Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m., where admission is a suggested $20 for adults. For students ages 10 to 18, the suggested donation is $10 or whatever the attendee can afford. A centerpiece of the program is “The Peace of Wild Things,” Wendell Berry’s poem set to music by Jake Runestad, an emerging star in American choral composing. The poetry of Langston Hughes and Sara Teasdale are also part of these concerts.
“I like texts that matter . . . that say something important,” Rainshadow Chorale director Rebecca Rottsolk said in a news release.
Harmony, peace
She added that the “I Dreamed of Rain” name was chosen last year as Washington state was experiencing a drought, and people were hoping for relief.
Now in a wetter season, the theme is more about the hope for harmony and peace.
Rottsolk noted too that the singers enjoy a harmonious working relationship with Lanza, their accompanist.
“We are a great team,” she said.
“When I see music with a complex and beautiful part for piano, I know I have the pianist who can make that work superbly.”
To add even more to the three concerts, Krabill, a member of the Port Angeles Symphony and the Port Townsend Community Orchestra, and Kowalski, a high school senior who recently won first place in the National Music Teachers Association’s statewide competition, will offer “Gabriel’s Oboe.” The chorus will serve as background for this piece, the theme Italian composer Ennio Morricone wrote for the movie “The Mission.”
To find out more about the ensemble and its performances, see RainshadowChorale.org or contact concert production manager Bev Schaaf at 360-379-3458 or bevschaaf@gmail.com.
