PORT TOWNSEND — Poetry — from Emily Dickinson, W.B. Yeats, Wendell Berry and others — will be set to contemporary composers’ music in three RainShadow Chorale concerts this weekend.
The first performance was Friday night in Port Angeles; the group performs Saturday and Sunday in Port Townsend.
“Breaths . . . When the Fire’s Voice Is Heard . . .” is the title of this trio of performances by the 38-voice chorale with its director Rebecca Rottsolk and accompanist Lisa Lanza.
Concert time is 7:30 tonight (Saturday night) at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave. in Port Townsend, and finally at 3:30 p.m. Sunday also at the Quimper Fellowship.
Tickets will be available at the door of each venue for a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for children age 10 to 18.
The concerts will take listeners through a progression of texts by the American and Irish poets, set to music by modern writers Ola Gjeilo, Craig Hella Johnson, Joan Szymko and Shawn Kirchner.
This program explores the search for wholeness, peace and beauty — finding one’s “Innisfree” like the one in Yeats’ verse.
“The music is compelling and wide-ranging, from new classics to well-known popular songs by Dolly Parton and Carly Simon,” she added.
The concerts have songs sung by men or women only as well as by the full choir, and “moments that are quiet and thought-provoking to ones of exuberant celebration.
“This was an especially exciting program to develop,” Rottsolk said. “The singers love working on the music.”
Cherry Chenruk-Geelan, who joined the chorale last year, called it all a challenge and an inspiration.
“I love singing with a group that has such a nice, cohesive sound,” she said.
“Each piece has a voice that I feel will speak to everyone listening . . . an uplifting message that will move people,” said Kathleen Schott, another singer.
RainShadow, formed in 1997, is an auditioned chorale devoted to performing a wide spectrum of choral repertoire. For more information, see www.rainshadowchorale.org.
