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Event
Joined Voices - Avant Garde Composers meet The Camas High School Choir
Over a year in the making, Joined Voices is the brainchild of Portland composer Alan Singley and Camas High School Choir director Ethan Chessin, who realized that Portland boasts both a nationally renowned indie rock scene and excellent high school choirs, but that the two communities rarely interact.
Joined Voices, will be unlike any high school choir concert or indie rock show.
----- Alan Singley -----
An accomplished songwriter, Alan Singley visited Camas High School several times to give lessons on songwriting and test out his ideas while composing four pieces: two settings of Gary Snyder poems, one choral arrangement of a song by the local band Point Juncture, WA, and one wholly original work. The partnership was an education for the students and Singley alike. Camas student Hayley Glover appreciated seeing the composition process from beginning to end: "Watching his vision for the piece develop really helped me to envision what he wanted."
----- Ethan Chessin, Director -----
Camas High School Choir director Ethan Chessin, a former trombonist with Portland's beloved MarchFourth Marching Band with a music degree from Yale, was perfectly situated to negotiate between choir and indie rock. He has performed with several local bands and choirs, but his first experience on the podium in Portland was as director of the Dahoo Chorus, an experimental rock opera choir that covered Queen, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.
Chessin is enthusiastic about this partnership: "Portland audiences are used to an incredible variety of interesting live music. It's about time our high school ensembles were recognized as an extraordinary part of this musical ecosystem."
----- Lisa Adams / Sama Dams -----
Lisa Adams, who sings with the popular local band Sama Dams, took the collaboration in a different direction, arranging two pieces by her band for the choir. Sama Dams has been touring extensively following the November release of their latest album, Comfort in Doubt, but have carved out time for rehearsals with the choir and are looking forward to performing their songs in an extraordinary setting.
Choir students at Camas High School have been active participants from the beginning of this project, creating their own compositions with assistance from guest artists.
----- Felix and Obelix -----
Prague-based composer Wendy Spitzer, who writes and performs under the name Felix Obelix, held several Skype sessions with students, interviewing them on their interests and desires before writing two pieces: a history of a church in the Czech Republic decorated in human bones, and a reflection on violent thinking among teenage girls. "I was blown away when I saw what she composed," said Camas student Andrew Henson.
----- Aldo Rohlfs -----
The final collaborator, Aldo Rohlfs, who writes and produces music and films in Mexico, has a daughter at Camas High School. He was inspired to write a piece for the group after visiting a rehearsal. The product, "Universal Language", is an homage to the power of music to connect people across continents, language barriers, and communities. It may also be a fitting sentiment for a project that has already brought together musicians from Portland and its suburbs, from rock stars to freshmen. Kai Ejan, a Camas choir member, agrees: "It'll be unlike any experience that anyone else will get to have as a high school choir."
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LocationFirst Congregational Church (View)
1126 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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