Noteworthy News, August 28th
Today is an important day. On this date in 1963, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr gave his I Have a Dream speech before an estimated crowd of 250,000 people in Washington DC. In commemoration of that event and supporting the Black Lives Matter initiative, today our Choir has premiered a new arrangement of Lift Every Voice and Sing, long considered to be the Black National Anthem. As members of the Portland Symphonic Choir, we find ourselves participating in a digital outreach to our community which is now anywhere in the world where folks can connect to the internet. It's certainly different than standing on risers and singing to an audience. And in this temporary "new normal," we accomplish a worthwhile connection to humanity. Click on the LINK to view our presentation.
This is also the time when we need to start counting voices for our upcoming season. As promised, here is the LINK for this year's returning member's survey to let Alissa and Wendy know that you plan on participating. I'm also including a LINK to the Members page of our website (remember the password? hint: pschoir) for a listing of rehearsal dates and times. Our first "performance" is now less than a month away, September Sings on the 14th and 21st. More details next week.
From Alissa: Even though we cannot currently make music as a choir in the traditional sense, it's still important that our members (you) participate in our virtual season. Staying connected to our choral community isn't merely healthy for active members, it also benefits our alumni and our community supporters. In addition, if we don't use it, we lose it! Keeping our voices, our minds, and our skills in shape will ensure that when we can finally start practicing together again, we can hit the ground running. And remember, members who participate in 70% of the virtual season will not be required to sing a voice-check for the 2021-22 season.
From Wendy: As you know, our Lift Every Voice and Sing video premiered today in tandem with the March on Washington. I can not thank you enough for using your voices for this cause. Not only did you learn a commissioned piece virtually but you sang it with heart and soul. Thank you for being willing to go on this new journey. I am proud to be part of an organization that is willing to take action and stand in solidarity. Please share the video with your friends and family and encourage all to donate to Don’t Shoot Portland.
We need old stuff! Alissa is working with some of our alumni to collect/organize/archive various items of interest from PSC's past. If you have old photos or newspaper clippings of Portland Symphonic Choir activities, please share them via the Legacy Project Upload button on the Member page of the website (pswd=pschoir). Questions? Contact Allissa (alissa@pschoir.org).
Upcoming Choral (musical) events of Note: This week it's all about us. Share with your family. Share with your friends. Share with the universe!