North Shore Choral Society

Dear NSCS Members,

This 72^nd Concert Season awaits us jam-packed with excitement! Can you imagine a more uplifting line-up of concert programming than Mozart’s Te Deum, Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi, Rheinberger’s The Star of Bethlehem (November 11), Poulenc’s Gloria with the ESO (March 16), or Mendelssohn’s Elijah (June 7)? Have we ever offered a more stellar list of soloists than Chicago Symphony Orchestra Violist Charles Pikler (Flos Campi), Kathleen and Peter Van de Graaff (The Star of Bethlehem), or Michelle Areyzaga (Gloria)? Have we ever experienced a more pivotal moment than the last season of our Music Director and Maestro, Donald Chen?

Hang on to your scores! We stand at the threshold of lifetime memories.

David W. Hunt

President

Yes, another summer has gone by all too quickly; and in no time at all, we’ll be gathering at Trinity Lutheran Church to launch the North Shore Choral Society’s 72^nd season. On another page are comments about this season from Music Director Donald Chen. Be sure to read them.

By now, all of us should have received a copy of the 2007-2008 brochure. This year’s publication, a “Bravo, Maestro!” tribute to Donald, is primarily the creative handiwork of Ellen Pullin and Joan Daugherty. (A word of thanks to these ladies for their efforts is certainly appropriate.) Others in on the process were Len Barker, Anthony Green, David Hunt, Karen Rigotti, John Shea, and of course Donald.

The Search Committee, chaired by Tom Keller, has been busy this summer as well. The nine members are in the final stages of initial interviews with the twenty-three applicants who have indicated an interest in succeeding Donald as our Music Director. Among these are a number who come well qualified and highly recommended—including some recommended by Society members last spring. It will be a difficult task narrowing this number to six or eight to rehearse with us this coming season—quite likely in November and December. At that time, of course, all members will have an opportunity to provide feedback to the Committee on these candidates.

David Hunt has drafted a letter being sent to former NSCS members, urging them to rejoin the chorus for this special milestone year. If you know of an alum who may be interested but whose name may have been missed, please let David or Len Barker know—complete with address if possible.

As the season begins, we say “Thanks!” to members who have served us well in recent years and “Welcome!” to those who will take their places.

Karen Rigotti, who served on the Board for a number of years, most recently as VP for Public Relations, has taken over the job of Outreach Chair. She is replaced by John Shea, who in turn will be replaced as an At-Large Board member by Steve Warner. John also served as Concert Manager, a post now held by Harry Vroegh.

Wylie Crawford is retiring as NSCS Treasurer; Gary Hendrickson is leaving his Librarian position to become Wylie’s replacement. Bruce Gladfelter, who has handled mailings for the past two years, is stepping into Gary’s Librarian shoes, and Kent Fuller is the new Mailings Chair.

Debbie Geismar leaves Program Ads, and Mary Ann Kissock is now joined by Karen Fish Schurder.

Pat Seidl, who will be moving to Wisconsin, leaves her Publicity jobs to Inge Kistler and Laura Graedel. Laura took over as Social Chair near the end of last season; that position is now in the hands of Yael Wurmfeld.

Blue Notes will continue to be available each Tuesday with news items related to NSCS activities and to other musical opportunities as well. A major purpose of this page is to reduce the number of announcements made during the breaks and, in doing so, provide more time for rehearsal. Anyone is welcome to give Len an item for Blue Notes—but no later than the Sunday preceding a Tuesday rehearsal, please. He can be reached at the same phone number, 847/272-2351; however, his email address is now lenpbarker@comcast.net.

The Berkshire Choral Festival in Massachusetts was the destination of five NSCS members his summer: Ron Dahlquist, Betsy Gladfelter, Anthony Green, Inge Kistler, and Sue Wiegand.

The cost of music for our first performance has not yet been determined. Watch for an email a few days prior to our first rehearsal for that information. If your email address has changed, please let Len know immediately. Dues remain at $50, $35 for full-time students.

Remember that our web site (www.northshorechoral.org), managed by Jim Miller, is often a good way to find answers to any questions relating to NSCS activities. For example, a singer missing a rehearsal can go there to consult the latest Blue Notes, perhaps to check on a possible change in rehearsal schedule.

We are grateful once again to Trinity Lutheran Church for its hospitality, which has even been extended to the Search Committee for conducting interviews. Let’s show our gratitude by keeping food and drink (except water) out of the sanctuary and cleaning up after our juice breaks.

As a result of summer surgery, Bruce Gladfelter is unable to put weight on his cast-encased right foot and will continue to be for six more weeks.

Greetings to you all!

Thanks to the concerted efforts of our Board and other dedicated members, much have been accomplished since our June concert: the 2007-2008 season brochure designed and mailed, candidates interviewed for the conductor’s position, some of the soloists engaged, scores for the chorus obtained. We are pretty much ready to kick off the new season, which will begin with a rehearsal at 7:30 P.M. on Tuesday, September 4, 7:30 P.M. at Trinity Lutheran Church.

The first concert will come earlier than usual -- Sunday, November 11, at 3:00 P.M. at St. Luke’s. The pieces on this program are Mozart’s Te Deum, Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi (with Charles Pikler as viola solo), and Josef Rheinberger’s The Star of Bethlehem (with Kathleen and Peter Van De Graaff as soloists).

Concert II will be on Sunday, March 16, at 3:00 P.M. at Pick-Staiger with the Evanston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its conductor Lawrence Eckerling. Our portion of the program will be Poulenc’s Gloria, with Michelle Areyzaga as soloist.

Our season will end with a performance of the Mendelssohn Elijah on Saturday, June 7, at 3:00 P.M. at St. Luke’s. I feel a close affinity with this piece and am grateful to have another chance to conduct it.

After having some difficulty constructing this season, I am happy that it shaped up the way it did. I think it’s exciting, challenging, and one with a great sense of progression. I look forward to it with anticipation.

Wylie Crawford’s carillon recital on July 30 at the Botanic Garden was wonderful. The air was cool, the setting bucolic, and the music beautifully played. Bravo, Wylie. I especially appreciated Wylie’s pre-concert showing of the instrument. It was my first close-up look at a carillon. What a challenging instrument to play! I hope Ellen and Bill Pullin were equally awed by it.

See you on September 4^th.

Donald

A guy walked into a dentist’s office and said, “Doc, I think I’m a moth.”

“That’s a serious problem,” said the dentist, “but why did you come into a dental office?”

	North Shore Choral Society
	August 21, 2007 Blue Notes