Wonderful Town (Choral Highlights)…………… Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green; arr. John Purifoy

Christopher Street • Ohio • One Hundred Easy Ways A Quiet Girl • Swing • It’s Love

soloist - Larry Richardson

Medley from Porgy and Bess……………………………… George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Dubose Heyward; arr. Clay Warnick

I Got Plenty o' Nothin' • Summertime • It Ain't Necessarily So Bess, You Is My Woman Now • There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon For New York

Excerpts from Candide....................................Leonard Bernstein, arr. Robert Page

Life Is Happiness Indeed • This World • Make Our Garden Grow

INTERMISSION

BBBELLEVUEELLEVUEELLEVUE CCCHAMBERHAMBERHAMBER CCCHORUSHORUSHORUS Fredrick Lokken, music director Fredrick Lokken, music director Fredrick Lokken, music director

PresentsPresentsPresents

From Sondheim! A Choral Celebration……………Stephen Sondheim, arr. Mac Huff

Into the Woods (from Into the Woods) soloists - Sonja Delafosse, James McTernan

Putting It Together (from Sunday in the Park with George) soloists - Erik Eliason, Debra Nielsen

Send In the Clowns (from A Little Night Music)

Being Alive (from Company) soloist - Lee Huffman

A Tribute to Richard Rodgers Falling in Love with Love…………………Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, arr. Paris Rutherford

soloist - Kris Bryan

If I Loved You………………………Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, arr. Kirby Shaw

The Lady Is a Tramp………………………………Rodgers and Hart, arr. Steve Zegree soloists - Laurie Dietz, Jerome Lyons

Hello, Young Lovers………………………Rodgers and Hammerstein, arr. P. Rutherford

soloists - Jeni Merilatt, Frank Trujillo

It’s a Grand Night for Singing………………………………………Rodgers and Hammerstein, arr. Jerry Rubino

The Light in the Piazza (Choral Highlights)………………………………………Adam Guettel,

arr. John Purifoy Statues and Stories • The Beauty Is • Passeggiata

Say It Somehow • The Light in the Piazza

Pianist for all selections — Kristine Anderson

Welcome to Showtime, Bellevue Chamber Chorus’ exciting program of marvel-ous music from the theater. You’ll hear lots of familiar songs and some less so, from some of the biggest and most beloved names in the history of American musical theater, as well as a talented newcomer with an impressive musical pedigree. We hope you enjoy the show!

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~ Conductor, composer, pianist, and educator Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was one of the most important figures in mid-20th century American music, and much of the musical world is paying tribute to his genius in this 20th anniversary year of his death. His show Wonderful Town (with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote for Bernstein’s earlier musical On the Town) hit Broadway in 1953, and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Set in 1935, the plot describes the exploits of sisters Ruth and Eileen Sher-wood, who travel to New York from Columbus, Ohio, determined to forge a life in the big city as a writer and actress, respectively. In the opening number, a tour guide leads a group of sightseers down Christopher Street for a look at Greenwich Village and its colorful citizens. Recently-arrived Ruth and Eileen then share their homesickness for their life back in Ohio. When Eileen soon finds a suitor, Ruth wonders at her sister’s magnetic appeal and her own unique romantic abilities: a tal-ent for repelling men so successful that she could write a book entitled One Hun-dred Easy Ways...to lose a man! Eventually, Ruth meets Bob, an editor at a short-story magazine where she hopes to publish some of her work, and a mutual romantic interest begins to blossom. That’s cut short when Bob criticizes Ruth’s writing; he then laments his inability to find A Quiet Girl. Ruth is forced to take a job as a sidewalk promoter for a local nightclub, The Village Vortex, where Swing is the new musical craze. After several more madcap adventures, Eileen becomes a singer at the Village Vor-tex, Ruth lands a job at a local newspaper, and Bob finally realizes what he feels for Ruth… It’s Love!

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

Program Notes

One of the greatest American composers in both popular and classical styles, George Gershwin (1898-1937) broke new musical ground in 1935 with his folk opera Porgy and Bess. Written with his brother Ira and novelist DuBose Heyward, Gersh-win's hybrid of popular musical styles and classical operatic form had a disappoint-ingly short run on Broadway, criticized for its use of “simple” songs and its portrayal of African-Americans…even though it featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers, a daring and visionary artistic choice at the time. Not un-til 1976 was the work was produced again in its entirety in America at the Houston Opera, finally making its way to the Metropolitan Opera stage in 1985. Now in its diamond jubilee year, Gershwin's great classic has become one of the most beloved works of American music and is widely regarded as the first American opera.

Set in the fictional African-American neighborhood of Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, the opera tells the story of the crippled Porgy and his ill-fated love for the beautiful Bess. This wonderful choral medley arranged by Clay Warnick in-cludes many of the opera's most famous songs:

I got plenty o’ nuttin’ - From the second act, Porgy describes his carefree life

which has nothing in the way of material goods, only the love of Bess. Summertime - This now classic American song opens the actual show, sung by one of

the characters to rock her baby asleep. It ain’t necessarily so - Sung by the scheming drug dealer Sportin’ Life to a group

of picnic revelers, describing his cynical but humorous interpretation of the Bi-ble.

Bess, you is my woman now - Porgy and Bess sing this pledge of fidelity to each

other in the second act. There’s a boat dat’s leavin’ soon for New York - After Porgy is taken to jail for

killing Bess’ ex-boyfriend Crown, Sportin' Life tries to convince her to leave Cat-fish Row and start a new life in the city.

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

Bernstein’s wildly eclectic musical/operetta Candide has a long history of mul-

tiple writers, lyricists (including a young Stephen Sondheim), revisions, and revivals since its original conception by the playwright Lillian Hellmann and its debut in 1956. Based on the 18th century novella by French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire, it’s a biting comic satire skewering naïve optimism and complacency of both the reli-gious and humanistic variety. These three choral arrangements by Robert Page cap-ture the essential outlines of the crazily complex plot. Young Candide, the object of his affection Cunegonde, and her brother Maximillian revel in the joys of their carefree upper-class life in Life is Happiness Indeed. They have learned from their tutor and mentor Dr. Pangloss that whatever happens in life, all is as it should be in this “best of all possible worlds”. Unfortu-nately, such optimism is sorely tried during the course of the story as Candide and friends are beset with all manner of misfortune, war, injustice, and human vice, in-cluding the apparent murder of Cunegonde, leaving Candide to lament the meaning-less folly of life in This World. After several more mishaps around the world, Can-dide eventually discovers Cunegonde still alive, and they pledge simply to love one another, work hard, and Make Our Garden Grow.

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

Hailed by The New York Times as “the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in American musical theater,” composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim celebrates his 80th birthday this month, with numerous musical tributes being paid around the country. Sondheim was mentored at an early age by the great lyricist Oscar Ham-merstein, and gained early recognition as the lyricist for Bernstein’s Candide and West Side Story (1957), and the Ethel Merman showcase Gypsy (1958). As compos-er/lyricist, a string of ground-breaking hits soon followed, including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Sun-day in the Park with George (1984), and Into the Woods (1987). Full of biting wit, delicious irony, unflinching honesty, and quirky musical twists, Sondheim's innova-tive and daring work has been rewarded with numerous Tony Awards, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer Prize.

We’re happy to join the birthday celebration with this quartet of excerpts from a few of Sondheim’s fabulous shows:

Into the Woods (from Into the Woods) - A clever intertwining of several tradi-

tional fairy tales with a new story about overcoming a witch's curse, the show considers the unexpected consequences of living “happily ever after”. The open-ing number reveals the characters’ determination (and rather transparent brava-do) as they head “into the woods”.

Putting it Together (from Sunday in the Park with George) - Based on the famous

19th-century painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by George Seurat, the fictitious story line juxtaposes the personal and artistic struggles of the artist with those of his 20th-century great-grandson…also an artist named George. “Putting it Together” is sung by the modern George at a cocktail party after a showing of his latest work.

Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music) - Based on the Ingmar Bergman

film Smiles of a Summer Night, the show portrays the complicated relationships of three entwined couples as they try to figure out who they really love. “Send in the Clowns”, probably Sondheim's most famous single song, describes one char-acter's disappointment when her proposal to rekindle a past love is rejected.

Being Alive (from Company) - The show views the less-than-perfect relationships of

five couples through the eyes of Robert, their 35-year-old bachelor friend. In the final number, “Being Alive”, he realizes that despite their problems, relation-ships are what make life worth living.

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

One of the most successful, celebrated, and beloved American composers of the 20th century, Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) wrote more than 900 songs, 43 Broadway musicals, and music for films and television, and is one of only two persons to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and a Pulitzer Prize (Marvin Hamlisch being the other). Rodgers’ long songwriting partnerships with lyricists Lo-renz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II created many of most enduring standards of American popular music. His work with Hammerstein, beginning with their landmark show Oklahoma in 1943, also revolutionized American musical theater, turning what

had generally been loose collections of songs, dances, and comic numbers held to-gether by a tenuous plot, into integrated masterpieces. Our musical tribute high-lights just a few of the great hits from the Rodgers/Hart and Rodgers/Hammerstein songbooks: Falling in Love With Love (from The Boys from Syracuse); If I Loved You (from Carousel); The Lady Is a Tramp (from Babes In Arms); Hel-lo, Young Lovers (from The King and I ); and It’s a Grand Night for Singing (from State Fair).

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~ Rodgers’ musical lineage continues in his own family: daughter Mary Rodgers was composer of the hit show Once Upon a Mattress (1959) and other musicals, and his grandson Adam Guettel (b.1964) has received critical acclaim as “the most pro-vocative and promising of the post-Sondheim theatrical songwriters”. Guettel gained the national spotlight recently as composer and lyricist for the award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza. Premiering in June, 2003, at Seattle’s Intiman Playhouse, directed by Bartlett Sher, the show underwent further development at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and opened in New York in April, 2005, where it ran for 504 performances, winning the 2005 Tony Award for best musical score and orchestration, among others. The gorgeous and complex music departs from the more traditional pop or rock-inspired Broadway style, moving into the territory of neo-romantic classical music and opera, and displays a significant Sondheim influ-ence. Based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the story is set primarily in Florence, Italy, during the summer of 1953, where Margaret Johnson, a middle-aged woman from North Carolina, has taken her beautiful daughter Clara for a vacation. Clara soon meets and falls in love with a young Italian man, Fabrizio Naccarelli, a relation-ship that Margaret opposes for reasons that only gradually become known to the au-dience: Clara is mentally and emotionally disabled due to a childhood accident. On their first day in Florence, Margaret reads to Clara from her guidebook in the glorious central piazza (Statues and Stories), just before Clara and Fabrizio meet. Later that day as they tour the Uffizi Galleries, Clara reflects on her first impressions of Italy, the boy she met in the piazza, and her own yearning for love (The Beauty Is). After another chance meeting, Fabrizio’s charming father persuades Mrs. Johnson to allow their children’s budding romance to continue, and

Fabrizio, in his broken English, invites Clara to join him for the traditional Italian evening walk (Passeggiata). As the days pass and the relationship develops, Fabrizio is distraught that he cannot find the right words to express his feelings, and Clara urges him to use other means (Say It Somehow), which leads to his proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, Mar-garet has grown increasingly uncomfortable about her daughter’s ability to handle the relationship, and takes Clara to Rome, where the two have a painful confronta-tion, and Clara describes her deep feelings for Fabrizio (The Light in the Piazza). They return to Florence, and despite more potential setbacks, including Clara’s dis-covery of the long-kept secret of her condition, all realize at last that the chance for love and happiness outweighs the terrible risks, and the two are wed. Program notes by Fredrick Lokken, with research assistance by Lee Huffman.

About the Artists

Bellevue Chamber Chorus consists of professional and avocational musicians of diverse back-grounds, performing choral literature with varied accompaniment from all musical periods. Throughout its 26-year history, the Chorus has collaborated with other vocal and instrumental musicians of all ages, as well as dance troupes and visual artists, to present major works or un-usual repertoire, including special commissioned pieces by local composers. The Chorus also performs for events such as the Bellevue Fourth of July festivities, Argosy Christmas Ship, galas and other community activities, has performed twice at the Leavenworth Choral Festival, and was selected as one of the regional participants in the American Masterpieces Choral Fes-tival in Seattle in 2007. In July 2008, the Chorus was awarded first prize in the Adult Mixed Choir division at the prestigious Kathaumixw International Choral Festival in Powell River, B.C. Other performances include New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg, Austria Church Music Festival, the International Choral Festival in Sydney, Australia, and festival concerts in spec-tacular venues in Switzerland, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic. The Chorus has released two CDs: "Timeframes” and “Retrospective.” The Bellevue Chamber Chorus is a nonprofit or-ganization, which receives its support from the generous donations of people interested in fine musical experiences on the Eastside.

Bellevue Chamber Chorus

TENOR Erik Eliason

Lee Huffman George Moua Jeff Pierce

Larry Richardson David Williams

 

SOPRANO * Maria Bayer

Lorilee Brasseur ** Debra Defotis

Laurie Dietz Laura Donnelly Kara Huntley Jeni Merilatt Debra Nielsen

* Shannon Walch

ALTO * Louise Baldwin * Kristine Bryan Marta Chaloupka Sonja Delafosse * Susan Liechty Kathie Patten

Pam Younghans  

BASS Gordon Buck

* Allan Chartrand Dennis Defotis * Jerome Lyons

James McTernan Pat Rice

* Frank Trujillo

** Denotes Executive Director. * Denotes Board Member.

We are currently searching for two community board members. If you are interested in serving on our board of directors, please email or call us!

Dr. Fredrick Lokken is in his tenth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Bellevue Chamber Chorus. He received his doctoral degree in choral conducting from the University of Washington, where he studied under Abraham Kaplan and Joan Conlon. He has done further study with renowned choral conductors Joseph Flummerfelt, Helmuth Rilling, and Jon Wash-burn, and spent several years in The Netherlands doing choral research and writing. Dr. Lokken also holds a degree in vocal performance from the University of Wisconsin and sang with the professional Dale Warland Singers. In addition to his work with the Bellevue Cham-ber Chorus, Dr. Lokken serves as Director of Choral Music and Instructor of Voice at Shore-line Community College.

Kristine Anderson graduated with a music degree from the University of Montana at Missou-la. She is well-known in the Puget Sound region for her artistic and sensitive work with singers as well as instrumentalists ranging from tuba to piccolo. Equally at home with jazz, pop, and classical, she can adjust her style from Sondheim to Gershwin to Strauss. Her clients include winners in local and national competitions, including the Seattle Young Artist Music Festival, Metropolitan Opera semifinals, and concerto contests. She was music director for the Seattle Musical Theater, formerly known as Civic Light Opera, during their production of High Socie-ty. In addition to holding two church-pianist positions in Seattle, she has been the accompa-nist for Bellevue Chamber Chorus for the past three seasons.

 

Volunteer Opportunities:  The Bellevue Chamber Chorus is  currently looking for volunteers to  

fill a variety of positions.    

For more information  call (425) 881‐0445. 

TO PLACE YOUR AD in the Bellevue Chamber Chorus’ next concert program, 

please call  (425) 881‐0445  for information and rates. 

 

The Bellevue Chamber Chorus greatly  appreciates the support of our vendors.   Please mention where you saw their ad when you patronize their businesses! 

Thank you to our Generous Donors

 

Maestro - $5000 + Doug and Maria Bayer 

 

Crescendo - $2500-4999 Bellevue Arts Commission 

 

Virtuoso - $1000-2499 Louise Baldwin Kristine Bryan

Debra and Dennis Defotis Francoise and Sonja Delafosse

Microsoft Corporation* Judy Jesiolowski and Dave Thompson

Fred Lokken and Marsha Thomas James and Vicki Walch

Time/Warner*  

Diva - $500-999 Boeing Co.*

Marta Chaloupka Eastside Summer Sings

Doris Lokken Jerome Lyons

Frank and Cora Trujillo  

Aria - $250-499 Jennifer and Patrick Carter

Consolidated Restaurants—Pam Casey  

Bravo - $100-249 Vanessa Bradford

Melissa and Douglas Byrkit Allan Chartrand

Laurie Dietz James and Krista Ferguson

Mike and Melanie Grube Marilyn Handeland

George and Patsy Holzapfel Science Kilner

Diane and DJ Kovarik Dawnell Lamb Susan Liechty Mary Martin Jeff Pierce

Pat Rice Brion Richardson Shannon Walch 

 

 

Tutti - Up to $99 Sue Ann Allen

Anonymous Bruce and Carol Becker

Michael Bezruchka Lorilee Brasseur Michael Bishop Gordon Buck Mat Caugh

Megan Collier James and Judy Davenport

Erik Eliason Miriam Espeseth

John and Joan Gorrow Pattie Grohl

Carl and Leslie Handeland Richard Huffman

Heidi Kim Barbara Livdahl

David Lyon Eva Mader

Barbara Martin Scott McComb

Jenifer Merilatt Mary Osborn

Marcus and Patricia Osterhout Ken Sabalza

Liz Shimamura Janet Strutz

Barbara and Delmer Taylor Michelle Touton

Mike and Cherie Warren  

  

* indicates corporate matching grants 

** indicates in‐kind donations 

The Bellevue Chamber Chorus is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, which means that all donations to the chorus are tax-deductible.

Donations are accepted at performances, online via PayPal, or via mail at:

Bellevue Chamber Chorus P.O. Box 1714

Bellevue, WA 98009-1714 (425) 881-0445

www.bellevuechamberchorus.net

Assistant Director ..........................................................................................................Frank Trujillo Lighting Design/Operations ................................................................................. Mark Buettemeier Rehearsal Accompanist .......................................................................................... Kristine Anderson Rehearsal Midi File generation ................................................................................. David Williams Score Management/Music Librarian .................................................. Maria Bayer, Jeni Merilatt Sound Engineer & Recording ............................................................................................... Kim Hofer Video Recording .......................................................................................................... Jennifer Hofer Volunteer Coordination ................................................................................................. Lee Huffman Printed Materials ............. Kristine Bryan, Pam Younghans, Dennis Defotis, Sonja Handeland Website Management ............................................................................................... Sonja Handeland

Additional Credits

Tenaya Bien, Evana Block, Lady Cathryn Buchanan, Alyce Caldwell, Mark and Kelly Cheever, Sue Crain, Madeline Dietz, Katie Ginn, Mike & Melanie Grube, Paul Heneghan, Amy Richardson,

Hollis Ryan, Carrel & Garrett Sheldon, Hal Smith, John and Phyllis Sproul, Melanie West.

Thank you to our Volunteers!

KEEP IN TOUCH!!! Join our email list and receive notifications of

upcoming concerts and events! Just visit www.bellevuechamberchorus.net and click on "Join

Email List" on the left-hand side.

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Come Sing With Us!  

Are you interested in making great music with the Bellevue

Chamber Chorus?

Call (425) 881-0445 or email us at bellevuechamberchorus@yahoo.com

to let us know of your interest.

Save the Date!

Singers of all abilities are invited to join with four established Eastside choirs in the thrill of singing great choral music

every Tuesday night in July, 2010.

The tentative schedule includes: July 6 - Mozart Requiem July 13 - Howells Requiem July 20 - Bach Magnificat

July 27 - Beethoven Missa Solemnis

For more information call 425-881-0445.

Eastside Sings!

Bellevue Chamber Chorus Season 

In Tribute Saturday, June 12, 2010—7:30 PM

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue Sunday, June 13, 2010—3:00 PM

Plymouth Congregational Church, Seattle

Together with the Northwest Chamber Chorus, directed by Mark Kloepper, we present a stunning program of musical tribute and remembrance.

Performing separately in pieces by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Gorecki and more, both choirs will also be featured in magnificent works for a cappella double chorus by Schumann (in honor of his 200th anniversary year) and John Rutter (Hymn to the Creator of Light, in memory of English composer Herbert Howells), as well

as Howells’ intimate memorial to his son: the sublime and moving Requiem.