What donations, giving, and supporting does for an organization like the Lincoln Choral Artists.

There is this weird thing about organizations like the Lincoln Choral Artists. We cannot do what we do on our own. There are three major levels of participating that we require of our community to be able to survive as an organization.

First we require an Audience. Where does this audience come from? It comes from family, friends, and neighbors who support individual singers. It comes from a following of audience members who regularly attend our concerts because they enjoy and know the quality of event they will be a part of. It also comes from the curious, brave first time attendees. We hope these become regular attendees and supporters.

Second we require Patron Supporters, people who donate beyond the ticket price of a particular concert event and feel like they get back much more than they receive. We are indebted and dependent on this group. I hope we do as much for them as they do for us. This kind of participation is not just a financial giving. Sometimes it includes volunteering, donating items, or using spaces and places to create our events.

Third is our collaborating organizations and donors. These are people and groups that advertise with us, play music with us, and give financially in large amounts. Developing and maintaining relationships with this group is a high priority.

What do donations, giving, and supporting do for our organization? It allows us to sing, make music, create community, and bring joy to the world in a unique and creative way. It allows us to fulfill our mission: "...to serve the community by providing an excellent experience for our audiences and members."

I hope you will consider joining us at any and many levels. If you are a singer, please sing and give. If you are a family or friend of a singer, please continue to support and donate. If you are able to support this organization in large financial ways, we so very much thank you for your generosity and and hope that our relationships stay strong.

If you would like more information on how to support LCA visit:

http://www.lincolnchoralartists.org/support.html

No Blog this week! Blog

No blog this week. Just a blog notifying you there is no blog. Does that count as a blog anyway? It's also definitely not a vlog as there is no video. But it's also not a blog, because there is no blog this week.

Ola Gjeilo Skype Rehearsal with LCA March 28, 2019

Well what a joy it was to work with and talk with Ola Gjeilo last week during our rehearsal. Below is a video of the last 7 or so minutes of our time together. Ola talk about current projects, his inspiration for composition, his thoughts on ECCE NOVUM which we are singing in May, and his love of New York City. There are some very moving moments. I can only say how grateful I was to have this experience. Many choir members thought it was a unique and interesting experience as well. I hope you enjoy the video.

Technology, Rehearsals, and Composer Ola Gjeilo

Tonight is going to be a very cool evening at LCA rehearsal. We have invited Ola Gjeilo, composer and pianist, to join us via Skype during our rehearsal tonight. This is not the first time I have experienced a Skype rehearsal. And of course as many people, I have interviewed for jobs, engaged with old friends, and connected with other directors via Skype or Facetime. But no matter what I love the fact the technology has made it so much easier for choir, conductors, and composers to make meaningful connections around music.

Ola Gjeilo

Skype

As a part of this evenings session I will be recording session and I hope to have that video posted on our social media pages early next week.

Choir of Royal Holloway

The music we will be performing on our spring concert from Ola is called Ecce Novum. We have previously performed this on holiday concert in December with piano. I am very excited to tell you that this time we will be adding strings (violins, violas, cello) in May.

12 Ensemble

The piece was originally performed by the Choir of Royal Holloway and 12 Ensemble. Ola wrote the text for this composition. It distills the joy of the birth of Christ into a beautiful "soundscape." Sung in Latin, this piece like many of Ola's focus mostly on the sound of the words, in combination with the instrumentation. Though the actual translation is beautiful, the text is there to support an overall concept of sound more that be clearly understood.
I look forward to sharing more insight from Ola after our session tonight.

Here is a link to the original recording. https://open.spotify.com/track/4wl3l2lkOkDVkiMInm8RtR

And please come and hear our performance of the music on May 19th at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln, NE at 4pm. http://www.lincolnchoralartists.org/2018-2019-season.html

Fern Hill: A Melancholy Masterpiece

Fern Hill, with text by Dylan Thomas, and the first of three settings called "A Dylan Thomas Trilogy" by composer John Corigliano will be featured on the Lincoln Choral Artists spring concert:
Modus Emotus: Exploring Human Emotion - Love and Longing.

Facebook Event Concert Page
Tickets!

I will be sharing a lot of information about this piece at our annual "InChoir" Event on Thursday, May 2nd. For more info visit: "InChoir" Event

Today, I simply want to give a little info on the feeling of and reasoning for performing this piece. It has become a Choral Masterwork and a huge part of the standard repertoire for American Choirs. This is second time I will have conducted the piece.

The music from it's open measures elicits a melancholy nature that moves quickly into moments of youthful exuberance and even dark flickers of hidden memories. The text, full text , which is really a memory of Dylan's childhood visits to a family farm, are filled with interesting and familiar tropes. This is definitely not the farm of the Midwest, it is in Wales, but it is quintessentially "American" in feel being interpreted and set by John Corigliano. I think many singers and audience attendees can and do make a strong familial connection to this text. I know I did about 20 years ago when I first heard this music on the Kansas City Chorale's recording on the same name, Fern Hill. I love the challenge of putting together an extended work for a choir like LCA to perform. Our last endeavors of this kind were Beethoven's Choral Fantasy and selected movements from Brahm's Requiem.

I am very excited to share this music and more about this piece in upcoming weeks, on May 2nd for the "InChoir" Event and culminating with the performance on May 19th. Both event will be held at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln, NE.

Video post for March 14, 2019

Today I'm posting another facebook live video as this week's blog post. I first give thank you to those involved with out Fundraiser concert back on March 3. I then give a little info on our upcoming concert on May 19th. Hope you enjoy!

Another Video Post!

Last week I shared this blog, along with thanks for your support in a video. Today I am putting a new video right into this blog. (Does that make this a VLOG?) Enjoy!

For more information and TICKETS to The Big Show: Joy and Inspiration visit:
http://www.lincolnchoralartists.org/