SOGO December 2011 Newsletter

SOGO

SO Y’KNOW NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2011 Vol. 12 No. 3 Why an “Olde English Christmas”?

Steeped in tradition of heralding trumpets and brass sounds echoing in the great cathedrals of old, it only seems fitting to create a holiday program rooted in English (European) traditional music. Many of the works that we hear and sing in our churches were written and performed 100’s of years ago and have been passed down from generation to generation. What would the holidays be without the glorious choruses of Hark the Herald Angles Sing or Joy to the World? Although we giggle when bellowing out verses of Frosty the Snowman, there is something much more that touches our soul when singing quietly in the glow of candle light Silent Night.

Upon looking at the HO HO programing, I was compelled to look up the history to some of the pieces that that brass players will be performing on Saturday, December 17 (2 p.m. & 7 p.m.). Although not always accurate, Wikipedia is a fascinating place to start. I call it the peoples’ encyclopedia of facts and folklore. Of the many pieces that conductor Greg Allison and assistant conductor Liz Ward are rehearsing for the concert, I chose three lesser known works - I Saw Three Ships, Lo, How a Rose, and the Sussex Mummers Carol, none of which I could sing one complete verse, but I know the tunes.

I Saw Three Ships first known printed version appeared in the 17th century and by 1833 in William Sandys’ publication of Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London, Richard Beckley, 1833). The ship sails into Bethlehem, but the nearest body of water is 20 miles away – perhaps the reference to ships was actually camels?

The 2011 SOGO HO HO presents An Olde English Christmas.

Think Dickens, think Coventry Carol, think figgy pudding...no, just think and go to SOGO HO HO! The 15-member SOGO brass choir, vocalists, clarinets, flutes, alumni and special guests all under the direction of Greg Allison and Liz Ward, will present a holiday variety show worthy of the English countryside! Fun for the whole family, concluding with our customary singalong with an Olde English twist.

Purchase your tickets now by calling 360.561.2056 $5 student | $10 adult/seniors | $25 family (4+)

Sponsored by Tumwater Eye Center & VUE

The Sussex Mummers Carol dates from the 16th century. In the area of Sussex, England, mystery plays or miracle plays, based on bible stories, were popular. The word mummers is a Greek word for momno, meaning mask. Actors wore masks while singing and acting out the stories. The Sussex Mummers Carol was sung in the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, a story based on Herod’s orders to kill all male infants in Bethlehem.

The carol is a depiction of a mother’s lament for her doomed child.

Lo, How a Rose, of German origin, first appeared in print in the late 16th century. The tune most familiar today appears in the Speyer Hymnal (printed in Cologne in 1599) with harmonization written by German composer Michael Praetorius in 1609. The tune was used by Brahms for an organ chorale prelude. Sting performed Lo, How a Rose on his 2009 album of On a Winters Night, and the song was used in the 1970 hit film Love Story.

Interspersed with these lesser known pieces will be many of our beloved works that have come to define the holidays for all of us. Without them, it would seem that the season would lose its sparkle.

Join us for a little HO HO on Saturday, December 17, 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. at the First Christian Church. Please reserve your tickets in advance by calling 360.561.2056.

Tickets: $5 students, $10 adult/senior, $25 family

STUDENT ORCHESTRAS OF GREATER OLYMPIA ~ 1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501 | www.studentorchestras@gmail.com

MESSIAH SING-ALONG Monday, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m.

FREE - donations to Food Bank Washington Center Sponsored by R.L. Ray Violin Shop

Hosted by Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia & Washington Center Conductors - John Welsh, Darrell Born & Matthew Melendez Blegen

Community Groups

Opera Pacifica Anna’s Bay Chorale Olympic Choral Society Olympia Chamber Orchestra SOGO Conservatory Orchestra In 1741 Handel received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to help raise money for three major Dublin charities through performances of his music. Although Handel was in poor health at the time, he was determined to compose a new sacred oratorio for the occasion, and turned to Charles Jennens, his librettist for Saul and Israel in Egypt, for an appropriate subject. Jennens responded with a collection of Old and New Testament verses arranged into a three-part “argument” (as the librettist himself described it). The result was the best-known and best-loved of all Handel’s oratorios, The Messiah.

The text was not without controversy, with newspapers weighing in with debates as to its “blasphemous” nature.

The finished product, however, produced a very different reception, earning critical praise first in Dublin and then in London. Handel made several subsequent revisions to the work, including a version created for Thomas Coram’s Foundling Hospital in 1754. Although the work remains a perennial favorite, nowadays most Christmas performances include only the first part plus the Hallelujah Chorus from Part Two. (Excerpt from Classical Music, edited by John Burrows) The Messiah Sing-Along is a community event including singers and instrumentalists from the community. Free and open to the public, you are invited to sing or listen to one of the holiday’s traditional events in Olympia held at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Monday, December 19, 7:30 p.m.

Scores are available for purchase.

List of choral works online at studentorchestras.org

SOGO ROCKS! SOGO LEADS! About this time last year, John Fleckenstein chaired a group of SOGO leaders to create and conduct the first ever, three-day, regional youth orchestra festival. An excellent curriculum was created, regionally recognized faculty were recruited, and facilities were reserved for the Spring 2012 event. In spite of our best efforts, it did not grow legs. Why? Three reasons: 1. In tight economic times, youth orchestras were reluctant to commit to the costs of transportation, housing and meals.

2. SOGO is unknown to most groups we contacted and they had no reason to trust our ability to lead a quality event of this scale.

3. There is no sense of community among the many youth orchestra groups. We all seem to exist in isolation and, in some cases, competition.

The committee was challenged to consider what we needed to do to address the problems and move us toward our vision of the orchestra festival. We needed to do something that was less expensive, would build community and demonstrate our leadership and quality. The Pacific Northwest Youth Orchestra Leadership Summit was born.

The Summit is a one-day event scheduled for Monday, January 16 here in Olympia. The agenda includes plenary and breakout sessions to support the needs of orchestra music directors, board leaders and executive directors.

Online surveys were used to identify specific needs of these three audiences.

To no one’s surprise, fundraising was a major concern for board leaders. Timemanagement and supervision skills were at the top of the executive directors’ list. Music directors said their priority was audition and rehearsal techniques.

There was also a strong interest in the effective use of social media (Facebook) and websites. Everyone said they were excited about the opportunity to share and commiserate. “No one is as smart as all of us” became our motto and philosophy of sharing information and resources. This event grew legs!

We are very fortunate to have Professor Michael Shasberger from Westmont College in Santa Barbara California join us for the day. The professor has been a statewide leader in youth orchestras and will be an excellent resource and facilitator for our event. He will also deliver our keynote address on fundraising.

In addition to Dr. Shasberger, SOGO leaders will be facilitators for each group.

Greg Allison will host the music directors, Krina Allison will lead the executive directors and I (Doug Ford) will moderate for the board leaders. Levin Conway, our excellent Web and Facebook master, will present the social media piece and demonstrate some of the free online tools and techniques he utilizes.

With early registrations in hand, we have become an international event!

Leaders from Victoria’s youth symphony will be crossing the border to attend!

Other participants include leaders from Bremerton, Seattle, Bellevue and Wenatchee. Each group will provide electronic copies of the bylaws, policies and student handbooks that will be shared via Web or DVD. Each will also leave with a directory of peer groups from this region. These resources simply do not exist today and will be the seeds for future collaboration and sharing via a Facebook page dedicated to this purpose.

With this event, we are providing a low cost, high-quality event that will grow SOGO’s reputation among our peers and build needed collaboration in the youth orchestra community. Next step: A REGIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL! ~ Doug Ford, SOGO Board

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SOGO ROCKS! SOGO LEADS!

SOGO Instrument Petting Zoo: Its History and Importance

NOVEMBER 6, 4 PM WCPA

DECEMBER 17 HO HO 2 & 7 PM 19 MESSIAH SING 7:30 PM

MARCH 25, 4 PM WCPA

APRIL 28, 1 PM ZOO

MAY 20, 4 PM WCPA 2011-12 SPONSORS Olympic Dermatology & Laser Clinic Tumwater Eye Center & Vue Vision R.L. Ray Violin Shop, LLC Olympia Federal Savings Marguerite Bishop Fund Irving Lassen Foundation Charneski Charitable Fund Washington Center All donations are tax-deductible.

It’s 6:00 in the evening on Friday, November 4th and Student Representatives Ciara Riggiero, William Hammond, Sean Doster, Stacy Lee, and Student Board Members Keadrin Dick and I are waiting in the Purple Room at the Hands On Children’s Museum for kids to come in and fiddle around with some stringed instruments and participate in yet another SOGO Instrument Petting Zoo. Pretty soon, kids accompanied by parents with proud faces, come trickling in. “Do you want to play the violin or cello?” say the zoo keepers, offering the instrument in their hand and a warm smile. Encouraged by their parents, the small children screech and scratch on the strings. Some kids are laying hands on a musical instrument for the very first time in their lives. The SOGO Instrument Petting Zoo is a crucial part of this organization. Not only do the zoos advertise SOGO and our concerts, they let children get their hands on musical instruments and become interested in learning more.

The SOGO Instrument Petting Zoo started in 2003 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in the Black Box. Krina Allison, SOGO’s Managing Director, came up with the idea to provide a zoo for our community after researching how other groups put on this type of event.

Ever since, we have been putting on zoos.

SOGO zoo out at a rural school

Zoo at the Washington Center.

Up until recently, SOGO did school tours where we would go to a school and play a concert for them. This idea was initiated by Artistic Director, Greg Allison in 2000-2001. Our first tour, our first year was to North Thurston High School sponsored by board member Jeff Paulson. This then evolved into a tour where we would go to rural schools where the music program was diminishing or non-existant. When I went on school tours, we not only put on a concert for the school but we put on the Instrument Petting Zoo. Kids would tell me after playing that they wanted to learn how to play an instrument. This is just another way SOGO has spread musical education.

At our most recent zoo promoting our November concert, clarinet soloist Alaina Peters performed selections from Carl Stamitz’s Clarinet Concerto No. 3 that she would be performing that weekend with the Conservatory Orchestra. While Student Reps passed out flyers and zoo info cards, Alaina advertised the SOGO concert. Many parents were interested in coming and had a look of awe while they watched the talented soloist. One parent who had played cello in her adolescence said, as she was given a flyer, “Oh! I’ll be there, anything to get my kids exposed to classical music!” She then went on to play a couple of tunes for her kids on the tiny cello borrowed from R. L. Ray Violin Shop for the event. SOGO Instrument Petting Zoos are a great way for SOGO to become more interactive with the community. They get our name out in the community and publicize our performances.

But more importantly, in the aspect of the spread of musical education, the zoos allow children of all ages to become more interested in music and learning how to play a musical instrument. As usual, children’s faces lit up with enthusiasm when they got a sound out of the instrument that they were “petting.” One boy just kept coming back! He would play the cello (his new favorite instrument) then go play in the museum and then come back to play the cello again! For parents who are interested in getting their child(ren) involved in music lessons or groups, zoo keepers gave information about local private teachers and the Saint Martin’s Summer Music Program. And because SOGO zoos are so powerful for any age, one adult, while watching her son play, told us how she had always wanted to play the cello. She told us that she wanted to learn as an adult. Student Board Member Keadrin Dick and her mom, Board Member and Vice-President Jilyna, were able to advise her and give her the appropriate information to follow-up on persuing her dream.

This is me at my first SOGO So you see, the SOGO Instrument Petting Zoo has the potential to vastly afInstrument Petting Zoo when I fect the music community. The zoos not only peak interest in young people was in elementary school. and inspire new musicians, they publicize SOGO and our concerts and events. I have been participating in them ever since I’ve been in SOGO, and I have had fun every moment.

Nolan Welch, cello - Conservatory Orchestra

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EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT: Colleen Welch VICE PRESIDENT: Jilyna Dick SECRETARY: Peter Despot TREASURER: John Fleckenstein STUDENT BOARD Dakota McRostie, violin Keadrin Dick, cello Nolan Welch, cello BOARD OF DIRECTORS Joyce Allen Joan Armstrong Brad Carlson Wendy Clark Doug Ford Julie Evans Anne Hammond Susan Hill Ginny Nordhorn Dana Phelps Amy Schutte Kirk Veis MUSIC DIRECTOR John Welsh ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Greg Allison ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Krina Allison, Executive Dir. Pat Kabler, Orchestra Mgr. & Finance Dir. Mary Ardington, Librarian Doug Ford, Orchestra Festival Coord.

We are very grateful to our SOGO advertisers for their support this season!

Ameriprise Financial Artswearstore.com Cabinets by Trivonna Charles Wright Academy David Stone Violins Donald G. Sampson, D.D.S. Eastern Washington University Jazz Camp Evergreen Brass Quintet Heritage Bank Insight Geologic, PLLC Music Centers, Inc.

Nova School Old School Pizzeria Olympics West Pioneer Technologies Corporation Providence Medical Group Salon Salon South Sound Endodontics South Sound Women’s Center Summer Music at St. Martin’s Tags - Awards and Specialties Tanasse Chiropratic The Guardsman

BACH INVASION! An excerpt by Ian VanderMeulen This fall a throng of cellists paid a visit to Brooklyn, New York’s Public School 321 to play as part of a “Bach Invasion”. Organized by Neighborhood Classics, a concert series founded by pianist and Brooklyn native Simone Dinnerstein, to “saturate the school with Bach” for a day. Cellists performed in the auditorium, hallways, and classrooms, where they also answered students’ questions and engaged students in music-related activities. The invasion was all in preparation for Zuill Bailey’s, a renowned concert cellist, performance of the Bach Cello Suites the following evening in the school’s auditorium.

A video of the “Bach Invasion” can be seen on our website at http://studentorchestras.org/?p=1393

SOGO TEEs & Hoodies available!