PORT TOWNSEND — The 26-voice Summertime Singers will offer a kind of cool breeze with their concert next week.
Their program is all about Christmas-themed music, seeing as how we’ve reached the halfway point to that holiday. And the Summertime Singers, a blend of choristers from the Wild Rose and Rainshadow and other local chorales, will give the next performance in the Candlelight Concert series this Thursday, June 25.
The public is invited to the 7 p.m. event at Uptown’s Trinity United Methodist Church, 609 Taylor St. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with admission a suggested $10 donation for adults, while children are invited to come free. Refreshments will be served after the concert.
Geoffrey Shaw’s “How Far Is It to Bethlehem,” as well as the 16th century work “O Magnum Mysterium” by Spanish composer Tomas Luis da Vittoria — paired with the lush 21st century setting by composer Morten Lauridsen — are on the program, as are three “Ave Maria” settings.
Also part of the evening is Los Angeles composer Shawn Kirchner, brother of local physician Shannan Kirchner-Holmes, playing piano for the choir on his new work, “Behold New Joy.” Kirchner has taken four ancient English carols and combined them in a contemporary piece, with text in Latin, English, and German.
The Candlelight Concert will feature “Borogoditske Devo,” a setting of “Ave Maria” from Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers,” sung in Russian.
“We are fortunate to have Russian speakers in the choir, who can make sure our pronunciations are accurate,” said Summertime Singers director Colleen Johnson.
Their accompanist, Helen Lauritzen, also will bring her experience with Russian singing to make this a culturally sensitive rendition, Johnson added.
“Even if it’s technically out of season,” she said, this Christmas music “is stunningly beautiful.”
