Timbre! Choir celebrates 39th season

The Timbre! Choir with conductor Patricia Miller, kicks off their 39^th singing season on Sunday, November 6 at 2:30 pm at the ADSS Auditorium with Love, Laughter, and Legends – From Broadway to the Beatles. 

Opening the concert will be a rollicking tribute to the most famous rock band of all time – the British quartet known as the Beatles. The group’s first single Love Me Do was issued on October 5, 1962, which led to the phenomena known as  "Beatlemania". It was in 1964 when American showman Ed Sullivan who was passing through the London Airport, noticed the Beatles returning from a tour to Sweden. Hundreds of screaming girls had jammed the airport viewpoints to welcome home their music idols. The aggressive British media was out in full force taking pictures. Sullivan realized there was something special about the four mop-haired youngsters and booked them on his NBC network TV show "The Ed Sullivan Show". That show received the highest ratings in the history of television up to then. Can’t Buy me Love, Penny Lane, Let it be and Hey Jude are just a few Beatle hits that Timbre! has included in their tribute to the Fab Four. 

Following the Beatle tribute will be Theme From Spider Man, the theme song for the popular comic book and movie character. This is a swinging rendition that was a huge hit for singer Michael Buble, making it a perfect fit for Timbre! and my jazz trio who will be accompanying the choir. Playing will be David Auld on drums and Brian Anderson on bass. Port Alberni guitarist Doug Gretsinger will join with us for the Beatle selections.  

Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz is also on the program but this version is based on Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s unique Hawaiian-style arrangement. Michelle Weckesser will sing the haunting Think of Me from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.

Richard Rodgers’ contributions to the musical theatre of his day were extraordinary and his influence on the musical theatre of today is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, and his hits ranged from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright lights of Broadway, London and beyond. Composing more than 900 published songs and forty Broadway musicals, Rodgers was the recipient of countless awards, including Pulitzers, Tonys, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys. On the second half of the concert Timbre! will perform selections from many of Richard Rodgers most beloved shows including The Sound of Music, South Pacific and Oklahoma.

Closing the afternoon concert will be music from the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.  The choral medley showcases hit songs such as If I were a Rich Man, Sabbath Prayer, Sunrise, Sunset and Tradition. It’s a given that any performance of this memorable musical has to include a fiddle. Filling this role will be Oceanside violinist Marjorie Cullerne. Cullerne is well known on the island’s east coast where she has been a core violinist with the Vancouver Island Symphony since its inception in 1995.

PHOTO: Timbre! begins their 39^th season on Sunday, November 6 at 2:30 pm at the ADSS Auditorium with Love, Laughter, and Legends – From the Beatles to Broadway. 

Single Tickets and Season Passes for all three shows are now on sale at Echo Centre, Somass Drugs, Salmonberry’s, Rollin Art Centre and at the door. 

Getting the message out

With the provincial government’s decision to exclude adult performing arts organizations from applying for gaming grant funding, the Port Alberni Orchestra & Chorus Society of which I’m treasurer has had to drastically cut their budget. One item that had to be trimmed was newspaper display ads. However, the newspapers in the Alberni Valley have continued to print our articles about upcoming concerts in their Entertainment Sections and the members of our society are most appreciative for their continued support for local performing arts groups. 

When one is presenting musical events you have to get the message out, otherwise in all likelihood you’ll be playing to an empty hall. We’ve continued to print posters, asking local businesses to place them in their windows and on bulletin boards. However, our greatest effort to get the message out this fall has been the use of the internet.

If you’ve received this blog via your email inbox you’re likely on my list of readers, which is now approaching 300. Perhaps you could forward it on to your family and friends and build the list even more. 

As part of our efforts to let people know about upcoming concerts I’ve been tinkering with the development of a website for the Timbre! Choir. I’ve now got it up and running and people can check the website for not only information about upcoming concerts, but access an expanding photo page. The website seems to be working and already we’ve learned that tickets are being sold to folks who’ve never attended a Timbre! concert. We’re pleased about that.

Please click on the link below to view Timbre!’s new website. 

www.timbrechoir.com