Ju if o u t ▼ J a n u ary I M I ▼ 2 9
PHOENIX RISING PRESENTS...
Solar Invocation
Portland Lesbian Choir concert a celebration of the seasons
by Marti Staehle
I
n this season o f celebrations, the Portland
Lesbian Choir celebrated the winter sol­
stice with their winter concert, “Solar In­
vocation,” Saturday Dec. 15, 1990 at the
Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The choir, under the direction of interim di­
rector Heidi Boenke, began the concert with “In­
vocation: Peace.” Alice Parker composed the
music and adapted the text from a chant of the
Omaha Indians. It was sung antiphonally, with
half of the choir in
the choir loft up
and behind the
audience and the
other half in front
of the audience.
“This
piece
was m ost chal­
lenging,”
said _______________________
Boenke. “I am an
instrumentalist. I play the flute. I had one hand
for the choir in the loft and the other hand for the
choir on stage. The challenge was bringing in
each choir at the right time.”
The choir has continued to draw on a variety
of sources for the music they perform, crossing
cultural boundaries. They continued the concert
with a Navajo round, "Now I Walk in Beauty.”
With each performance the choir takes giant
leaps forward in the quality o f their singing.
Director Boenke attributed this year’s improve­
ment, the choir’s fourth season, to the 26 new
members “who came to the choir with musical
skills.”
Interspersed among the choir’s selections
were a variety o f groups. Bridges, a blend of
members from both the Portland Gay M en’s
Chorus and the Portland Lesbian Choir, p er­
formed two pieces: “O f Love” and Carly
Simon’s “Let the River Run.”
Members within the choir perform ed “Na-
mast6," a piece translated from Sanskrit. Na-
m asti is a Hindu greeting. Though well per­
formed, the drums sometimes covered the sing­
ers, making it difficult to hear the song.
Cathryn Heron, Chris Blount and Kim Horen-,
stein performed ‘T ry Peace,” a prayer for peace
that they wrote with C J . Rachko. They asked
the audience to join them in singing the simple
but meaningful song.
Ending the first half, the choir was directed
by Lynda Gamer in “Choose Something Like a
Star” and was accompanied by Cheyenne
Chapman. For the text of this piece, a portion of
Robert Frost’s poem “Steeplebush” was used.
The music was by Randall Thompson. A well-
performed piece which exemplified the choir’s
improvement.
In the second half, for comic relief, Director
Boenke, attired in chef’s cap, apron and carrying
a giant whisk, led the choir in the making of a
“Fruitcake” which included something called a
“crazilnut." A variety of props emphasized the
various ingredients.
Following this number they held a drawing
for a fruitcake! The prize also included two tick­
ets to the spring concert and dinner for two at
Hobo’s.
The choir ended as they began, singing “This
We Know.” The text was taken from a speech
by Chief Seattle when he signed the Point Elliot
Treaty in 1855.
The next concert will be performed Saturday
March 30,1991, at 8 pm at the Northwest Serv­
ice Center. The Choir will be joined by So-
romundi, the Eugene lesbian choir.
Ferron to appear in
concert
First time in Portland in five years
F
erron is a m usician, perform er and
poet whose lyrics are rich with im­
agery and feelings. H er voice has
been described as “crackling with the
ache of experience.” Her latest album
Phantom Center, released on Chameleon Rec­
ords maintains Ferron’s vision of artistic truth
and integrity while framing it in a contemporary
pop-rock texture. Phantom Center is alternately
moody, playful, stringent and sly while giving us
new insight into Ferron’s life. The oldest of
seven children, Ferron was bom in Toronto, her
family later moved to a suburb o f Vancouver,
British Columbia. Growing up in a struggling
working-class environment, Ferron left her home
at 15, and began working in a factory. Her only
release from the drudgery was through music.
Ferron recorded her first homemade album in
1977 and then in 1978 released another now-out-
of-print album entitled Ferron Backed Up. Tes­
timony, released in 1980 made several critics’ top
10 lists, ami Ferron began touring across the U.S.
and Canada to a growing audience identifying
with her personal, revelatory songs. Shadows on
a Dime, recorded in 1984 provided a new musi­
cal breakthrough for Ferron and she began to
tour even more extensively.
This concert will be Ferron’s first Portland
appearance in five years. If you need interpret ­
ing please call Girlfriend Productions at 281-
4635. Ferron appears in concert Feb. 2, at 8 pm
at Neighbors of Woodcraft Hall, 1410 SW Mor­
rison. Tickets are $13 in advance and available
at Ladd’s Editions and Music Millennium.
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8s3Òpm-lì2s30am
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Live Music
'
Hors
d' Oeuvres
No Host Bar
Silent Auction
Lots More
All Ages Welcome, Black Tie Optional,
Costumes, Masks Encouraged.
TICKETS: $20ôû ea. in advance $25^ at door
Proceeds to Benefit Phoenix Risin g & Its Program s
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS...
TWENTY-THIRD AVENUE BOOKS, LADD'S EDITIONS BOOKSTORE,
CATBIRD SEAT BOOKSTORE, DOWNEY INSURANCE AGENCY
TICKET MASTER AND THE PHOENIX RISING OFFICE.