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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2001)
apnl 6.2001 • J u s t o u t 41 M USIC nside a small practice room at Port land Opera’s offices, soprano Diane Syrcle is rehearsing for her upcom ing recital. Her voice is emotional ly evocative and appealing, and she seems very exposed, as all singers are as they put their very hreath and tal ent on the line. After just a few min utes listening, it’s clear how articulate a singer she is. Syrcle is also director of education and outreach for Portland Opera and obviously wears many hats. Back in her office, the conversation moves seamlessly from her love of music to teaching, spirituality, politics and her startling coming-out story. She grew up in Clovis, N.M., “not a hotbed of cultural activity,” she con firms. Because her father was in the military, Syrcle attended high school in Germany— although she’s quick to add she didn’t live the typical army brat’s life, constantly on the move. Syrcle was raised in the Pente costal Church by deeply religious par ents. “W hen 1 came out, 1 became a very disenfranchised Christian and went through demon counseling to he healed.” She was told that as a homo sexual, “The only thing that could be wrong is a demon has entered you and we’re going to pray for your healing.” Searching for som ething to fulfill Diane Syrcle sings about life and love her spiritually, she dabbled in Buddhism, filled. A bout that time she met her partner, Susan Leo. Catholicism , channeling and other New Age ideas that she’d been taught were occult A lthough she and her parents had arrived practices. A t 21, she says, “I came to that at what amounted to a truce, she says the real crisis point where I said, ‘I don’t feel like shit really hit the fan when she and Leo 1 believe anything, and so I’m going to kill decided to get married. “W hen I sent her the fabric for my wedding dress, she went into a myself.’ ” m other meltdown,” Syrcle explains. Her An accident she had while trying to accom m other then proceeded to send her a letter plish that goal actually saved her life. Syrcle stating, “I pray every day for your misery.” believes it was “divine intervention” that jolted her awareness and allowed her to “slow down N o surprise, Syrcle says it was “the most and listen.” painful day of my life.” Spending three years teaching in Texas, she Unhappily, she severed ties to her parents until a week before the wedding, when she says she perfected the craft of the double life: received a remarkable card from her mother being totally closeted at work and completely acknowledging that she needed to try. "Thank out in her personal life. God for Hallmark,” Syrcle remarks. During this time she saw a therapist, some She is very involved in Bridgeport Commu thing she highly recommends for everyone. nity Church, where her partner is the pastor. “It’s the best thing I ever did because I put She serves as choir director, plays host to into perspective, ‘W hat are my needs, and socials as the “preacher’s wife," manages the who am IV ’’ ladies softball team and is a member of the church council. yrcle came to Oregon as a resident artist Noting her difficult balancing act, being at Portland Opera in the 1995-96 sea married to the pastor of the church she’s so son. Arriving here, she says she went active in, Syrcle explains she’s had to compart into a “w hat’s next crisis.” She was singing mentalize her life. "Susan is my spouse, hut she professionally hut didn’t necessarily feel ful Full Syrcle From army brat to preacher’s wife, soprano finds fulfillment © PVUW M / ß u * l 0 The www Dharma-Rain.Org Dharma Rain Zen Center is a Soto Zen Temple for Lay practice, bringing practice Incense, sage, kuan yin, dream catchers & fine ¿lifts people together to build community and wisdom through DRZC offers retreats, classes, intro ductory workshops, and sesshins. The Zendo space is shared with groups in the Vipassana, Tibetan. & Zen traditions, creating Vintage, antiques & resale a unique atmosphere and oppor- tumties for learning about Budd- hism and its daily application Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson, resident teachers iM flF v v R ic h B ray will never be my pastor. Bridgeport is my spiri tual home and the foundation of my communi ty life, hut for spiritual direction, I look else where when 1 need it.” For that, she calls her Presbyterian friend in San Francisco who mar ried them. Both singing and teaching have engaged Syrcle. "When I was in college, 1 knew very distinctly that my calling was to teach and to be an educator; exploring singing as a career option just happened.” She enjoys the circular energy and response she gets from teaching and conducting, adding that she found professional singing "lonely and isolating.” “For me, when I’m performing, the energy is going out hut is not coming hack to me. There are places in the music world where you are totally vulnerable and totally decimated.” Now, she sings mostly for pleasure and enjoys the perfect balance between teaching and singing. She still performs with the opera occasionally, most recently in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Syrcle seems just as passionate about poli tics and personal ethics. “It is a responsibility that we have, those of us who choose to he out, and that’s not a choice for everybody.” (PurpCe (Door T>e fyfeu ~Haoa 'PortCaruf's eciectic newgift shop 2539 SE Madison Portland, Oregon 97214 503-239-4846 Fax:503-239-5217 E-mail. Staff@Dharma-Rain.Org by open 7 days y ~ r v , j f j§ 518 NE 28th, Portland • 503-515-5597 Present this ad for a 10% discount l T*>ach FREE health education lecture on the MYTHS OF BACK PAIN and everyday spinal care. Including causes, treatments and home care. Come learn simple lifestyle changes, stretches and exercises to decrease incidence and recurrence of back pain. She also believes that the C lin ton years led to complacency, prob ably because we thought he was our friend, hut that much of the progress during the past four years was achieved because of the media and Hollywood. “It gives those of us 30 and younger an opportunity to step up and be activists, in posi tive and constructive ways, to take risks and say, ‘Look, I am part of the third wave.’ ” Then she adds, “There’s a respon sibility for me, when the rubber meets the road, to say, ‘These are my rights, and I expect that wherever I live, work, spend my money, that it’s my right as a citizen, just as it’s my right as a woman, and that you can’t separate those two things.’ ” yrcle’s next recital benefits both v*. Portland Opera’s International H Vocal Arts Institute, for which she is staff administrator, and Bridge port Community Church. She will sing classical pieces including four songs by Bellini plus five cabaret pieces by Kurt Weill and a selection from Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. Syrcle will he accompanied by Carol Lucas, Portland Opera chorus master. The centerpiece of the program will be an eight-part German song cycle by Schumann roughly translated as “The Life and Love of a Woman.” Although struc tured around a woman’s cycle of love and death with a man, it’s obvious Syrcle’s take on this is that it’s much more universal— and personal. She recalls an earlier performance of the song when the emotion of it really hit home: “For me, the most beautiful moment was look ing down at my hand and Imking at my wed ding ring and seeing my partner— we were in a very intimate space— and thinking, ‘OK, not lookin’ at the ring anymore.’ ” Syrcle says recitals almost have become a thing of the past, and she’s hopeful they’ll make a comeback because she enjoys the possi bilities and variety they provide. Given the scope of her interests and talent, that’s certain ly in character. jH teams up with pianist Carol Lucas for an Afternoon Musicale 4 p m . April 7 at First Congregational Church, 1126 S.W. Park Ave. Tickets are $10 and available from 503-321-5260. D lA N E S y r c l e Portlander R i c h B r a y writes part time, loves Wagner and thinks readers everywhere should be glad he didn’t take up singing. 1 0 ° /o '/ ! \ i W ednesday A pril I I, 5:30-6:30pm N atu re’s W ellness C e n te r N E 15th & Frem o n t Q uestions? C all 503*282-8600 Korin Rasm ussen D C SERVICES WITH COUPON ‘Two W Í £ S f “J * ft A J * — and — D elicate Touch Esthetics & Electrolysis Sandi’s Two Wigs m - f 2 Pm -v n TG-owned 4 operated * Wig Sales, Cleaning 4 Styling • Private appointments available outside of normal operating hours 503-253-0657 D e lic a te T o u c h Esthetics & Electrolysis Hair removal by Electrolysis or Waxing Makeovers. Skin Care and Makeup Lessons Ear Piercing. 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