FRIDAYEXTRA !
The Daily Astorian
Friday, May 27, 2016
Noel Thomas
sketched the
North Coast
Chorale.
Artist sketches a performance
of the North Coast Chorale
By NOEL THOMAS
Special to The Daily Astorian
O
n Saturday night it was my great
easy to listen to, but my hand kept going until,
at some point, I was completely drawn into
the performance and stopped sketching.
pleasure to attend the North Coast
It was the next day before I fi nished the piece.
Chorale’s compelling performance
I feel grateful to live in Astoria, a piece of
of “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.”
the world where so many talented and com-
My balcony seat allowed me to take in the
mitted artists can present their work. A special
whole stage. The setting below was stark,
“Thank you” to the Chorale’s director, Denise
evoking an arena, or battlefi eld, with the sing-
Reed, for the imagination and determination
ers split — fl anking either side of the stage
to bring this powerful production to fruition.
— musicians seated on either side toward the
And “Thank you” to the dedicated musicians,
front of the stage, and a bank of musicians
singers and dancers, to Friderike Heuer for her
across the back.
resonant photo montages, and to all the back-
I think I began sketching even before the
fi rst note, and was propelled along by the
emotional depth of the music. It wasn’t always
ground people who helped pull this together
for the rest of us.
Noel Thomas is an Astoria artist.
Weekend Edition