Bellevue Chamber Chorus: International Poetry Extravaganza!

Move Over Winter Olympic Games: It’s an International Poetry Extravaganza!

With the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in our rearview mirror, what better way to maintain the energy with an artistic international event? Famous and acclaimed poets from seven countries are featured in this cultural celebration exploring the quintessential relationship between words and music in the choral artform. This program features the two winners of our Emerging Composer Competition, Brittney Benton and Isaac Lovdahl, as they set texts by American poet Walt Whitman and Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Additionally, James Bassi's Harpsonnets (four Shakespearean sonnets for chorus and harp) are a rare gem in an eclectic program that takes us from Chile to Canada, and from Italy to India. You won't want to miss this exotic collection of texts by some of history’s greatest wordsmiths!

Attending in person – COVID-19 Protocols: Following current mandates from King County & WA State public health officials, Bellevue Chamber Chorus performers are all vaccinated, and all audience members at this performance must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required for entry. Additionally, all audience members will be required to wear masks. Chair seating will be arranged to maintain social distancing; people who live together may group chairs accordingly.

Attending online: The performance will be available for viewing from Saturday, May 28 through Sunday, June 5. Ticket purchasers will receive a link for the performance 24 hours prior to the performance availability. 

About Bellevue Chamber Chorus

Bellevue Chamber Chorus, founded in 1984, performs a minimum of three major concerts each season, encompassing a variety of choral literature from the classical standards and contemporary works to world music, Broadway hits, and vocal jazz. The Chorus often joins other ensembles in performances of major choral/orchestral works, such as Mozart’s Vespers and Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Requiem, Rutter's Mass of the Children, and Ariel Ramirez' Misa por la Paz y la Justicia. The ensemble has premiered works by regional composers, including commissioned works for the Washington State Centennial Celebration, the grand opening of the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, a special 20th anniversary season commissioned piece, That Music Always Round Me, by Seattle composer, John Muehleisen, and co-commissions of pieces by Andre Thomas and Eric Whitacre. The Chorus has released three CDs, “Timeframes”, “Retrospective”, and our 2013 holiday CD, “Christmas Visions, Winter Dreams”. Bellevue Chamber Chorus tours often and has performed in Carnegie Hall, various locations in Europe, the International Music Festival (2000) in Sydney, Australia, and twice at the invitational Kathaumixw International Choral Festival in Powell River, British Columbia, where they won first place in 2008 in the adult mixed chorus category. Other performances include the Leavenworth International Choral Festival, the international “Rolling Requiem” in memory of September 11th, as one of the regional choruses in the NEA sponsored American Masterpieces Choral Festival in Seattle, and in Kelowna, B.C. as part of the Okanogan Choral Society Series. The Chorus toured the south of France in the summer of 2017 and participated in the 22nd International Choir Festival in Provence, and the 9th International Choir Festival in Aveyron. The Chorus has been selected as one of only six choirs to perform in a special GSCC event “Welcome Home Morten Lauridsen” in October 2019. Bellevue Chamber Chorus has active memberships in the Bellevue Downtown Association, Greater Seattle Choral Consortium (GSCC) and Chorus America. The Chorus is supported in part by the Bellevue Arts Commission and 4Culture.