The pandemic has been tough on the performing arts, but members of the Cascade Foothills Chorale have weathered the storm.
“The chorale is doing well despite not having live concerts or rehearsals,” CFC president Trudy D’Armond shared in an email. “We’ve been meeting and having rehearsals and board meetings virtually. It’s not easy. It’s not the same. But our commitment is still there.”
That spirit has resulted in a virtual concert – “Together From Afar” – that will be shared on YouTube. The concert will debut this Friday, June 18, and remain available for all to see (visit YouTube and search for “Cascade Foothills Chorale presents Together From Afar”).
Members of the nonprofit, community choir worked for months piecing together the virtual concert. Individuals recorded their solo voices, which were later melded together to create a choir experience for listeners.
CFC leadership received a $2,000 grant from 4Culture of King County during the spring, a gift that breathed some financial life into the organization. That helped offset the loss of income from concerts and other fundraising.
As COVID conditions ease, the Cascade Foothills Chorale continues to recruit new members. Chorale experience isn’t necessary, but it helps, and the group is looking for soprano, alto, tenor and bass vocal ranges.
“We cannot stress enough that our organization is open to adults of all cultures and faith,” D’Armond wrote, adding that chorale members range in age from their 20s into the 80s. “We wish our membership to be diverse, community-oriented, and growing in all the right ways. Singers/vocalists know that music heals the soul.”
The Cascade Foothills Chorale – under the leadership of director Sadi Hager-Wentz – divides its year into two seasons, taking the summer months off. Dues are $40 per season.
The organization has had a significant event on its calendar and continues making with plans for a May 2022 performance in Washington, D.C. There, the chorale will sing with community choirs from around the United States at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts on Memorial Day. So far, 25 people have committed to going.
Anyone wishing to support the chorale’s D.C. effort with a donation can send a check to CFC, P.O. Box 1347, Enumclaw, 98022. Any contribution is tax deductible.
The Cascade Foothills Chorale’s board of directors includes: D’Armond, president; Bonnie Azzelino, vice president; Charlie Liebentritt, secretary; Hazel Jones, treasurer; and Melissa Brown, member-at-large.
