The following excerpts from the book released on the occasion of the Founders' Gala on April 30, 2005 will give the flavor of the full text. The book may be ordered from Windsong Southland Chorale at P.O. Box 691, Ontario, California 91762 or 909-941-4752.
In selecting these excerpts from the full text, I have included only a few of the many events comprising the rich history of Windsong over its ten-year existence. It would be impossible to capture with a few illustrations all that has taken place. Suffice it to say that, from the ridiculous happenings to the sublime, it has been a fantastic voyage on the good ship Windsong. Read on, my friends.
* * * * * * * * * *My observation of our artistic director, Dr. Janet Harms, is that she is superbly prepared through her training, experience and by her personal qualities. Her teaching technique is that she teaches to the "top of the class". The challenge to the singers is always present; boredom is never a factor.
"I would rather risk and fail than not to try at all," is her frequently stated credo. Because of her willingness to accept musical risks and to reach ever higher, many opportunities to perform have come that would not be available to a more timidly conservative leader. From the first season, multiple public appearances have been the rule.
I have come to realize that Janet's judgment can be trusted. If she says it can be done, it can be done. There are always high points in any concert, but it is better to continue to reach for greatness and freshness than to be content with repetition without inspiration. Her goal is to reach the musical peak at the time of public performances.
There is a responsibility for each singer to do some homework if it is personally required to assure solid participation. The focused and intense teaching during rehearsals, including many sectionals, provides a solid platform for learning and performing. The pace is rapid, and much new music is learned during each season. Regular attendance at rehearsals is required. Making notations on the music is encouraged to avoid repetition of mistakes.
Teaching the music is Janet's forte. Paul Harms' expertise comes at the beginning of each rehearsal as he teaches vocal technique while warming up the voices. It is not conceivable to find a finer pair of instructors for a community choir, with a balanced approach to teaching the repertoire and how best to use the voice. Inclusively selecting singers from the general population, not just professionals, obviously limits somewhat the performance level. However, working within those limits, it is notable that the high level of musicianship regularly demonstrated in public performances, has brought critical acclaim leading to amazing, diverse and lofty invitations to perform.
We are well taught. The singers bear a responsibility to practice, practice, practice. That is how you get to Carnegie Hall! Janet brings extreme energy to the rehearsals. Every moment is packed with teaching and learning. Her gracious spirit pervades the venue. Everyone is given acceptance and encouragement. Over all the years and the many experiences along the path of Windsong's musical growth, I have never once observed her berate or belittle any singer. On the contrary, she is lavish in expressions of appreciation for every contribution made by others.
Janet tells the choir: "I like to conduct out of love, not anger or intimidation." She gently corrects. One of the most repeated admonitions is that if we want to avoid the embarrassment of singing a solo while all the rest of the singers observe a rest, we had better watch the conductor. She enjoys seeing our faces when we sing rather than the tops of our heads. "Watch the conductor" is the watchword, "and do not bury your nose in the score."
We are engaged in a large endeavor requiring the cooperative efforts of many people. Janet's leadership makes it happen, and she understands and acknowledges when she of necessity delegates the myriad and varied tasks required for bringing it all together. This is a truly capable teacher and leader. Amazing is an appropriate adjective to describe her abilities and achievements. No timid conservative leader is this, but, rather, bold, imaginative, focused, inspired, hard working and marvelously prepared. When you sign on for a voyage on the good ship Windsong, bring your eagerness and enthusiasm and your open sense of exploration, on the lookout for all that good for which you are destined. Strengthen your musical muscles to endure a great voyage -- an E Ride extravaganza.
Over all the years, there has been a remarkable spirit within the ranks of Windsong Southland Chorale. It is a spirit that has become to be known as "The Sweetness of Windsong". Embodied in the Principles of Windsong Southland Chorale is a morale eliminating dissention and competition and requiring appreciation and encouragement. This spirit has been pervasive in all activities including board meetings, concert appearances, rehearsals etc. Experience tells us that other musical ensembles do not enjoy this sweetness. It is one of the major factors in the ongoing success of our group. There is genuine affection among the ranks of singers. We enjoy our time together and the efforts each person makes to forward and continue the success of the chorale.
Several capable and dedicated men have held the post of treasurer. They responsibly collected monies, kept track of the income and expenses, paid bills, forecasted budgets, filed required IRS forms etc. The chorale has ended each season with no outstanding bills. Invoices have been paid on time. A proud record of solvency is attributable to the reliability of our treasurers: Tom Elkins, Bruce Formes, John Samida, Henry VanderWeide, David Davis.
WINDSONG WINS HER FIRST TROPHY. That would be a suitable headline for one of our early efforts at community participation. On June 7, 1998, an important local four-day celebration, Fontana Days, wound up its final day on that Saturday morning with a hometown parade. In our eagerness to gain community recognition and support, we signed up to participate in the parade with a "float" of our own. Picture the "float": Paul Harms' new red Chevrolet truck hauling behind it the Harms' motor boat. On the boat's side, the homemade banner announced: Windsong Southland Chorale. This being the early days of banner-production by computer, it took amazing perseverance to get the Windsong logo sufficiently enlarged to be seen by the crowd along the sidewalks of Sierra Avenue. The boat was filled with Windsong singers, throwing out candies to the crowd. For that effort, we were awarded a large trophy for the best in class: musical. It was our first and, to my knowledge, last trophy award.
Fontana Herald News of June 11, 1998 announced "Thousands of people lined the streets for the Fontana Days Parade and later enjoyed the rides and attractions at the festival at Veterans' Park during the city's 85th anniversary celebration last weekend. More than 2,700 people…marched down Sierra Avenue in Saturday's parade." A small choir of approximately 15 faithful singers sang a few numbers on the stage at Veterans' Park in an effort to advertise the concert we were performing that same evening in the Fontana Performing Arts Center. Oh my, what a day!!
We arrive at the stage door on 56th Street and are brought to a large "green room" at elevator stop #4. We begin to line up for the performance of the Lux Aeterna at about 1:45. [Prelude Concert] Janet stands at the stage entrance to say a word to each singer as they pass onstage. We are ready to begin promptly at 2:00. The Hall is immaculate. It takes my breath away just to stand and look around at the surroundings -- circle of lights on the ceiling and around the balcony, lovely soft coloring. The floor of the house is full. All attention is now on our conductor. Janet is greeted with applause and very rapt attention from audience and singers. We sing that lovely, ethereal piece beautifully, as well as we could and better than any previous performance even approached. The much-publicized acoustic properties of Carnegie Hall were evident, and it was a thrill when the audience burst into applause after a moment of complete silence at the conclusion of the work. Thrilling indeed!
Our Continental "redeye" flight 757 arrives at Newark at 5:30 A.M. Bus takes us to the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Grand Central Station. Our rooms will not be available until 3 P.M. We go to breakfast at the nearby Bloom's Cafй, all looking blurry eyed and bedraggled, but still excited. Our luggage is locked in a room and we have only our handbags to deal with. WSC singers sleeping in chairs all around that beautiful hotel lobby. At 4:30 P.M. we take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride in the afternoon traffic to South Salem (2 miles from the Connecticut border) for a choral rehearsal. The rehearsal lasts from 7:00 to 9:30, then the long bus ride back to the hotel. Finally ready to retire at midnight. Amazing day, or was it two days?
The rehearsal at Riverside Church introduced us to Peter Tiboris and his strong discipline. Morning rehearsal is for choirs only, and afternoon with the Manhatten Symphony. Tiboris promises to lock the doors of the rehearsal hall to anyone arriving late for the afternoon rehearsal, and that any such person would not sing the Carnegie Hall performance. You may be sure that everyone was in place well ahead of time.
Sunday June 10th is our big concert day. We remember that once we get to Carnegie Hall there will be no time to get a bite of food, so we go prepared. We go on the bus already in our concert attire. I'm happy that our new dresses work so well. We have again been honored to present the Prelude Concert. Our performance is flawless -- the very best we could possible do. What a thrill is was. Then Tiboris conducted a 300-voice choir in the Beethoven Ninth Symphony. The performance went so well, especially when a "hidden choir" stood up all around the first balcony to join in the big climax and conclusion. It was stunning. Many were left in tears, indeed sobbing, both in the audience and among performers. We received a 5 1/2 minute standing ovation.
For many years I had been saying to Janet that I was waiting and watching to see her react to some piece of music with complete rapture. The Clausen Memorial was that work! Although she frequently would speak of "goosebump moments", clearly, this was a goosebump twenty-five minutes. I observed Janet completely enthralled by Clausen's new work.
During one of the final season rehearsals, Janet told the chorale about her experience, declaring her desire -- indeed her need -- to conduct this piece. She explained the effect it had on her spirit, and prepared the choir to go with her into this important endeavor. She told of her meeting with Rene Clausen during which she conveyed her respect and devotion to Memorial. Clausen had agreed that Windsong should present the West Coast premier, and Janet was prepared to accept one of the greatest musical challenges of her career. The singers caught the inspiration, and much of the ninth season would be dedicated to the preparation and presentation of Memorial.
It was remarkable to observe the profound impact this work had on Janet and how it generated a renewed energy and a sense of inevitability and wonderment. "It was a thoroughly emotional experience. There was just something that came through my body like a sense of lightening, and I knew I had to conduct this piece and bring it to California," Janet told reporter Denise Roberts of the San Gabriel Valley newspapers. My intuition was that a new level of achievement awaited Windsong, resting on the wonderful inspiration Memorial engendered in our artistic director.
In order to do justice to Clausen's wonderful new work, Memorial, the board and the singers accepted the challenge of hiring a 45-piece orchestra and renting the Sophia B. Clarke Performing Arts Center on the Mt. San Antonio College Campus in Walnut. It was a big step forward in faith, and the risk was accepted without objection. The concert date was set for November 23rd, with performances at 4:00 and 7:00 P.M.
"More than 150 voices joined the 40-piece Windsong Symphony to deliver a magnificent musical portrait covering a spectrum of emotions ranging from serenity to catastrophe to hope. The notes, lyrics and voices evoke images, feeling, sounds and even smells of … that fateful day of September 11, 2001,in New York City," Jennifer Cho Salaff wrote in her concert review in the Daily Bulletin. "Memorial recognizes the tragedy of September 11th, yet it leaves the listener with an enormous sense of hope. The piece comes full circle, leaving the audience with the same feeling of confidence in a future filled with possibilities -- the same emotions conveyed in September Morning [the first section]."
Reviewer Ralph Andrews wrote in the San Bernardino County Sun: "[Memorial] is a no nonsense work, both abstract and concrete, that is intense, so much so that at times one is tempted to shout, 'Enough!' The orchestra provided special effects and the plane hitting the towers was almost too real. The text, mostly in English, also includes Hebrew, Arabic, Latin and Greek. It expresses the feelings and emotions of this great tragedy. The wordless thoughts and vocals by the chorus were even more expressive."
Clearly, the compelling theme and descriptive content of this composition powerfully moved the listeners.
* * * * * * * * * * *Although it is not referred to in the book because it took place following publishing deadlines, Windsong performed Clausen's Memorial in Carnegie Hall, its New York debut, on May 22, 2005, with the same emotional impact on the New York City audience as referenced above.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this synopsis of some of the events of Windsong's rich history. Perhaps you will be sufficiently interested to order the full text of the book. The instructions for ordering are at the top of this paper.