History - Carnegie Hall 
 


Carnegie Hall Tour
March 23 - 27, 2000

 
In the spring of 1999, the Rogue Valley Chorale received an invitation from MidAmerica Productions of New York City to participate in a Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall. This opportunity is a rare occurrence and Chorale members were very pleased to accept the invitation. 
Financed by millionaire philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, New York's first great concert hall was opened in 1891. The Isaac Stern auditorium therein is said to have among the best acoustics in the world. The auditorium is named after the famous violinist because he led a campaign to save the building from becoming a redevelopment as offices.

Many have heard the old adage that goes something like this:
Question: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Answer: Practice. Practice. Practice!

Of course, that is just what the Chorale did upon deciding to accept the invitation to sing a prelude concert there on March 26. Rehearsals during January and February, 2000 were devoted to practicing the music they would sing as a featured chorus.                 

The 51 singers and their director, Lynn Sjolund, viewed it as an honor and an awesome experience. The one- half hour concert will remain one of the most memorable events in the life of the Chorale.
The March dates had been chosen because John Rutter was to be the conductor at that time. John Rutter is a native of London, England and is well known on both sides of the Atlantic as a composer, conductor and recording artist. Medford audiences have heard many of his compositions performed by local church choirs and high school groups as well as the Chorale. John Rutter directed the portion of the concert entitled "Pomp and Pageantry". 
The music performed had been chosen from a variety of English music written for royal and ceremonial occasions. The last number on the program was "Te Deum", one of Mr. Rutter's best-known compositions. The Chorale was fortunate to sing such a lovely piece under the excellent direction of the composer himself.

Lynn Sjolund received a personal letter from John Rutter soon after returning to Medford.  An excerpt from his letter follows:

"Thank you so much for a splendid and inspiring performance last Sunday at 3:20. You were (we think) the largest chorus ever for a MidAmerica concert, and the sound was thrilling. Throughout rehearsals you gained immensely in confidence, precision and impact and the concert delivered some wonderfully high-voltage choral singing. What a programme!"


Although much of the time spent in New York City was taken up with rehearsals, Chorale members took advantage of the opportunity to attend many concerts, plays and shows.  Playing in New York at the time were such notable productions as "Annie Get Your Gun", "Phantom of the Opera", "The Lion King", "Kiss Me Kate", "Cabaret" and "Fosse".  One couple enjoyed a small production given by Michael Finestein who was accompanied by a small ensemble. 

Opera lovers enjoyed Gershwin's Porgy and Bess staged at the New York City Opera House, Lincoln Center. Others were pleased by the operas La Boheme, and The Barber of Seville presented at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Other favorite activities included: visiting the Empire State Building; strolling in Central Park or riding through in a horse drawn buggy; watching the skaters at Rockefeller Center; shopping in Macy's, window shopping at Tiffany's; beating the high cost of living in New York City by discovering the joys of eating in a delicatessen.



After the Rogue Valley Chorale's appearance at Carnegie Hall, MidAmerica Productions hosted the group on a cruise of the New York Harbor and dinner on board. The Chorale boarded the ship "The Spirit of New York" not realizing what a visual experience awaited them. As they cruised the harbor admiring New York's fabulous skyline, the sun began to set. The ship circled the Statue of Liberty as the sunset reached its peak of splendor. What a spectacular sight! It seemed a most appropriate time to give one of the very best of their impromptu concerts. "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", and "America" have never been sung with more patriotic fervor!



One might ask, after a trip to sing at Carnegie Hall, "What's to be done as an encore?"  

The Chorale is planning another concert tour in the summer of 2002. No definite destination has been chosen, so stay tuned to this web site. In the meantime, their goal will remain  bringing music of the highest quality to the residents of the Rogue Valley. 
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