Seattle Pro Musica’s Christmas concerts look to the Baltics and beyond
Last updated December 6, 2007 11:07 a.m. PT
By R.M. CAMPBELL, P-I MUSIC CRITIC

COMING UP SEATTLE PRO MUSICA PROGRAM: Northern Lights II

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, 3 (shorter family concert) and 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, 1110 Eighth Ave.; Dec. 15, 3 and 7:30 p.m., the chapel at Bastyr University, 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., Bothell
TICKETS: $10-$32, with various discounts; 206-781-2766 or seattlepromusica.org

The group will present the first of several concerts this weekend at Town Hall, and they are looking to Russia, the Ukraine and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for their repertoire. The program is supposed to evoke the lights of the winter season in these northern European countries, thus the title. Music of the 19th and 20th centuries will be performed by familiar and not-so-familiar composers—the most well-known being Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff as well as Arvo Part.

“Three years ago,” said Karen P. Thomas, Seattle Pro Musica artistic director, “we did a Northern Lights program focusing on Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. This year it is the Baltic countries again joined with Russian and the Ukraine. The heritage is very rich.”

Of particular interest, Thomas said, is music from Estonia.

“Their choral tradition is extensive and fascinating. There is so much music, a good portion of which has only become available recently in the West, like works by Cyrillus Kreek,” she said. Born in the late 19th century, Kreek was trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and died in 1962. Similar to Bela Bartok in Hungary, Kreek spent a good share of his life collecting and writing down folk songs in part because they were in danger of disappearing. He also wrote what might be considered religious music and was a leading proponent of Estonian choral music.

“His music ran into trouble during the Soviet period and was suppressed,” Thomas said. “It was only in the late 1980s and 1990s his music was rediscovered. His choral music has a beautiful and complex sound. The score may look simple but it produces a rich sonority. He knows how to place the right key for the right voice. I heard his music first on a compact disc with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and thought it was stunning.”

Thomas sees a link between Estonian and Welsh choral music. Both countries have a strong vocal tradition. “It helps to deal with hardship in life. With the Welsh coal miners it was a way of keeping their culture going. And there is now a documentary film about the choral tradition in Estonia and how important it was during the Soviet years as a means to sustain life and traditions.

“Another composer of Estonian choral music is Veljo Tormis (born in 1930),” she said. “His music is well-known in Estonia and beloved. He was integral in keeping the music traditions of the country alive in the Soviet period, particularly those of small ethnic groups struggling to survive.”

The choral tradition in Latvia and Lithuania is strong but not as strong or extensive as Estonia,” she said. Seattle Pro Musica will sing settings of three carols by Latvian composer Andrejs Jansons and two examples from Lithuania: a traditional carol, done by candlelight, and Vaclovas Augustinas’ “Flax-picking Song,” scored for six singers and an instrumental ensemble.

The music will be sung in their original languages. Estonian, Thomas said, is a beautiful language to sing. The vowels are very Italianate and there are no odd sounds to master.

Seattle Pro Musica sings in multiple languages. For the lesser-known languages, Thomas seeks outside help with the text—faculty at the University of Washington or native speakers. In the case of Estonia, a member of the chorus spent a year in the country studying the music after receiving a Fulbright fellowship.

Thomas has spent the past two decades leading Seattle Pro Musica, where she developed the notion of theme programs. Perhaps she prefers these types of programs, she said, because, “It may be the way my brain works. I like the combination of organization and creativity. I like to organize my thoughts around topics. Programming draws on both of those skills. I like the way pieces can sound when there is some organizing factor around them. You think about them differently.”

Seattle Pro Musica has two principal Seattle venues for its concerts—Town Hall and St. James Cathedral, where it is one of the church’s resident ensembles. Thomas programs differently for each space.

“St. James has a big, rich cathedral sound blossoming around the building. You can sing from all different places and can’t tell where the sound is coming from. Music that works best in St. James is slower with less dissonant harmonies because the sound lasts so long. It is a wonderful space because there are so many options about where to perform. The full group usually sings in the east apse, while smaller ensembles, derived from the main group, circle the altar in the middle of the church. Singers even have performed in positions around the perimeter of the church. Town Hall is more directional in sound. It is a place where contemporary music works better.”

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P-I music critic R.M. Campbell can be reached at 206-448-8396 or .

Our family made it to the Saturday, 12/08 afternoon children’s performance. The singing was top shelf, very assured, while also sensitive to the themes in the pieces themselves.
Because it was a matinee focusing on children, they didn’t sing the entire program. The director was engaging, all of the kids had a wonderful time, excepting a tired toddler one mother was having a hard time with.
The abbreviated program was more balanced as it covered all three Baltics, the Ukraine and Russia. The director did describe the three Jansons pieces as beautiful, and then asked if there were any Latvian speakers in the audience and we were it.
I recommend the choir, Seattle Pro Musica, and the program to any and all who have the opportunity to see them it’s well worth it! Few things better than some good singing to warm the heart in a chilly winter!

And the official review....

Last updated December 9, 2007 4:50 p.m. PT

Seattle Pro Musica still world-class
By R.M. CAMPBELL
P-I MUSIC CRITIC

Seattle Pro Musica’s Christmas concerts are always something to anticipate and appreciate, but none more so than this past weekend at Town Hall, the first in a series of concerts at various venues.

MUSIC REVIEW
SEATTLE PRO MUSICA

WHEN: 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: The Chapel at Bastyr University, 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., Bothell

TICKETS: $10-$32, with various discounts; 206-781-2766 or seattlepromusica.org

Karen Thomas, who has led the vocal ensemble to its high reputation during the two decades of her leadership, is fond of theme programs. For the holiday season she often has a geographical focus, exploring engrossing avenues of music history.

This year that meant the Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia as well as Russia and Ukraine. The mix was felicitous and engaging. But the concert was more than an example of evocative programming. It was superbly sung.

The chorus of some 64 members, as well as its subsidiary groups such as the Women’s Schola and Madrigalia, sang with exemplary poise, finesse, precision and excellent pitch. In seven languages, no less. The sound, enhanced by the women and men being mixed instead of in separate sections, was handsomely balanced and possessed solid character. No fuzzy-wuzzy tones here. The fortes were just that, strong and powerful, and the pianos were vibrant. Rhythms were sharp and well-delineated, textures transparent.

There was much of interest throughout the evening, as it moved back and forth between the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the music was not familiar, but its language was so honest and direct, it seemed otherwise. There were also some good cheer and poignancy to make the season seem real.

P-I music critic R.M. Campbell can be reached at 206-448-8396 or .

Prieciigus un Gaishus sveetkus visiem!