STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Last year Caritas Chorale partnered with St. Thomas Playhouse, the Wood River Orchestra and several high school groups in its concerts.
This year, the chorale has an even more ambitious agenda.
The Chorale wants to engage the community in “A Day of Hope and Light,” said Director R.L. Rowsey. Rowsey doesn’t know what that day in May looks like yet, but he’s excited to have conversations with the community to figure it out.
So far, he envisions it involving school and church choral groups coming together for a day of workshops and concerts around town. All that will be capped by a new multi-generational work the Caritas Chorale plans to commission.
We want to create a season of joy and light,” Rowsey told supporters who turned out for the Chorale’s Hooray for Hollywood fundraiser Sunday evening at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. “I envision a day of breadth and a day of possibilities. If we don’t have a day of breadth and a day of possibilities, then why are we doing what we’re doing?’
About 120 people turned out for the elegant affair.
They walked the red carpet past larger-than-life-sized cutouts of Oscar statuettes. They munched on hors d’oeuvres at tables wrapped with ribbon that looked like film. They availed themselves of opportunities to cast themselves as supporting cast by pledging monetary support sponsoring specific concerts.
They listened to some medleys meshing and melding Academy Award winners through the decades, including “Love Story,” “Moon River,” “Unchained Melody,” “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were.”
Then they noshed on a dinner served up by Judith McQueen that had a “glutton free” choice, thanks to a typo on the menu.
Even the Porta-Potties were dolled up with VIP Stage Door Entrance signs on the outside and roses, ribbons and mirrors inside.
The Caritas Chorale has been entertaining audience for two decades with mostly classical concerts featuring such pieces as Vivaldi’s “Antonio,” in addition to special concerts featuring Broadway selections and titles, such as “I Hear America Singing.”
Last year the Chorale performed John Rutter’s “Requiem,” as well as Rutter’s an arrangement by Rutter of Christmas carols.
It plans to revisit Rutter again this year, singing his “Gloria” in February.
Caritas Chorale will also hold its annual Holiday Sing-along on behalf of The Hunger Coalition in early December and Rowsey is talking with the Wood River Orchestra about staging a second holiday concert in December at the Community Campus.
Rehearsals start in October—contact Linda Bergerson at 208-726-4846 to find out more or visit www.caritaschorale.org.
There are no auditions—just show up and sing, said Judy Powell.
“No matter what you’re singing, this choir loves it,” said Rowsey.” Whether it’s old or classic, or in another language… they love it.”
Choir members say singing with the choir is fun and educational.
“We love to sing with R.L. so much,” said Jeanne Cassell. “He chooses music we really enjoy and he makes us feel good about our singing, no matter what.”
“I’ve sang in choirs since 8th grade and he’s the best conductor I’ve ever seen,” added Jennifer Stahl. “He teaches us how to enunciate our vowels so the audience understands what we’re singing. He tells us, ‘I told the kids (in Rowsey’s school choirs), ‘Do this,’ and they did it. So I’m going to tell you, ‘Do this.’”
Eve Taylor agreed: “It’s very educational with everything we learn about the requiems and masses. And R.L. is so good at correcting us without making us feel bad. He’s been director of musical theater and choirs all his life so he’s a pro.”
Peter and Cindy Urbanowicz showed up to the gala, as always, in support of their neighbor Ruth Jones—and several other choir members who live in their neighborhood.
Peter Urbanowicz insisted that his singing will never go beyond the shower. But, he said, he couldn’t resist listening to others’ singing.
“We love that the fundraiser is here in this great setting,” said Cindy Urbanowicz, looking around the garden. “And the music is always as gorgeous as the setting.”
For the second year in a row, Rowsey auctioned off his baton giving Susan Flynt, who won it with a $1,000 bid, the opportunity to direct the choir at some point during the season, in addition to a night’s stay in the Limelight Hotel and the opportunity to “get pampered like a conductor should be pampered.”
“It’s because of your support we were able to do some really fun things last year,” he said to the crowd. “As for our last concert of the season—in May—I couldn’t be more excited. I dream of what it might look like. Even to just sit together and talk about what might happen is so exciting.”