In the fall, Seattle Peace Chorus will be performing a selection of songs for changing the world, many from our 40-year history of singing for peace and justice.

Can you come and sing every Monday evening to prepare for a concert in November to inspire action through music and song?

This is also a place to have fun and enjoy each other’s voices and companionship with a common purpose.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our 40th anniversary

The mission of the Seattle Peace Chorus is to communicate through music the desire for a just and peaceful world; to consistently present this message through choral excellence and nonviolent activism; to celebrate life in all its diversity; to build and sustain harmonious relationships and cultural bridges locally and globally.

Membership in Seattle Peace Chorus

Singing together, in concert halls and during marches and demonstrations, has always been a part of how Seattle Peace Chorus promotes messages of peace and justice, but membership in Seattle Peace Chorus has always meant more than singing together. Help us in these times to continue to reach out to change people’s hearts and minds.

Your regular dues as a member of Seattle Peace Chorus entitle you to participate in all our activities without further fees. If you choose not to become a regular member of Seattle Peace Chorus, however, you may pay a modest fee to offset the cost of hiring technicians and musicians to bring virtual experiences to fruition.

If you have not previously joined as a member of Seattle Peace Chorus, to sign up to participate please fill out an audition request form and tell us how you’d like to participate.

Members past and present may sign up by contacting us at info@seattlepeacechorus.org.

We urge everyone to support organizations that promote peace, protect our planet, and fight for the underprivileged. See this list of organizations that we support.

For both singers and listeners, the Seattle Peace Chorus provides a unique choral experience. Our commitment to peace and social justice creates a special bond among members and with our audience.

Our repertoire, reflecting our multi-cultural, multi-national focus, ranges from spirituals and gospel to Mozart and Beethoven, from South African freedom songs to the original works of our director Fred West.

Performances often include an exciting range of instrumentalists from Cuban drummers to chamber orchestras. This rich variety is sustained by our commitment to using a collaborative process for decision making, enabling members to influence repertoire decisions through a committee that any member can join.

In addition to traveling to countries such as the former Soviet Union, Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela, and performing two major concerts a year, we support peace and community activities by singing at rallies, marches, fundraisers for disaster relief, and similar events.

If our unique approach to choral music appeals to you, consider joining us as a singer, volunteer, or financial supporter—or simply come to our concerts and be inspired.

Because of the developing SARS-CoV2 virus and the COVID-19 illness that it causes, we urge everyone to be especially careful to take care of yourself and those whom you love.

Seattle Peace Chorus Pandemic Protocol

Last updated: 12 May 2023

Goal

Our goal is to continue in-person rehearsals and performances while maintaining safety for all participants from COVID-19, including the latest variant.

For singers who are not able to or do not feel comfortable attending rehearsals in person, but who would be able to perform in person, we will record and stream our rehearsals on Zoom.

Protocol

Our protocol has these parts:

• Recommendations for concert guests
• Vaccinations
• Monitoring and living safely
• Masking and distancing
• Room management
• Remote participation

Recommendations for concert guests

Vaccinations

All singers must be vaccinated.

Monitoring and living safely

We do not want anyone who is likely to have been exposed to COVID-19 to attend in person, but will provide a Zoom or YouTube alternative to participate and learn our repertoire at home.

If you develop symptoms, that is, you don’t feel well, even if you don’t think it’s COVID-19, or are not planning to attend a rehearsal for any reason, email info@seattlepeacechorus.org. You will not be able to arrive late without emailing, because we will lock the door at 7:15 pm. Email to let us know when to expect you.

You will not be allowed to enter our rehearsals if you have symptoms, or have had a possible exposure to COVID-19. Everyone who enters will be tracked on a roster, so that we will have a record of all our own contacts if any of us gets sick.

Masking and distancing

Inside our rehearsal rooms, everyone will wear masks and maintain a respectful distance from each other while singing.

If you have forgotten to bring a mask, we will give you an KN95. Otherwise, we recommend the Resonance Singer’s Mask from mymusicfolders.com, or a similar mask from another source, such as the VocalEase mask at vocaleasemask.com.

Room management

We may open all windows in our rehearsal space; even in cold weather, at least one window will be open. We might put fans at the windows. Fresh air is more important than air purifiers in dispersing any potential viral aerosols. We will try to keep it as warm as we can (as few windows open), using the carbon-dioxide monitor to give us a measure of air flow. Therefore, dress warmly.

We will deploy portable HEPA filters in the room. Bring your own to add to ours if you like.

We will divide singers into smaller groups to maintain distance, and will rotate out of rooms to let the air clear. We may sing outdoors at times.

Remote participation

Tom will broadcast or record all live rehearsals and make these available privately on Zoom, our website, or our YouTube channel. If you need to miss a rehearsal because of a possible exposure to COVID-19, you will be required to follow or catch up virtually.

Contingency plan

If any of us gets COVID and others are exposed during an in-person activity, we will skip rehearsal for a week and ask you to quarantine yourself. If you develop symptoms, let Donna know and get yourself tested, then report your test result.

If our plans go awry, or if we are not able to maintain a quorum of singers, we will announce new plans.

We are not making this up

The WHO, CDC, Washington State, Seattle-King County, and our rehearsal and performance spaces set and periodically modify policies for coping with the pandemic. We will follow the best and most conservative advice to keep everyone as safe as possible. But a great deal of responsibility lies with you. Please be careful and respectful.

Thank you everyone who helps support the Seattle Peace Chorus.