Saturday 1 June 2024, 7:30 pm
Sunday 9 June 2024, 3:00 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
with the Miho & Diego Duo, we sang Afro-Colombian songs from the fusion of Indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions, to energize us to resist oppression and injustice. From there, with baritone soloist Yusef Seevers, we turned to the powerful words of Langston Hughes. In contrast to those who call for America to be great for the privileged few, we call for America to be based on the equality of all people

2025 June 12 – Marched and sang in “No Kings” march, Cal Anderson Park to Seattle Center

2025 May 10 – Led protest songs at the Ground Zero Nuclear Resistance event, Bangor

2025 April 12 – Performed “Lucky Ones” and led protest songs at anti-nuclear conference, Harvard First Baptist Church

2025 March 1 – Performed “Bridges not Walls” and led protest songs for La Resistencia, Tacoma Detention Center

2025 February 21 – Sang with Vet’s for Peace at Federal Building to protest new administration’s policies on immigration

2025 January 18 – Marched and sang in this year’s Womens’ March/Cal Anderson Park to Seattle Center

2025 January 13 – Marched and sang in annual MLK march/Central District

Sunday 1 June 2025, 3:00 pm
Saturday 7 June 2025, 7:30 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
with guest artists Sondra Segundo, Kent Stevenson, and the African American Cultural Ensemble, we sang songs of reassurance, beauty, and community.

Saturday 1 June 2024, 7:30 pm
Sunday 9 June 2024, 3:00 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
with guest artists Richard Russell, Anil Prasad, Amrutha Varshini Achalla, Darth Nielsen, and Peter Lawson, we built a song bridge spanning Eastern and Western classical traditions.

2024 December 9 – Marched and sang with Seattle Vet’s for Peace at annual Vet’s Parade in downtown Auburn. Also sang “Lucky Ones” to Vets at lunch, afterwards.

2024 August 4 – Performed “Under our Skies of Grey” and “The Lucky Ones” at a dinner during events commemorating Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings/GZ

2024 August 3 – Led sing-alongs at event protesting Blue Angels show during Sea Fair celebrations/Genesee Park

2024 May 11 – Led protest songs at the Ground Zero Nuclear Resistance event, Bangor

Saturday 18 November 2023, 7:30 pm
Sunday 19 November 2023, 3 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
with guest artist Kent Stevenson, we performed international songs from gospel and classical traditions—from Cuba, Greece, Russia, South Africa, Latvia, Italy, and the Americas—from our 40-year history of singing for peace and justice.

Saturday 3 June 2023, 7:30 pm
Sunday 11 June 2023, 5 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
with guest artists Chava Mirel, Kent Stevenson, and Mary Kantor
featuring movements from the environmental oratorio by Frederick N. West, “Upon This Land,” and other works celebrating the beauty of the earth and calling for stewardship of the land.

2023 December 9 – Sang songs of peace & freedom at the Christmas “Jingle Jam” – Amazing Grace Spirit Center/Ballard

2023 August 6 – Hiroshima to Hope, Green Lake, organized by Ground Zero Center for Non-Violence,commemorating the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all victims of war and violence.

2023 May 13 – Led protest songs at the Ground Zero Nuclear Resistance event, Bangor

Saturday 19 November 2022, 7:30 pm
Sunday 20 November 2022, 3:30 pm
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
Featuring: Kent Stevenson, Chava Mirel
with Seattle Iranian Choir directed by Afshin Sepehri
Songs affirming the universal rights of justice and freedom, especially for women’s rights, with the desire for peace and compassion toward all people and the planet that sustains us.

World Premiere of this work by Kent Stevenson
Saturday 4 June 2022, 7:30 pm, Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church
& Sunday 5 June 2022, 4 pm, St. Therese Catholic Church
with special guests
Shades of Praise Gospel Choir
Kent Stevenson, pianist and composer
Stephanie Scott Hatley & Cleve Ticeson, narrators
Kent Stevenson focused on Black Inventors, the Greenwood District in Tulsa, and six Black individuals.

2022 December 10 – Patti Crow Life Celebration, Madison Middle School

2022 October 18 – “War, Peace and Resistance in Poetry and Song” hosted by the Veterans For Peace Seattle, Chapter 92, at the UW HUB

2022 October 8 – Women’s March, joining Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and Seattle Green Wave, to call for reproductive rights

2022 September 24 – Anti Nuclear Rally and March from Cal Anderson Park to Federal Bldg. sponsored by Citizens for the Universal Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

2022 May 14 – MoveOn with Planned Parenthood, Women’s March, UltraViolet, and reproductive justice leaders across the country to host the Bans Off Our Bodies National Day of Action, with a march starting at Cal Anderson Park

2022 May 7 – Ground Zero Nuclear Resistance Event, Bangor

6 June 2021
with guest Gospel soloists Tanisha Brooks and Lisa Allen
“Where There Is Unity (composed by Pat Wright and arranged by Kent Stevenson)
“Come Together” (Beatles, arranged by Charles Hiestand)
“I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free” (Nina Simone)
“Great Grandmother’s Tale” (Doug Balcom)

Saturday & Sunday 24-25 October 2020
featuring Jason Turner, soloist, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
“Let America Be America Again” – musical setting of the poetry of Langston Hughes
& other songs inviting all citizens to open their hearts and participate in our democracy.
Jimi Malary, baritone soloist, and Sondra Segundo, Haida soloist, “Let America Be America Again”
Chris Daigre, renown African-American dancer
The Courage Ensemble, with Reverend Dr. Kelle Brown, soloist,
Emmy Ulmer on timpani, and guest conductor Kenya Léger
Shades of Praise Choir, directed by Kent Stevenson
Gretchen Yanover on cello

2020 January 20 – MLK Day march, Seattle

2020 January 20 – MLK Day concert at Factoria Mall

2020 January 1 – New Years Day march in Index

Sunday 17 November 2019, 3:00 pm at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
and Saturday 23 November 2019, 7:00 pm at Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center

The chorus performed a choral work composed by Frederick N. West, the director of the Seattle Peace Chorus, in honor of Native Americans and their contributions to our nation, community, and our environment. We expressed our solidarity with them and with their struggle for identity and cultural preservation. Our concert program represented a collaboration with our Native American communities. Native American singers, drummers, story tellers, and tribal elders were an integral part of the concert, including Johnny Moses and Sondra Segundo-Cunningham, Haida artist, author, and songwriter.

The Seattle Peace Chorus performed Canto General composed by famed Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, setting the poetry of Nobel Prize laureate Pablo Neruda. These concerts featured soloists Nadia Tarnawsky and Jonathan Silvia.

Sunday 2 June 7 pm, University Congregational Church
Saturday 8 June 7:30 pm, Town Hall

Thursday 24 January 2019, 7:30 pm, Travis Park United Methodist Church, San Antonio
Friday 25 January 2019, 7:30 pm, San Antonio Mennonite Church
Thursday 31 January 2019 7:0 pm, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson
Saturday 2 February 7:30 pm, Riverside Center for Spiritual Living, Riverside, CA

Seattle Peace Chorus promotes the compassionate and fair treatment of immigrants and refugees, raising money for RAICES, the Mennonite Hospitality House La Casa de Maria y Marta, church shelters in Tuscon housing asylum seekers, and Casa del Migrante immigrant and refugee shelter in Tijuana.

2019 November 11 – Veterans Day March, Auburn

2019 November 4 – Abe Keller Peace Education Fund Fundraiser, Mt. Baker, Seattle

2019 November 2 – Celebration of Ghandi – Green Lake Methodist Church

2019 October 20 – Fellowship of Reconciliation Seattle fundraising dinner, Greenwood

2019 August 12 – Peace for Victims of Gun Violence, Keystone Congregational Church

2019 May 27 – Mozart Requiem sing-along, Folklife Festival

2019 March 30 – Seattle Peace Chorus Feast for Peace, Seattle

2019 March 16 – Hands Off Venezuela, Capital Hill, Seattle

2019 January 21 – Martin Luther King Day March, Seattle

2019 January 19 – Seattle Womxn’s March 3.0

Saturday 17 November 2018, 7:30 pm
Sunday 18 November 2018, 7:00 pm
University Congregational Church

In collaboration with Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, the chorus performed many songs from diverse cultures in collaboration with Alma Villegas, Correo Aereo (Abel Rocha and Madeleine Sosin), Sondra Segundo-Cunningham, Jason Turner, Kent Stevenson, Tom Bell (piano), Ernesto Pediangco (Congas) Matthew C. Weiss (Tabla), Sid Law (Electric guitar and vocals) Teal Warren (Bass), and Fred Winkler (Soprano sax).

Saturday 2 June 2018, 7:30 pm at Seattle First Baptist Church
and Sunday 3 June 2018, 7:00 pm at University Congregational Church

The chorus performed this world premier of a choral work composed by Frederick N. West, the director of the Seattle Peace Chorus, in honor of Native Americans and their contributions to our nation, community, and our environment. We expressed our solidarity with them and with their struggle for identity and cultural preservation. Our concert program represented a collaboration with our Native American communities. Native American singers, drummers, story tellers, and tribal elders were an integral part of the concert, including Johnny Moses and Sondra Segundo-Cunningham, Haida artist, author, and songwriter.

2018 November 10 – Armistice Day March with Veterans for Peace, Auburn

2018 October 28 – Washington CeaseFire Day of Remembrance, Seattle

2018 September 8 – Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice, Tacoma

2018 June 30 – Families Belong Together rally, SeaTac

2018 May 12 – Ground Zero Nuclear Resistance Event, Bangor

2018 May 6 – People’s March for Medicare for All, Tacoma

2018 April 21 – Earth Day March, Seattle

2018 April 14 – March for Science, Seattle

2019 April 7 – Seattle Peace Chorus Feast for Peace, Seattle

2018 March 24 – March for Our Lives, Seattle

2018 March 13 – Northwest School Community Sings class, Seattle

2018 February 25 – Eastside Unitarian’s Black Lives Matter Rally, Kirkland

2018 February 4 – People’s Tribunal, ICE NW Detention Center, Tacoma

2018 January 20 – Seattle Womxn’s March 2.0

2018 January 15 – Martin Luther King Day March, Seattle

7:30 pm Friday 17 November and 7:30 pm Saturday 18 November 2017
University Congregational Church
4515 16th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105

We performed a range of classical and modern works, including compositions by Frederick West and Kent Stevenson, with Tom Creegan, Uillean pipes, Kent Stevenson, gospel pianist, and Tom Bell, classical pianist.

Saturday 4 June at 7:30 pm
Sunday 5 June at 7:30 pm
University Congregational Church
4515 16th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, preceded by traditional Jewish songs. Clarinet solos by Mary Kantor.

With this stirring music, we honored the strength of the human spirit and the power of music to keep that spirit alive during the darkest times. Verdi’s Requiem was memorized and performed by prisoners in the Terezin Nazi concentration camp.

2017 December 14 – Five-year Sandy Hook Commemorative Walk, Green Lake

2017 December 10 – 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Celebration for ICAN, Ballard

2017 November 4 – “Day of the Dead” presentation at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, in solidarity with the immigrant detainees held there.

2017 October 21 – Protest rally against U.S. blockade of Cuba, in Seattle

2017 August 6 – Hiroshima to Hope commemoration of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing, 72 years ago. We sang at the Green Lake Bathhouse Theater Area.

2017 July 25 – Rally and court hearing for the non-violent protestors at Ground Zero on 13 May.

2017 May 13 – Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action at 16159 Clear Creek Rd. NW, Poulsbo WA 98370. We sang in support of protesters, including our own Margarita Munoz, against nuclear warheads.

2017 May 1 – Workers Day Immigrants March from Judkins Park to Seattle Center.

2017 April 22 – Earth Day March for Science. The Chorus and Action Ensemble led the march from Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill to Westlake Center.

2017 April 15 – Black Lives Matter rally and march from Westlake Park.

2017 March 11 – Standing Rock, Native American Water Protectors, rally and march in Olympia. We met in Olympia’s Heritage Park for a kickoff rally, and we led our fellow marchers in sing-along protest songs during the march to the State Capitol Bldg.

2017 March 10 – Standing Rock, Native American Water Protectors, rally and march in Seattle. We sang and marched from the Federal Building to Westlake Park.

2017 March 8 – International Women’s Day rally at Westlake Park.

2017 February 4 – People’s Tribunal at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, in solidarity with the immigrant detainees held there.

2017 January 21 – The Womxn’s March/Song, for women’s rights. 24-35 members in attendance. (Many members participated in the march, but only about 24 actually sang during our assigned time at Seattle Center due to the massive numbers and inability to get to the Center on time to sing...a good “problem” to have.)

2017 January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. March. We met at Garfield High School, 23rd Ave & E. Jefferson St., and marched and sang for 2.3 miles.

Friday 18 November at 7:30 pm
Saturday 19 November at 7:30 pm
University Congregational Church
4515 16th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Orin Odara, with Afro-Cuban-jazz ensemble Sonado. This song suite, composed and arranged by Fred Hoadley, uses rhythms and texts from the Santeria tradition of the Yoruban people who were brought to Cuba as slaves and whose musical heritage survived the oppression of slavery.

Gospel, jazz, and American folk songs that we sang on our Cuban tour.

Friday 3 June at 7:30 pm
Saturday 4 June at 7:30 pm
University Congregational Church
4515 16th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105
The Seattle Peace Chorus performed, with soloists Alexandra Picard (soprano), Steve Tachell (baritone), Denise Schlickbernd (Alto), Justin Ferris (Tenor), Thione and Gora Diop on drums, and a small orchestra, Mass in G by Franz Schubert, and Cantata for the Children by our director, Frederick N. West.

2016 November 12 – Standing Rock March/Rally in Tacoma, in solidarity with native peoples. Approximately 12 SPC Active Ensemble members in attendance.

2016 July 9 – sang at the Veterans for Peace special event to welcome their peace sailboat, the Golden Rule, to Seattle. The historic 1958 Golden Rule sails for non-violent action against nuclear weapons and against all war and environmental destruction. See Veterans for Peace Golden Rule Project.

2016 July 5 – sang at the End the Cuban Trade Embargo rally at Westlake Center Plaza.

2016 May 7 – sang at the book release party for What It Will Take: Rejecting Dead-ends and False Friends in the Fight for the Earth, by Carol Dansereau, at 7733 33rd Ave NW, Seattle

2016 April 17 – performed with marimbas and a small orchestra at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Bellevue, in their Sunday concert series.

2016 March 4 – sang at El Centro de la Raza on 4 March for the opening of the photographic exhibit “The Cuban 5 Return: An Entire Country Celebrates” and to honor the First Secretary of the new Embassy the the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Fraga.

2016 January 18 – sang at Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, with Kent Stevens at the piano.

2016 January 17 – sang for the “Black Lives Matters” Rally with members of the East Shore University Church.

Saturday 21 November at 7:30 pm
Sunday 22 November at 7:00 pm
University Congregational Church
4515 16th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105
The Seattle Peace Chorus performed with Claire Jones and the Viwachi Marimba Ensemble, Sid Law (tenor soloist on Missa Luba), Thione and Gora Diop on drums, and Kent Stevenson on piano, singing selections from Poppie Nongena and the Missa Luba.

Saturday 30 May at 7:30 pm
Sunday 31 May at 7:00 pm
St. Benedict Catholic Church
1805 N 49th St
Seattle, WA 98103
The Seattle Peace Chorus celebrated the 100th anniversary of the premiere of the Rachmaninoff’s Op. 37, All-Night Vigil. Rachmaninoff composed All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. All-Night Vigil is one of the greatest and most transcendent choral works in the Russian tradition and one of the great expressions of humanity’s spirituality. It premiered in Moscow on 10 March 1915 with Nikolai Danlin conducting the all-male Moscow Synodal Choir. It met with immense success at its first performance in the Great Hall of the Russian Noble Assembly and was so popular that it was performed four more times in the same month.

With pre-concert lectures on the history of Russia by Anatoliy Klots, and special guests the Mägi Ensemble performing songs from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

2015 December 18 – sang for 250 middle schoolers at SouthShore K-8 in Rainier Beach and visited a kindergarten class.

2015 December 8 – sang holiday carols at the Seattle Municipal Tower.

2015 November 28 – sang for 350 Seattle’s “Cool Climate Caroling” to raise awareness of the carbon footprint of multinational corporations doing business in Seattle.

2015 October 8 – participated in the “Seattle Sings” Festival, St. Mark’s Cathedral.

2015 September 30 – sang at the vigil for the victims of the Aurora Bridge accident, North Seattle College

2015 June 15 – led Echo Glen workshops for incarcerated youths

2015 May 25 – participated in the Mozart Requiem Singalong at the Folklife Festival.

2015 May 16 – singalong at “sHell No!” protest, Jack Block Park

2015 April 12, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. – performed at the East Shore Unitarian Church

Saturday, November 22, 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 23, 7:00 pm
First United Methodist Church of Seattle
2nd & Denny Way

This concert conveyed a powerful message, through gorgeous and upbeat choral works, about the power of song to resist oppression, to move people to action, to condemn social injustice, and to inspire hope for change.

Songs have helped shape and encapsulate historical moments from the Suffragettes battle song for the right to vote to South African protest songs against the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. From Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s anti-war songs against the Vietnam conflict to Estonia”s revolutionary anthem to end decades of Soviet occupation.

The Chorus performed some of the most definitive and popular songs that influenced events and altered the course of history throughout the world. With all the turmoil on our earth today, we singers walk a path of hope toward a more just and peaceful world.

Folk singer Phil Ochs said, “One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply to more people than a thousand rallies.”

Origins: Musical Migrations of Balkan Song and Dance
With
Guest artists: Radost Folk Ensemble, Dunava Balkan Women’s Choir, Dromeno, Klapadoowapella, Peter Lipman, Orkestar RTW

The evening blended traditional Balkan songs from Croatia, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Greece with colorful costumed dancers from Radost accompanied by an array of unique folk instruments. Wendy Marcus, director of music at Temple Beth Am presented the miraculous story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, the medieval illuminated Jewish manuscript containing the text of the Passover Seder. Music performed included movements from Rachmaninoff’s timeless “All Night Vigil” or “Vespers” as well as works that evoke the Slavic and Jewish migrations that helped settle this part of the world. The empires of the Persians, Alexander the Great, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans have left indelible imprints on the cultures of the Balkan Peninsula. This concert sought to convey the rich history of this region’s diverse cultures and their centuries of striving for peace, social justice and co-existence.

Saturday, November 23, 2013 evening 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 24, 2013 matinee 3:00 pm
Green Lake United Methodist Church
6415 1st Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Back from their trip to Chile, the Seattle Peace Chorus celebrated Songs of the Americas at the annual fall concert. Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez’s iconic South American folk music composition Misa Criolla combines Spanish text with indigenous instruments and rhythms. Virtuoso musicians accompanied the chorus on traditional Andean instruments: zamponas (pan pipes) quenas (bamboo flutes) charangas (stringed instruments) and a bombo leguero (drum), considered one the oldest instruments in human history.
Seeking peace and social justice at home and abroad, the Seattle Peace Chorus returned from its trip to Chile with renewed energy to sing out against oppression and exploitation in today’s world. In that spirit, their Fall concert opened with “Let America Be America Again,” Langston Hughes’ prophetic vision of the ongoing challenge of the U.S. as it continues to dream of a nation that demands equality and human rights for all. “Let America Be America Again” was performed as a tribute to John F. Kennedy to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death, November 22, 2013. Kennedy dedicated the last months of his life to forging the Limited Test Ban Treaty, a critical step in averting nuclear war, and furthering the cause of human rights. The treaty was ratified shortly after his assassination. The Civil Rights Act, a major focus of his legislative initiatives, was enacted eight months later.

Rounding out the evening, the Seattle Peace Chorus shared amazing songs, stories and pictures from their recent time in South America. They are singing ambassadors fostering good will and emphasizing the common bonds of the Americas.

CANTO GENERAL—The Epic Poem of Latin America (June 1 & 8, 2013 – Town Hall & Cleveland High School): Based on the powerful poetry of Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda with music composed by Mikis Theodorakis, with professional orchestra and 3 soloists (Alma Villegas, Elspeth Savani, & Steve Tachell), sung entirely in Spanish. Concerts were held at Town Hall and Cleveland High School with special outreach to students and families from that school in a diverse, underserved area of South Seattle.

The Seattle Peace Chorus fall concert was a wonderful evening of music celebrating women’s rights and social justice. After decades of progress, women around the world still lack freedom to vote, freedom from violence, freedom of choice over their own bodies, and freedom from repression. On the eve of our national election, as women’s rights were debated, Seattle Peace Chorus spoke out. Pioneer of “Women’s Music” singer-songwriter Chris Williamson’s albums became the soundtrack for a movement and helped foster the birth of an entirely new genre of music. She sang many of her most loved songs, with new arrangements premiered by the chorus.

Concert also featured Grammy award-winning singer/musician Nancy Rumbel of Tingstad & Rumbel and original compositions by Seattle composer-songwriter Carol Sams and other women composers

The 2012 Spring concerts, “The Many Faces of Peace,” was held on May 5 & 6 at Seattle’s Town Hall. Very few masterpieces of choral literature present a direct message of peace and solemn reflection on the chaos and tragedy of war. Such is the 1936 score of “Dona Nobis Pacem,” by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The text of Dona Nobis Pacem draws primarily on the writings of Walt Whitman that were composed during his service as a nurse in the Civil War. Challenging and yet deeply memorable, this music perfectly conveys the “desire for a just and peaceful world” – the essence of the Seattle Peace Chorus mission.

The first half featured the Pacific Northwest premiere of “Song of Wisdom by Old Turtle” by Douglas Wood and Joseph M. Martin, based on the popular children’s book, “Old Turtle.” Seattle Peace Chorus was joined by the local Spirit of the Sound Choir directed by Eric Des O’Dell.

This concert was supported by grants from the Washington State Arts Commission, 4Culture and Seattle Office of Arts and Culture.

Through music and spoken word, this concert honored the rich diversity of cultures woven into the fabric of American life. The chorus performed songs from the Native American tradition, from he British Isles, and from African, European, and Latin American countries, with each piece sung in the language of its country of origin. The chorus also performed a suite of spirituals, a powerful touchstone relaying the sorrows, joys and faith of the enslaved immigrants of African descent.

Soloists from the chorus included Carmen Shupe, Eric Jones, Sue MacFadden, Ted Hunter, and Steve Johnson.

Guest artists included Thione Diop, master Senegalese drummer; Los Nietos, with Elspeth Savani and David Trejo performing traditional Mexican music; Peter Ali, celebrated Native American flutist; Tom Creegan, ulleann pipe (Irish bagpipes) virtuoso; and Kent Stevenson, acclaimed Gospel pianist and composer.

A pre-concert discussion about immigration issues on Saturday, November 19 was led by Jorge Barron, Executive Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

To evoke the natural affinities of the three Abrahamic faiths, the concert began with three solos: the Jewish Schema and the spiritual “Weepin’ Mary,” performed by chorus members Markos Weiss and Cathy Sims. The Islamic call to prayer was sung by Ahmad Yousefbeigi. The chorus then performed songs of peace and justice from Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Among the pieces were Od Yavo Shalom, Keep Hope Alive, Earth Song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and I Believe, a composition by director Fred West based on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The second half of the concert featured “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, with soloists Alexandra Picard, Tessa Studebaker, Sid Law, and Steve Tachell.

This concert was supported in part by grants from the Washington State Arts Commission and 4Culture.

2011 October – Occupy Seattle: On various days, different groups of Peace Chorus singers met at Westlake Mall to support the Occupy Seattle effort. One group lead the crowd in “We Shall Not Be Moved” from the open mike stage on Sat. Oct. 21

2011 September—A chorus ensemble sang at the Church Council of Greater Seattle annual awards dinner.

2011 August—A chorus ensemble performed for the Veterans for Peace national convention in Tacoma, Washington.

2011 May – Seattle’s Folklife Festival – Community Chorus Stage – The chorus continued the tradition, started in 2008, of singing the Mozart Requiem with participants gathered at the Community Chorus stage. Every year, the Requiem is sung on Memorial Day to honor all who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The fall concert, titled “Songs Weave Together What War Tears Apart,” featured the Missa Luba, a highly rhythmic, irresistible fusion of the Latin mass and Congolese dance rhythms.

The chorus performed the Missa Luba in recognition of the ongoing strife in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Inspired by the example of Seattle’s Intiman Theater during its production of “Ruined,” the chorus took up an offering for Panzi Hospital, which helps women affected by violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Accompanying the chorus were Sengalese master drummers Thione and Goar Diop, kora virtuoso Kane Mathis, tenor soloist Syd Law, and the Vawachi Marimba Ensemble, led by Dr. Claire Jones.

The Missa Luba was composed by the Belgian missionary Guido Haazen, who taught his his Congolese boys choir to sing the Latin Mass by encouraging them to sing in their own African rhythms and melodies. The resulting Missa Luba toured the world in the 1950s and introduced many Western listeners to African singing.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, this concert featured a reprise of the environmental oratorio “Upon this Land,” composed by director Fred West. Soloists were Andre Picard, Tessa Studebaker, Sid Law, and Charles Robert Stevens.

Other pieces included “Thula Sizwe,” “Obrigado,” “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” “Rain Still Talks to Me,” “I Dreamed of Rain,” and “I Am But a Small Voice.”

This concert was supported in part by Biodiversity Northwest.

2010 December – A chorus ensemble performed a set of holiday songs in the Seattle Municipal Tower.

2010 October – A chorus ensemble participated in a presentation by John Paul Lederach, author of Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies.

2010 May – The chorus continued the tradition, started in 2008, of participating in the the Community Sing at Seattle’s Folklife Festival, which is held each year over the Memorial Day weekend. To honor all who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the chorus led those gathered in singing the Mozart Requiem.

2011 May 30 – At the annual Folklife Festival in Seattle, the chorus continued its tradition of welcoming festival-goers to participate in singing the Mozart Requiem. Each year, the Requiem is dedicated to all who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

2010 February – Benefit Concert for Haiti

Along with the Phinney Neighborhood Chorus, City Cantabile Choir, Gidden School Children’s Choir, Shades of Praise Choir, Jubilation Choir, and other performers, the Peace Chorus sang to raise money for organizations helping with relief efforts in response to Haiti’s earthquake: Doctors without Borders; the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA); Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International; and Fonkonze, a Haitian microcredit lender. An estimated $5,000 was raised through ticket sales and the raffle of a Haitian painting.

This concert celebrated music from the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish cultures and featured Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein, with soloist Doug Balcom. Also performed were “Dodi Li” (Hebrew), “Weepin’ Mary” (Christian), and a call to prayer (Islamic) by three soloists. Among other pieces performed were the Sufi Chant “Heywah Yar,” “Dona Nobis Pacem” from Bach’s B Minor Mass, and “Avinu Malkeinu.”

In the spirit of celebrating life, the chorus, accompanied by the Western Washington Symphony Orchestra, performed Carl Orff’s masterpiece, Carmina Burana. Soloists were Alexandra Picard, Stuart Lutzenhiser, and Charles Robert Steven. Performances took place at Western Washington State University in Bellingham and at Town Hall in Seattle.

May 2009 – The chorus continued the tradition, started in 2008, of participating in the the Community Sing at Seattle’s Folklife Festival, which is held each year over the Memorial Day weekend. To honor all who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the chorus led those gathered in singing the Mozart Requiem.

March 2009 – The chorus opened the program “Wage Peace,” an evening of music and words to mark the anniversary of the Iraq war. Featured was Maurice Duruflé’s haunting Requiem sung by the 85-voice combined choirs of Seattle First Baptist Church and Bellevue First Congregational Church (UCC) and conducted by Dennis Coleman and Vicky Thomas.

1st Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse duty in Iraq, was the featured reader. The audience and orchestra sang together the round Dona Nobis Pacem. A Peace Fair followed the Requiem with
information available from local peace groups, an interfaith prayer chapel, and community singing for peace led by the Peace Chorus.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the chorus, former directors Helen Lauritzen and Mark Kloepper and former chorus members were invited to reunite and sing with the chorus. Helen Lauritzen directed “I Am But a Small Voice” and “Ladushki,” and Mark Kloepper directed “The Battle of Jericho.” Among other pieces performed were “Now Let Us Sing,” “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s Requiem, and “I Will Stand Up,” composed and performed by former chorister Trina Willard.

The Seattle Peace Chorus premiered “Martin Remembered,” a work with lyrics and music by Seattle musician Kent Stevenson. The piece was commissioned by the chorus to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The chorus was joined in performance of this work by the Jubilation and Shades of Praise Choirs of St. Therese Church and the Mount Zion Brotherhood Chorus of Mt. Zion Church. Soloists included Josephine Howell, Debbie Cavitt, and Doug Balcom. Among the dancers, actors, and other musicians who performed were Jason Chambliss, Owuor Arunga, Ola Jackson, Nahje Daniel, Anjali Joshi, Jason Turner, and Vania Bynum.

The second half of the concert featured a reprise of “Let America Be America Again,” a composition by director Frederick West based on a poem by Langston Hughes. The featured soloists were Don Dudley and Sid Law.

This concert was sponsored in part by the Seattle Foundation, the Neighborhood matching Fund of the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, The Seattle Foundation, and Seattle Peace Chorus and was free and open to the public. It was not a religious event or service.

2008 May – At Seattle’s annual Folklife Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend, the chorus appeared at the Community Chorus stage. To honor all who have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the chorus led those gathered in singing the Mozart Requiem. Thus began a Folklife tradition.

This concert highlighted connections to the countries of South America. Through song, narrative, and a slide show, the chorus shared experiences of their recent trip to Venezuela, including participation in the international choral festival and travel to different regions of Venezuela.

The concert also featured the U.S. premiere of Misa por la Paz y la Justicia (Mass for Peace and Justice) by the Argentine ethnomusicologist and composer Ariel Ramírez. The mass expresses the rhythms and forms of Argentine folk traditions.

Guest artists included maraca virtuoso Fucho Aparicio of Venezuela, the renowned Andean percussion ensemble Sur Llajta; and Syd Law, distinguished tenor soloist.

Featured in this concert was the premiere performance of “Let America be America Again,” a work composed by director Fred West and based on a poem of the same name by Langston Hughes. The soloist was Jimi Ray Malary. Also premiered in this concert was “Processional Prayer” by Isaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock. Guest musicians were renowned maraca and cuatro player Fucho Aparicio and the world music duo Correo Aereo. Pieces performed at this concert were among those performed at the 2007 Festival Internacional de Coros in Venezuela.

2007 March – Fourth Anniversary of the Iraq War

In concert with world-wide gatherings that marked the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war, the chorus sang a memorial concert at the First Congregational Church in Bellingham. A candlelight vigil followed, with the audience joining the chorus in song. The event was sponsored by the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center.

A week later, the chorus participated in an Interfaith service at Seattle First Baptist Church to mark this anniversary.

2007 February – Ehren Watada Rally

On a cold windy day, Seattle Peace Chorus members joined several thousand vocal supporters of Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to the Iraq war. After singing, choristers joined other supporters in marching to the Fort Lewis gates (Watada was stationed at Fort Lewis).

2007 January 27 – March on Washington to End the War

2007 January 15 – Ground Zero

Seattle Peace Chorus SWAT (Singers with Activist Tendencies) provided support and encouragement to Ground Zero on Monday, Jan. 15th, Martin Luther King Day.

They sang during a demonstration at the Bangor gate. Perhaps their most powerful singing occurred while witnessing the actual acts of civil disobedience and subsequent arrests of some participants.

2007 January – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute

In a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Peace Chorus participated in the evening mass at St. Therese Church, accompanied by master pianist Kent Stevenson, and joined by the St. Therese Jubilation Choir.

2007 August – Benefit for Middle East Peace Camp for Children Seattle

The chorus performed during a fundraiser for Seattle’s Middle East Peace Camp.

The chorus performed the world premiere of “Mother’s Song,” a work composed by Joseph Zamberlin. Among other pieces on the program were Shenandoah (traditional), Si Somos Americanos, Somos el Barco, Keep Hope Alive (by Ysaye Barnwell), Louisiana (soloist Tim Hoffman), Flame Tree (soloist Jeff Carter), Lacrimosa (with Sue Pool on violin), Peace Train (soloist Doug Balcom), Manjani (soloist Dayna Littlejohn). A choreographed performance of the Pointer Sisters’ Shaky Flat Blues was presented by the Nonettes, an eight-voice ensemble of the Peace Chorus.

The Peace Chorus performed Mozart’s Requiem in memory of all military and civilians who had lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Each concert go-er received a program with an insert, a unique list of individuals killed in the wars. Just before the performance began, audience members were invited to read aloud, simultaneously, the names from their lists. The performance opened with Middle Eastern musicians playing a slow, mournful melody. Then, the Western Washington State University Orchestra entered with the opening strains of the Requiem. The orchestra was accompanied by the Middle Eastern musicians for several movements of the Requiem.

The Requiem was performed at the Performing Arts Center on the Western Washington State University campus in Bellingham, Washington, and at Town Hall in Seattle. For the Town Hall performance, in addition to the Requiem, an ensemble of the Northwest Girlchoir, Amore, performed works that expressed themes of loss and hope.

Also performing was Kamand, a Seattle group performing classical Persian music.

2006 April – Freedom Rings

The chorus joined other singers and performers at First United Methodist Church in a celebration of the hard fought freedoms and the ongoing struggle to preserve those freedoms in our country. Speakers included the Rev. Samuel B. McKinney, pastor emeritus, Mount Zion Baptist Church, William Garling, and Rep Jim McDermott, who read the Bill of Rights.

Other performers: Children of the Revolution, Shades of Praise Gospel Choir, Jubilation Singers, Mt. Zion Brotherhood Chorus, City Cantabile Choir, Shoreline Unitarian Church Choir, and Solidarity (Andean ensemble). Christian Swenson, improvisational dancer and mime, depicted a history of the long life of Habeas Corpus. This performance was made possible through the generosity of Kay Bullitt.

The chorus also performed at the Mercy Corps Benefit for Children of Lebanon at the Cherry Street Coffee House 103 Cherry Street, Seattle

2006 August – Veterans for Peace National Convention, Husky Union Building University of Washington Seattle

2006 August – Sir! No, Sir! Northwest Film Forum

2006 January – Martin Luther King Day, University Baptist Church, Seattle

2006 January – Benefit Concert for Power of Hope
The Seattle Peace Chorus joined the vibrant 300-member Gettin’ Higher Choir at the Alix Golden Performance Hall in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for a benefit concert to raise funds for the Seattle-based Power of Hope organization.

2006 June – World Peace Forum, Vancouver, Canada

2006 September – Jim Hightower

The Peace Chorus opened for Jim Hightower’s talk in Seattle at Town Hall. His appearance was sponsored by the Institute for Washington’s Future’s “Back to the Roots” program.

2006 December – Amandla!

“Amandla” is a film that documents the role music played in the success of the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. Members of the Peace Chorus sang after the showing.

This concert featured a powerful musical dialogue with guest musicians from Arab, Israeli, Kurdish, Persian, and Turkish communities. Works performed included “We Sing for Peace,” composed by director Fred West, “Gate, Gate,” a Buddhist mantra, “Stand Up,”composed by chorus member Trina Willard, “Circle Round for Freedom” by Linda Hirschman, the “Introit Lullaby,” a Welsh piece arranged by James Hardman and “Elijah Rock,” an African-American spiritual. The group Ahlam Layali also performed several selections, sharing Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Kurdish, and Turkish melodies, with Walid Farhoud on qanoun and vocals, Sallah Ali on violin and percussion, Stephen Elaimy on oud, David McGrath on nay; and Jane Hall and Eric Brown on percussion. Kamand, a Persian classical and folk music ensemble in Seattle also performed

Asher Hashask, a native of Israeli, performed Shir LaShalom and Toah, accompanied by the men of the chorus and the full chorus, respectively.

To mark the ongoing, globally celebrated 100th anniversary of the birth of the Nobel prize laureate Pablo Neruda, the chorus performed Canto General, a rich collection of Neruda poems set to music by Mikis Theodorakis. Performances took place at Town Hall in Seattle and at the South Whidbey Island High School on Whidbey Island. The Whidbey Island performance was sponsored by Concerts on the Cove.

2005 Dec – The Peace Chorus Holiday Singers performed in the lobby of Seattle City Hall;

2005 Dec 1 – World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil
Members of the Peace Chorus sang at Central Lutheran Church in Capital Hill during the candlelight vigil observing World AIDS Day. The vigil was sponsored by the Lifelong Aids Alliance.

2005 October – Can’t Blow the Blues Away – Benefit for Hurricane Katrina Musicians
The Peace Chorus, together with Les Femmes d’Enfer, The Mount Zion Men’s Chorus, the Shades of Praise Gospel Choir, Grand Trevillion and Miss Edna Baptiste, performed in a benefit concert to raise money for New Orleans musicians who were victims of Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund, started by Preservation Hall musician Benjamin Jaffee, provides New Orleans musicians with financial support, many of whom were without an income as a result of the hurricane. Benaroya Hall (Nordstrom Recital Hall) Seattle.

2005 Fall – Sing for Peace
The Seattle Peace Chorus joined with the Children of Peace chorus, the Raging Grannies, the Seattle Labor Chorus, the Intergenerational Peace Choir, and other groups at the benefit “Sing for Peace” to raise money for war-injured Iraqi children. The benefit was sponsored by No More Victims, an organization founded in 2002 to bring war-injured Iraqi children to the United States for treatment.

2005 August 6 – From Hiroshima to Hope
As in previous years, the chorus was invited to sing at the 60th anniversary commemorating of victims of the bombing of Hiroshima. Held outdoors at Greenlake, the program included blessings, readings, Native American prayer songs, and Taiko drumming. Doug Balcom, Assistant Director of the chorus, led singers in “There’s a Light”and “I’ve Got Peace Like a River.”The program was followed by the Toro Nagashi Lantern Floating Ceremony, in which lanterns representing the sols of the dead were floated on the lake. The ceremony is re-enacted each year in Seattle and in many cities throughout the world.

2005 March 19 – Anti-Iraq War Rally
At the March 19 rally marking the anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the Peace Chorus joined with the Seattle Labor Chorus to sing songs of protest, hope, and peace.

2005 January – Tsunami Benefit Concerts
The Peace Chorus performed at the Town Hall Tsunami Benefit on Jan. 12, 2005 and at the Seattle First United Methodist Church Tsunami Benefit on Feb. 5, 2005.

The Seattle Peace chorus went out to the community in the fall of 2004 to share the “We the People” program. The concert was performed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood and offered again at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle for the Pablo Neruda Centenary; and in Ellensburg, sharing the stage of the city’s new music hall with the Kittitas Valley Children’s Choir and the Ellensburg Women’s Chorus.

“We the People” celebrates the extraordinary efforts of individuals in our history who worked to end oppression and create peace. Musical selections were dedicated to Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and the Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott. With this music, the chorus recalled the humble roots and the tremendous community support that inspired many of these activists.

This concert honored peacemakers the world over. Jose Marti (Cuba), Pablo Neruda (Chile), Lucretia Mott (United States), Harriet Tubman (United States), Mahatma Gandhi (India), Amma (India), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (United States), Nelson Mandala (South Africa); and Hiawatha (United States) were among the individuals whose lives were celebrated though musical selections from their native countries. he repertoire ranged from Buddhist chants to African-American spirituals to the South African national anthem. These guest artists were part of the program: Christos Govetas, vocalist, oud and bendir player from Macedonia; Phil Georges, of Anjuman, an Indian/Afro-Cuban Ensemble; Carl Holm, Senegalese drummer; Kamau, percussionist (congas, timbales, bongos and more); Ryan Lenco; Lucia Neare, Seattle vocalist trained in the south Indian Karnatic classical tradition; Modibo Traore, Gambian percussionist; and Than Than Win, Burmese vocalist.
Soloists from the chorus were Sergio Urrutia,Ted Hunter, Nora Lih, Colleen Wallace, Robert Crosby, and Tim Hoffman.

2004 Dec – An ensemble of the chorus participated in the Neruda Centenary celebration sponsored by the Spanish Department at the University of Washington. The ensemble performed excerpts from Canto General.

Concert goers heard a wide range of musical selections to be performed at the international choral festival in Santiago, Cuba in December of 2003. The program included “Flame Tree,” a composition by director Fred West based on a text by Felix Houphouet Boigny; “Ye Shall Have a Song,” by Russell Thompson based on a text from Isaiah; “Peace Like a River,” an Afrocam-American spiritual arranged by Gwyneth Walker; “Prayer,” an original composition by chorister Trina Willard; “O Nata Lux,” composed by Mortern Lauridsen; “ and “Bless the Lord” from the Mass of the Holy Spirit by Joseph Zamberlin. Other selections were “I Believe,” composed by director Fred West and based on words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and “Elijah Rock,” an African-American spiritual arranged by Moses Hogan.

The chorus celebrated its 20th anniversary with a performance of the Rachmaninoff Vespers, with soloists Vasily Kozorezo and Emily Lunde. This selection was a tribute to the origins of the Peace Chorus, which was started in 1983 in response to the Cold War.

This concert was supported in part by the Washington State Arts Commission.

In the spring, the chorus traveled to Whidbey Island to perform the “Let Freedom Ring: Reclaiming Our Voices” concert.

This concert was designed to raise awareness about government infringement of basic American rights—privacy, free speech,due process, peaceful assembly, along with greater government secrecy and decreased accountability, all in the name of the war on terror.

In honor of Earth Day, this concert featured the premiere performance of the environmental oratorio “Upon this Land,” composed by director Fred West. Soloists were Thomasa Eckert, Emily Lunde, Jamila Barton, Sid Law, and Kevin Heippie.

Three organizations were recognized and honored with song: Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Compassionate Listening Project, and the Earth Corps. Respectively, the songs honoring these groups were “Gracias a la Vida”, sung by Sergio Urrutia; “Come, Come, Whomever You Are” sung by the chorus and the audience; and “We are Children of the World” sung by the Sing! Chronicity ensemble of Whidbey Island.

This concert was supported in part by Biodiversity Northwest.

2002 August – The chorus again was invited to participate in the Hiroshima Peace Lantern Ceremony on August 6. For this event, the chorus sponsored an all-comers mass chorus and provided sheet music and rehearsal space. The mass chorus was directed by founder Helen Lauritzen.

2002 July – Along with the Shades of Praise Gospel choir, the Peace Chorus was invited to perform with Sound of the Northwest on the occasion of their 15th anniversary. The program, “Wings to Fly,”featured Dr. Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock as guest conductor. After a performance by each chorus, the groups combined to form a mass choir and sang, among other pieces, “Wings to Fly,”composed by Dr. Barnwell. This composition featured Marion Nesby and Dr. Barnwell as soloists.

2002 May – Folklife Festival – Memorial Day

Following the tragic events of September 11, the chorus held a community gathering to allow members of the community and the chorus to express grief and to begin the healing process.

This concert, performed on Nov. 17, explored the teachings of peace among the three major religions of the Middle East. The program included the pieces Shalom Rav, Esa Einai, R’tzel, Oifn Pripithok, and Oshe Shalom, among others. Excerpts from the Mass of the Holy Spirit by Joseph Zamberlin were also performed, with the composer on piano. Soloists were Lawrence Hill, Rozlyn Seay, Julie Mirel, and Thomasa Eckert.

On Nov. 3, the chorus joined with the Gospel Truth Choir (Immaculate Conception Church) directed by Tina Lombard-Harris; the Urban Rhythms Chorus directed by Kent Stevenson; and the Shades of Praise Choir (St. Therese Parish) directed by Robert Neal in the world premiere of a new mass by Joesph Zamberlin. The Mass of the Holy Spirit was scored for piano, keyboard, bass, saxophone., flute,and guitar, and drums and other percussion. Carole King, Kent Stevenson, Fred West, and Robert Neal directed selected pieces from the Mass. Rozlyn Seay, Jessica Rankin appeared as soloists, and duets were performed by Lisa Fox and Sheena Brown, Oscar Jackson and Liaa Fox; Terry Gallagher and Emily Greenleaf, and Lawrence Hil land Anita Kennedy;

After an intensive search, the chorus selected Fred West. director of the City Cantabile Choir, as the new director for the Peace Chorus. He replaced Pam Gerke, who had acted as interim director until spring of 2000. Under Fred’s leadership, the chorus continued to celebrate and reflect on the meanings of the 1999 trip to Cuba. Featured in this concert was “Orin Odara – Songs of Transformation,” a large-scale work arranged by Fred Hoadley and dedicated to the Orisha (gods) of Afro-Cuban tradition. The chorus also sang pieces from Columbia and Chile and popular songs from Cuba. Accompanying the chorus was the Latin jazz band Sonado, vocal soloist Elspeth MacDonald, and Mark Lilly, a specialist in Afro-Cuban dance.

The chorus shared experiences from the 1999 Cuba tour, singing pieces from the repertoire performed on the trip. Mark Kloepper, who conducted the chorus during the tour, directed this concert. This concert also marked the end of Mark Kloepper’s tenure as musical director, as he accepted an offer for full-time work.

To celebrate the culmination of plans for the first trip to Cuba, the chorus produced “A Bon Voyage Concert,” featuring Los Nietos del Sol performing traditional music of Cuba. Among the pieces performed by the chorus were Battle of Jericho, Shenandoah, Black Sheep, Motherless Child. and selections from Porgy and Bess. Soloists included Darcie Freeman, Donene Blair, Jamila Barton, Lisa Owens, and Vern Olsen. Mark Kloepper, Music Director, was assisted by Pamela Gerke, Associate Music Director.

Guest artists were Elspeth Macdonald on vocals and percussion David Trejo on guitar and, Fed Hoadley on the Cuban tres.

Director Mark Kloepper and Associate Director Pam Gerke conducted this concert.

The chorus performed pieces that celebrated African music and culture and its legacy and influence on American music.

The bridges built by the chorus led to an invitation to two special events – singing at the presentation of the “Order of Friendship” to Secretary of State Ralph Munro (the highest honor a non-Russian citizen can receive) and also at the farewell dinner for Russia’s Consul General Giorgi Vlaskin.

This concert presented repertoire focusing on traditional and nontraditional ways of celebrating the season. The goal of the concert was to increase understanding of other cultures and religions.

After traveling as Assistant Director with the chorus on the 1999 Cuba trip, Pamela Gerke became interim director. Under her leadership, the chorus performed “I Begin My Singing,” a celebration of the peacemakers in the Seattle community. Specials guests included the Raging Grannies, the children of the BF Day Peace Choir, the Broadview Elementary School Choir, and the Rain City Choir. Musical selections drew from various ethnic traditions, including American and Jewish, as well as songs from Carribean, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho.

In February, Mark Kloepper made his debut as director of the Peace Chorus with “The Cry of My Heart: Songs of Strife and Strength.”The concert was envisioned as a response to the effects of intolerance and oppression throughout the world. The program wove together music emanating from the historical struggles of people on four continents. Styles ranged from resistance songs and folk anthems to prayers of despair and spirituals of hope. Featured were excerpts from the powerful “Service for the Dead of Bosnie-Herzegovina” by Kim Sherman. Repertoire encompassed songs of the extraordinary hardships that people confront in order to maintain their freedom to songs that celebrate the human spirit—its desire to endure and its capacity to flourish despite overwhelming adversity.

Holiday gigs included singing at Seafirst Plaza, Key Tower Atrium, Green Lake Pathway of Lights Celebration (Luminaria) and the University Village Shopping Center

“Who will remember we are all one?” This is the central question of Mother of Us All, a unique oratorio by Portland composer David York and Oregon poet Judith Barrington. The work speaks from the perspective of the goddess figure, drawn from Kabbalist, Gnostic, Greek, Native American, HIndu, Buddhist, and Macumban traditions. Over the years, the Peace Chorus mission of communicating the desire for peace expanded to include peace with the earth. Mother of Us All is a beautiful and moving expression of the desire for healing bonds that have been broken: between peoples and nations, between body and spirit, between nature and society, and between man and woman.

The concert was directed by Helen Lauritzen, founder of the Peace Chorus.

The Peace Chorus traveled to Chile in October of 1995 to take part in that country’s first International Choral Festival. The friendships formed during that trip inspired the chorus to sponsor a two-week Pacific Northwest tour by Coro Municipal Pozo Almonte of Chile. The chorus is an all-women’s group from Poza Almonte, a rural community in northwest Chile, and is directed by Carlos Morales Escobar.

In Washington, the Peace Chorus performed with Coro Almonte in Seattle. Coro Almonte then went on to the venues arranged by the Peace Chorus: Coupeville, Lake Stevens High School, Ellensburg, WA, The Dalles, OR, Aberdeen, WA, and Olympia WA.

The chorus joined The Sound of the Northwest, a gospel choir, for their 10th anniversary concert. Guest conductor, Dr. Ysaye Barnwell.

After the concert with Sound of the Northwest, and after 14 years of creative work and service, the chorus’ founding director, Helen Lauritzen, moved on to new challenges. Mark Kloepper, also dedicated to the power of music, became the chorus’ new musical director.

Jan 1998 – Russian Consul General Georgi Vlaskin presented the Russian “Order of Friendship”to Secretary of State Ralph Munro in Olympia, Washington. The chorus was invited to sing at this event.

The Peace Chorus collaborated with Seattle’s City Cantabile Choir to perform “Canto General,” the epic song of Latin America. This choral masterpiece is set to the rich poetry of Chile’s Nobel prize laureate Pablo Neruda with music by Greece’s renowned Mikis Theodorakis. The chorus also celebrated their return from Chile with “Images of Chile,” a multi-media performance.

Dec 1996 – Six choruses, including the Seattle Peace Chorus, participated in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s* Readers’ Care Fund. The participating choruses took music out to Seattle neighborhoods, singing Christmas carols and collecting money to benefit Northwest Harvest, The Forgotten Children’s Fund, Seattle Emergency Housing Service, and Central Youth and Family Services. This evening of caroling was organized by Fred West, director of City Cantabile Choir, and Liz Adams, a chorister.
*Seattle’s former morning newspaper, now online

The chorus performed the “Misa Criolla” with Almandina, and “Voices United” with the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Chorus.

In 1993, Helen Lauritzen, founder of the chorus, met Waldo Aranguiz, a Chilean choral director, at an international choral symposium in Vancouver, B.C. She invited him to visit one of the chorus’ rehearsals and help with the Latin American songs in the chorus’ repertoire. Waldo Aranguiz returned six months later, invited by the chorus to be guest conductor for “Espiritu de las Americas,” a multi-media concert featuring music of North and South America. Performing at the concert was Almandina, a Seattle-based ensemble of South American musicians specializing in music of the Andes. Adefua, a group of performers dedicated to African music and dance, also appeared as guest artists.

The concert included songs from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela, as well as American spirituals and Native American song.

2004 Dec – The Peace Chorus Holiday Singers performed carols at the Municipal Tower in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, Dec. 7th and at 10,000 Villages (65th and Roosevelt) on Dec. 10th, 2004.

Sept. 1994 – President Boris N. Yeltsin of Russia visited Seattle for the first time on his U.S. tour. Because the chorus was known for their travels to the Soviet Union and Russia, they were invited to perform as part of President Yeltsin’s official welcome to Seattle. When the chorus sang their last song, “Mnogaya Leta” (Many Years), a beautiful chant from the Russian Orthodox tradition, Boris Yeltsin shed tears. He was standing right in front of the chorus, and in the words of founder Helen Lauritzen, “[he] reached out, took my hand, and kissed it.”

2004 Jan – The chorus participated in the Martin Luther King celebration at Harborview Hospital and also at the Martin Luther King Memorial Baptist Church in Renton.

Ten years! The chorus celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a gala concert. Consul General Vlaskin spontaneously rose to speak about the good work the chorus has done.

The chorus maintained its local focus with the concert “American Portrait: From Culture Conflict to Common Ground.” They collaborated with the Evergreen Chorus, a Korean choir; Four Seasons, an Asian choir, African dancers, Seattle Kokon Taiko drummers and Grey Eagle, a Native-American storyteller.

Dec 16, 1993 – A chorus ensemble performed at he Children’s Home Society.

Dec 11, 1983 – Two weeks before Christmas, after dark, the three-mile path around Greenlake becomes softly lit with flickering luminaria. At various places along the path, informal groups of choristers, as well as more formal groups, assemble and sing as young and old walk the path around the lake. The Peace Chorus added their voices to this festive evening.

Dec 10, 1993 – The chorus participated in Figgy Pudding, a Seattle caroling tradition. At the corner of 5th and Pike, they regaled onlookers with a host of carols – and won the competition! After receiving that honor, the chorus decided to participate only informally in Figgy Pudding, since as a formal chorus they had an advantage over other groups, most of whom gathered informally to sing in this festive event.

The focus of the chorus moved from international to local issues. The chorus produced a benefit for the Seattle Homelessness Project and Seattle Displacement Coalition. The chorus also initiated the creation of a multi-arts concert called “Broken Wheel.” This presentation, using music, story, poetry, and dance explored the brokenness and mending among the Native-American, African-American, Asian-American, and Caucasian communities. Collaborators included Choreopoets, Seattle and Kokon Taiko, Sacred Circle Storytellers, and Local Access.

The Seattle Peace Chorus organized U.S. tours for the Vladimir Chamber Choir, including a performance at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. Their international involvement was later recognized when the chorus received a special invitation to present a performance to President Boris Yeltsin during his 1994 Seattle visit.

The chorus performed its first concert in 1985, under the direction of founder Helen Lauritzen. The program offered a preview of songs for the upcoming trip to the former Soviet Union – the first of many trips for the chorus.

In the words of founder Helen Lauritzen: “We didn’t think about concerts. We didn’t think of ourselves as a performing chorus. We didn’t sing that well! We built our musicianship over the years. There was always tension between mission and musicality! At first it was just people who wanted to sing. We sang at meetings of peace groups, at rallies, and for groups like Educators for Social Responsibility.

The first time we sang publicly was the going-away party for a group from Target Seattle who had collected petitions to present to the citizens of Tashkent, Seattle’s sister city. The petitions called for residents of Seattle and its sister city to work together to prevent nuclear war. We sang the evening the travelers got on the bus to go the airport, and the party was in the basement of St. Mark’s. We sang, “I Am but a Small Voice.” That was in March 1983.”

The Seattle Peace Chorus was inspired by Target Seattle, a region-wide activity formed to raise awareness about the growing threat of nuclear war. Because of her involvement in the effort to further dialogue about the nuclear threat, Helen Lauritzen felt a need to offer peace activists a way to communicate a positive vision of the future – a way to express musically their desire for peace. In Helen’s words: “This [the chorus] seemed like a way to do it joyously.” Helen’s leadership saw the establishment of the Seattle Peace Chorus over a three-month period, from January through March of 1983. Many members of the fledgling chorus had been active in Target Seattle, and brought friendships and a sense of community to the chorus. By reaching out through music and making personal connections, the chorus hoped to make a difference. Motley and musically ragged, the chorus was small and tentative. But it grew, both musically and in size. The early days were marked by hard work and by taking the risk to venture out. Faithful to the simplicity of its message, the chorus discovered and accepted the complexity of its mission.