jennifer rodgers | Vienna Choral Society

Carmina Burana, Our Last Concert With Jennifer Rodgers

May 18, 2016

Photo by Jim King

We’ve told you all about Carmina Burana, and our prep for it. We’ve told you about how people showed up out of the woodwork to sing just this one concert with us. And we’ve told you about how it’s the biggest show we’ve done, ever. (Yes, we checked. We’ve done large works in the past, but never anything with this many people or large moving parts, from the music to the props.)

It’s been amazing and exciting. But we’ve been holding out on you. We haven’t shared how bittersweet these last few rehearsals have been. Because this is Maestra Jennifer Rodgers’ last concert with us.

After six and a half years with us, Ms. Rodgers is moving west. In the fall, she begins a new professional chapter in the DMA program of the University of Washington, Seattle. Needless to say, sad as we are to see her go, we are happy for the future Dr. Rodgers and wish her the very best.

The choir has enjoyed this time with her. Under her artistic leadership and vision, we have gone from a choir that nearly closed doors in 2009, to a thriving organization whose wall of sound has encouraged singers to dream big. And boy, are we ending this season, and our time with her, on a big bang! To paraphrase her a bit from program notes that you’ll see on show night, this is a “Cecille B. DeRodgers!” show.

We can’t tell you more about that. You’ll just have to see for yourself. Let’s just say this concert will be a feast for eyes and ears. And for those of you who want to learn a bit more about Carmina before we sing it, Ms. Rodgers will do a rare pre-concert talk.

Between all the players—especially the kids from Mosby Woods Elementary School’s choir—and their friends and family, we expect a very full house. We’ll have tickets at the door, but we encourage you to buy yours well ahead of time.

Tickets are available online until 11:30 pm, Friday, May 20, 2016. Tickets are $25/adults, $20/Seniors(65+) and Students (15-18). Youth aged 14 and younger attend for free if accompanied by a paying audience member. Tickets are also available through VCS singers.

The box office will open at 6:15 pm. Doors open for the pre-concert talk at 7:10 pm. We sing Carmina Burana at 7:30 pm, Saturday, May 21, 2016, Vienna Baptist Church (541 Marshall Road SW, Vienna, VA 22180).

Please come! You don’t want to miss this. And you don’t want to miss the energy in the room when we are directed by Ms. Rodgers one last time.

Text And Sound – How Does That Work?

February 20, 2015

A post from our Artistic Director, Jennifer Rodgers

Text and Song – isn’t that a bit general for a choral concert? I mean, doesn’t every chorus present texts as songs? Well, yes. But we’re talking about the ultimate marriage of these two fundamental components. When a writer is inspired to put words down on paper, when a composer feels such conviction for a musical thought that the manuscript paper comes out – what are they trying to do if not describe a moment of life as exquisitely as they possibly can?

We experience huge moments in our lives – of joy, grief, mystery, anguish, hope and love – and we try to capture them so that we can live the experience again and again. Henry David Thoreau says, ” I want to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.” We do this by telling the stories, writing poetry and novels and memoirs, taking photographs, painting and sculpting. And often, we underscore these moments with music.

How many moments in your life have been accompanied by music that just precisely said what you needed. How many times does it seem like we get messages through music when we most (or least!) want to hear them. Love songs on a radio when you are falling in love…love songs on the radio when you are falling out of love. A Bach Chorale in a soaring cathedral that could not be more sublime. A song that makes you weep when you have not been able to.

When I come upon a text that so perfectly painted in the music, there is nothing more inspirational. Every piece in this program has been chosen because, in my mind, it is the perfect pairing of text and song. The music is utterly and completely inspired by the text that is being set and the text reaches dimensions that were unattainable before.

We will soar through those deepest of human emotions – grief to hope, joy to sorrow, isolation to complete love and connection – sometimes in a single piece!

This concert has been long in the making and you won’t want to miss it! Come with your whole heart and immerse yourself with us in these magical creations that come as close as possible to describing what it’s like to live our human lives.

We sing Text and Sound: When The Music Paints A Thousand Words at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 21, 2015. Tickets are now on sale online or through choir members.

Seth Hurwitz’s Right, You Should See Us Live

December 9, 2014

kidatcelticfest You probably looked at that title and thought “Who is Seth Hurwitz?”

Short answer – owner of the 9:30 Club in DC. Longer answer – the guy who also owns Merriweather Post Pavillion and the restored Lincoln Theater, and one of the few contenders who can go up against Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

No, Hurwitz doesn’t know us. ::sad face:: But he recently said something that really resonates with us at VCS.

Washingtonian magazine asked him why the public should bother going to shows if they can get it all online, anytime they want. Here’s how he replied:

That’s not a concert—that’s a video. A live concert … is a fantastic social experience. You’re in a room, sharing it with people—the crowd noise, the applause. Most people are at a screen all day. We sell escapism. When you go into that room, everything else goes away.

Hurwitz is absolutely right. [Read more…]

Do What You Do Better, Singing Or Otherwise!

June 18, 2014

Have you bought your tickets to our Summer Workshop yet? If not, you still have time!

If you’ve already come to our workshops in summers past, you know what a great experience they can be. If not, here’s what you need to know.

WHERE AND WHEN ARE THE WORKSHOPS BEING HELD?
Saturday
August 23, 2014
9 am to 4 pm
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, VA 22181 (closest Metro stop is the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station, north exit is closer if walking, but we recommend taking a cab).

Yes, there shall be cookies and such. But you gotta let us know if you’ll be there so we can plan!

HOW MUCH WILL I PAY?
Masterclass ticket (limited to 8 per workshop) $135
General ticket $85
General Half-Day $42.50 (come either in the morning or the afternoon)
Lunch is available for $12

(NOTE: Additional processing fees apply for online ticketing.)

Walk-ins are welcome, but buying a ticket ahead of time helps us plan a better coffee break!

WHERE CAN I GET TICKETS?
Right HERE!

WHAT DO THE WORKSHOPS OFFER?
VCS vocal workshops are a day-long immersive experience (9 am to 4 pm) designed to help singers:

Improve vocal technique
Enhance sight-singing skills
Strengthen musicianship

A full day of workshop options in vocal production, rhythm and notation, and music theory will be offered, along with Masterclasses that give hands-on coaching application for singers and listeners. All who register attend the Masterclass. Those who pay for a Masterclass will have a dedicated coaching session with the instructors, and perform in front of the whole workshop.

Masterclass attendees are strongly encouraged to come with a prepared piece of music.

What exactly happens in a Masterclass, you ask? To quote our director, Jennifer Rodgers:

Now, I’m realizing that many folks don’t know what a masterclass is and how it works. First off – YOU don’t have to be the master. That’s supposed to be me…I get to be called a master teacher!

The singers who perform should bring a piece to sing, ideally with accompaniment unless you plan on singing without. This doesn’t have to be a big, new challenge…something to put out in front of an audience and let us see you on the spot. We’re really nice and we don’t bite. It’s okay if you’re a mess and it’s okay if you’re a chanteuse!

WHAT IS THE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE?

9:00 – 9:30 am Arrival and Registration
9:30 – 9:45 am Welcome, Introductions, Overview
9:45 – 11:15 am SESSION 1 – Vocal Production Keynote (with Jennifer Rodgers and Greg Graf)
11:15 – 11:30 am Coffee Break
11:30 am to 12:30 pm MASTERCLASS 1
12:30 – 1:15 pm Lunch
1:15 – 2:45 pm SESSIONS (2a – Music Theory Basics and SightreadinG/SESSION 2b – Advanced Music Theory) – these sessions will run concurrently.
2:45 – 3:00 pm Coffee Break
3:00 – 4:00 MASTERCLASS 2

WHY TAKE A VCS SUMMER WORKSHOP?
If you’re a singer, the answer is obvious – you learn to sing better!

But at VCS we believe that singing isn’t just for “Singers.” It’s for everyone who wants to be better at what they do, whether it’s music or anything else.

When you sing with us you learn to breathe, project, be with a group, take the stage on your own, pivot when the music isn’t going according to plan, connect and communicate with the audience, and find your voice.

Singing is full of life lessons. If you’re a professional, get better at your craft. If you’re not a professional, get better at being you.

All voices and skill levels welcome.

Vocal Workshops Summer 2014

May 20, 2014

Oh my, what a show PDQ Bach was! Complete with a potato launcher, cotton balls, and feathers. Yes, if you have no idea what we’re talking about, you definitely had to be there. But never fear, we’ll have pictures. And with luck, some video too!

And no, there is no such thing as a quiet summer for us. We’re already on to the next thing. Coming up this summer, we’ll have vocal workshops again – on Saturday June 28 and Saturday August 23. This summer’s workshops will be led by VCS’ Artistic Director Jennifer Rodgers and our accompanist Greg Graf.

Tickets are now on sale, and Masterclass tickets are limited.

If you’ve already come to our workshops in summers past, you know what a great experience they can be. If not, here’s what you need to know. [Read more…]

Carmina Burana, Our Last Concert With Jennifer Rodgers

Text And Sound – How Does That Work?

Seth Hurwitz’s Right, You Should See Us Live

Do What You Do Better, Singing Or Otherwise!

Vocal Workshops Summer 2014

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