February Evensong Concert: Mass in B minor, Johann Sebastian Bach
Free (RSVP required for in-person attendance; $25 suggested donation)
- Arwen Myers, soprano
- Laura Beckel Thoreson, alto
- Dann Coakwell, tenor
- Charles Robert Stephens, bass
Attending in person: In order to attend the Bach concert on Feb. 5, you will need to have your name on the list. There are no tickets this year. To have your name placed on the list, please email Nancy Chamberlain at stpauls.music.guild@gmail.com and include all names of people wishing to attend in your party. You will receive a confirmation email within a few days. If you are unable to email, call the church office at (503) 362-3661 and provide all of the names attending and your phone number. A suggested donation of $25 is requested at the door when you check in. Masks are highly recommended but not required.
Concert will also be livestreamed.
(No service of Evensong this day)
About Arwen Myers, soprano
Praised for her "crystalline tone and delicate passagework" (San Francisco Chronicle), soprano Arwen Myers captivates audiences with her timeless artistry and exquisite interpretations. Transmitting a warmth and "deep poignancy" (Palm Beach Arts Paper) onstage, Arwen shines in solo performance across the US and beyond. With outstanding technique and mastery of a wide range of vocal colors, Arwen's dazzling oratorio and solo appearances feature repertoire from the baroque to modern day, and everything in between. Her history includes appearances with Portland Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, working with such notable conductors as Nicholas McGegan, Monica Huggett, David Fallis, John Butt, David Hill, Scott Allen Jarrett, Erick Lichte, and Matthew Dirst.
https://www.arwenmyerssoprano.com/About Dann Coakwell, tenor
About Charles Robert Stephens, bass
Charles has enjoyed a career spanning a wide variety of roles and styles in opera and concert music. His performances have shown "a committed characterization and a voice of considerable beauty." (Opera News, 1995) At the New York City Opera he sang the role of Professor Friedrich Bhaer in the New York premiere of Adamo's Little Women, and was hailed by the New York Times as a "baritone of smooth distinction." Other New York City Opera roles since his debut as Marcello in 1995 include Frank in Die Tote Stadt, Sharpless in Madame Butterfly, and Germont in La Traviata. He has sung on numerous occasions at Carnegie Hall in a variety of roles with the Opera Orchestra of New York, the Oratorio Society of New York, the Masterworks Chorus, and Musica Sacra.
Now based in Seattle, Charles has sung with the Seattle Symphony, Tacoma and Spokane Symphonies and Opera Companies, Portland Chamber Orchestra and many other orchestras and opera companies in the Pacific Northwest. He joined the roster of the Seattle Opera in 2010 for the premiere of Amelia by Daron Hagan.
Recent collaborations with early music expert Stephen Stubbs include the role of Haman in Handel's Esther with Pacific Musicworks as part of the Seattle Handel Festival, Messiah with Portland Baroque and the role of Tiresias in the Boston Early Music Festival's lavish production of Steffani's Niobe, Queen of Thebes. A long association with Maestro Gary Thor Wedow has recently led to two performances with the Seattle Symphony: Messiah and "Opera Festival."
http://www.charlesrobertstephens.com/