Rosephanye Powell (b. 1962) is an American composer and has produced dozens of choral works, including publications by Hal Leonard, Fred Bock Music Company, and Oxford University Press. She is a professor of voice at Auburn University and is in constant demand as a composer-in-residence, clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. Powell has received numerous awards including the prestigious “Luise Vosgerchian Teaching Award,” presented by the Harvard University Office for the Arts in 2022. Additionally, she was honored with the “Living Legend Award” presented by California State University African Diaspora Sacred Music Festival in Los Angeles; and was a recent recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Powell was listed in the first edition of the international publication Who Is Who in Choral Music, and she has been included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and Outstanding Young Women in America. Her piece, “Arise, Beloved!” adapts verses of the Song of Solomon from the Bible, and she captures the light and playful text with a delightful lilting meter and dance-like rhythms.

Arise, my love! Arise, beloved, fair one, come away.
For lo, the winter is past. Beloved, come away.

Come, the rain has gone; the flowers appear, the birds are singing.
Come, your hand in mine; we’ll taste of the grapevines.
And hear the turtle doves; their voices sing of joy and love.
Hush! Do not awaken love. Do not arouse ‘til it pleases.
As the gazelles and does of the field, so is my beloved.

Arise, my love! Arise, beloved, fair one, come away.

Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980) is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electroacoustic music, dance, opera, and publishing. The majority of her compositions are for the voice: solo, chamber and choral. As an advocate for gender equality and inclusivity, Hagen’s “Compose Like A Girl” initiative amplifies female-identifying composers, helps conductors diversify their concerts, and works toward more equality in music programming and commissioning. Through her podcasts, she engages in discussions with renowned female composers – including Reena Esmail and Rosephanye Powell – that delve into the dynamics of opportunity, power, and privilege within the arts, advocating for female-identifying composers to embrace their unique artistic expression with confidence. Hagen’s music is rhythmically driven and texturally complex, rich in color and deeply heartfelt. About her piece, “Phoenix,” Hagen writes “this fiery piece emphasizes the importance of resilience, working through pain to find beauty and rebirth.”

it’s okay
if you’re burning
with anger
or sadness
or both
it is necessary
for you to collapse

so you can learn
how phoenixes are
reborn
when they burn
and rise again
from the ashes of
their existence

survival is not beautiful
it is fire, ache, and
everything that hurts
combined
but the survivors know how
after survival everything
is so insanely beautiful

~~ Noor Unnahar

Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947) is one of the most prolific female composers, with not only dozens of choral pieces, but nearly four hundred commissioned works in total across many genres, including instrumental and dramatic works. Walker was faculty at Oberlin College Conservatory teaching composition before becoming a full-time freelance composer and eventually retiring to a dairy farm in Vermont. Her piece, “Let the Life I’ve Lived Speak For Me,” is relatively simple with a repetitive melody, a simple texture, and transparent harmonies; however, her tasteful restraint perfectly embodies the text as Walker writes, “When my days are done… let my actions, my friendships, my struggles, and my caring speak for me. There is no need for embellishment or praise. The truth, a plain-yet-beautiful truth, will suffice.”

Let the life I’ve lived speak for me.
Let the life I’ve lived speak for me.
When I come to the end of the road,
And I lay down my heavy load,
Let the life I’ve lived speak for me.

Let the friends I’ve made speak for me.
Let the friends I’ve made speak for me.
When I come to the end of the road,
And I lay down my heavy load,
Let the friends I’ve made speak for me.

Let the life I’ve lived speak for me.
Lay down your burden, and
rest with the setting sun.
All the beauty of your life will shine
when your day is done.

Let the love I’ve shared speak for me.
Let the love I’ve shared speak for me.
When I come to the end of the road,
And I lay down my heavy load,
Let the love I’ve shared speak for me.

~~ text adapted by Gwyneth Walker

Katerina Gimon (b. 1993) is an award-winning Canadian composer based in Vancouver in British Columbia where she is the composer-in-residence for the Myriad Ensemble. Katerina cites influence from a myriad of places — from the Ukrainian folk music of her heritage to indie rock, as well as from her roots as a songwriter. Her music is performed widely across Canada, the USA, and internationally. The Bellevue Chamber Chorus commissioned a new voicing of her piece “Joy,” which sets an original text by Gimon. About the piece, Gimon writes that “Joy” is “about discovering and appreciating the simple yet profound moments in our lives that spark joy – from the warmth of a cup of hot chocolate to singing with friends. The overall character is quite animated and jubilant, encapsulating the boundless and liberating essence of joy. This work is the final movement in My Own Design, a set of three songs about self-discovery, facing life’s uncertainties, living with purpose, and finding joy in the unfolding journey.” Gimon visited the chorus during preparation of this piece, and the chorus is grateful for her artistry and insight.

I found joy in a cup of hot chocolate on a cold wintry day,
soft and warm, encircling me like a blanket,
keeping me sure and safe.

Like the sun in the stillness of morning,
like the dew drops of spring,
quiet joys peeking out from drawn curtains,
calling out to me.

Oh, joy! Oh, joy unbound.

Joy lives in music; joy lives in song; it lives in me.
Joy is all around us; its light and warmth surround us, waiting to be found.
Rising up through all the noise around us and thunder in our minds,
it sings the song that sets our souls afire.
Oh, joy! I know joy, I feel joy, joy unbound.
I found joy in a cup of hot chocolate,
in the spirit of singing,
in the journey unfolding,
I found joy!

~~ Katerina Gimon

https://bellevuechamberchorus.org/about/

Ben Luedcke, Artistic Director

Cori Belle, Accompanist

Imran Goychayev, Assistant Conductor

March 2025 Chorus Personnel:

Soprano: Maria Bayer, Wei Chen, Debra Defotis, Jenn Evora, Megumi Hayashi, Melissa Malouf, Kathy McMillan, Megumi Oshima, Audrey Wang Gosselin, Jane Wasell *

Alto: Toma Aliyeva *, Joanna Broussard, Elena Camerini, Claire Gajary, Rachel Keo, Arisha Kulshrestha, Anita Lenges, Michelle Lin, Malya Muth, Pratha Muthiah#, Marcia Olmsted, Karin Swenson-Moore, Kristen Wright *

Tenor: Patrick De Leon, Imran Goychayev, Farida Goychayeva, Melanie Grube, Michael Grube, Jim Leininger *, Ember Powers *, Kennedy Stewart, David Varner, Jamie Walch

Bass: Orion Bloomfield, Allan Chartrand, Dennis Defotis, Jan DeWulf, Mark Liebendorfer, Gabe Malouf, James McTernan *, Fabien Mousseau, Eric Mullen, Jeff Pierce, Albert Tsai, Trevor Tsang

* board member; # on hiatus

Nancy Fisher, director

Newport High School’s Chamber Choir is composed of sophomores through seniors, and the prerequisite for being in the ensemble is that you have been in at least one high school ensemble before. Many of the members have participated in Solo & Ensemble or regional honor choirs. This year we had 4 entries win or place in their division and will be going to the state competition in April. Many members of this ensemble are also involved in our wonderful theater program, either onstage or behind the scenes. They have also participated in football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, robotics, cheer, drill, debate, running start, have their own band that performs frequently throughout the region, play taiko, teach piano lessons, volunteer, and maintain one of the highest GPAs of any group in the school. They are a wonderful group of people who also happen to be fantastic musicians.

Nancy Fisher has been the choral director at Newport HS for 23 years. She also teaches guitar, piano, and is the music director for the annual musical that the school produces. In the greater choral community, she has been on the Board of Directors for the DeMiero Jazz Festival, the Eastshore Music region, and Northwest Chamber Chorus, and has been a clinician at regional large ensemble festivals as well as Solo & Ensemble. As a performer, Ms. Fisher enjoys participating in NWCC, and has extensive experience with many theaters throughout the region. Ms. Fisher would like to thank Jim, Claire, and Jack Jack for their support, understanding, and endless games of fetch.