Entertainment: GHS Chamber Singers journey to Costa Rica as musical ambassadors
Students will promote peace through music and help build supportive communities
Published in the May 3 – May 16, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life
By Rory Pace
Rory Pace
The Gilroy High School Chamber Singers will be leaving June 15 for a performance tour to Costa Rica.
Photo courtesy Gilroy High School Chamber Singers
Members of the Gilroy High School Chamber Singers will depart on what director Jonathan Souza hopes will be a formative journey in their young lives. They will travel to Costa Rica June 15 on a performance tour that will carry the theme of “Paz, Musica, y Pura Vida” to local audiences. In the words of Souza, the advanced choral ensemble seeks to promote peace through music, build supportive communities, and strive to make the world a better place through shared humanity and creativity.
The tour will include performances, cultural experiences, and service, including collaboration within local communities. In addition to serving as ambassadors through song, the tour allows students, some of whom have never traveled far from Gilroy before, to learn and grow through experiencing different cultures and life perspectives. Souza hopes the opportunity to travel and perform internationally will spark a life-long interest in exploration and awareness of the greater world around them.
The choir has prepared a wide repertoire of music to share with their Costa Rican audiences, including music central to American traditions, such as spirituals and contemporary works, as well as music from Central and South America. Of note is a brand new piece of music commissioned by the choir and composed specifically for their tour by Dr. Giselle Wyers of the University of Washington. As her creative process evolved in collaboration with Souza, Dr. Wyers selected a wonderful text by an American poet, Richard Blanco, titled, “Matters of the Sea,” or “Cosas del Mar.” This text was read by the poet at the reopening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba in August 2015 and is a perfect fit for the “Paz” or peace theme of the tour. The students have rehearsed this new piece since January and premiered the work at their spring concerts in March. Souza and the Chamber Singers look forward to sharing this exciting new piece with their Costa Rican neighbors.
The Chamber Singers and the GHS Choral Boosters have been busy with fundraising activities through the year to make this tour possible. Through successful events this year, including the 3rd annual Treats and Tunes Gala, Christmas caroling, a spaghetti dinner, and the inaugural Gilroy High School Choral Festival, the group has nearly reached its goals. Donations received at concerts through the year have also supported the Chamber Singers in their fundraising efforts toward the tour and the group is seeking to raise an additional $4,000 to cover all remaining costs of the trip.
If you’d like to support the Chamber Singers in their tour preparation and fundraising efforts, please consider joining them for their upcoming concerts. The GHS music department will present “A GHS Pops Concert: The Tony Awards come to GHS,” June 3. This fun and family-friendly event will feature favorite songs from Broadway, including the hit show, “Hamilton.” In addition to the choirs, the concert will include a performance by the GHS band and a community barbecue. Suggested donation for the concert is $10. Additionally, you can help to give the Chamber Singers a strong community sendoff by attending their Farewell Concert June 13. This free concert will showcase the choir’s tour repertoire and is a unique opportunity to show your enthusiastic support for these remarkable young people as they travel to Costa Rica as Gilroy’s very own Singing Ambassadors.
If you’d like to support the Chamber Singers’ tour through a tax-deductible donation, please visit gilroychoirs.org or contact Souza at [email protected].
Rory Pace is a Registered Dietitian, Gilroy parent, and supporter of choral music and music education.
