Bridge Over Troubled Water: Practice Peace this fall with Vashon's Free Range Folk Choir

Come sing with the Free Range Folk Choir this Fall Season, starting Monday, Sept. 25th, 2017. The choir will rehearse in the Vashon High School band room (see map) on Monday nights from 7-8:30 pm. (Registration begins at 6:45 pm on Sept. 25th.)

This season brings songs of peace and strength in community: from Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" to Rihanna's "Umbrella", Credence Clearwater Revival's "Down on the Corner" to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".  Rounds for peace, and songs to nourish love and joy are also on the menu for the season.

Choir members will have access to the Members Only section of the website, which allows singers to listen to and download tutorial recordings for all the song's vocal parts, as well as videos of many of the pieces we will sing this season.  Members are also able to share announcements and organize with other choir members via the announcement board - we have a lively community!

Fall season meets for nine weekly sessions from September until mid November. Please visit our schedule page for more details on the rehearsal schedule and upcoming concerts.

Under the direction of Shane Jewell, the choir celebrates the ways that music from around the world can lift the spirit and cultivate community. Feel free to come join us! Invite your friends and neighbors. No auditions necessary to join; everyone is welcome. 

Free Range Folk Choir at NW Folklife Festival, Sat. May 27th, 4pm

The Free Range Folk Choir will sing at the Northwest Folklife Festival on Saturday, May 27th at the Cornish Courtyard Stage from 4-5pm.
 
Come enjoy an hour of song featuring the intricate rhythms of drummer Gordy Ryan, the gospel jazz piano of Thomas Pruiksma, and vocal harmonies of Africa, America, and Europe. This is a family-friendly show, so bring everyone for the audience sing-along. Songs of freedom from South Africa and the US civil rights movement will round out this performance.

The Cornish Courtyard stage (map) is located outside the Cornish Playhouse (201 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA) on the north side of the Seattle Center grounds. You're encouraged to carpool, bicycle or take the bus to Folklife. (See Metro Trip Planner for details.)

Cultivating Freedom: Choir Concert, Sat. May 20, 7pm

Cultivate the Spirit of Peace and Freedom with the Free Range Folk Choir on Saturday May 20th, 7pm at the VHS Theater.

"Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice... No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out."

"Real strength can be found not in power, money, or weapons, but in deep, inner peace. When we have enough insight, we are not caught by many difficult situations anymore."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

On May 20th, the Free Range Folk Choir will perform "I've Got Love" and "No Matter What" by composer Raymond Wise.  Featuring the voices of the 70-member choir and jazz pianist Thomas Pruiksma, these songs remind us how to seek the inner strength needed to go on when we are facing great hardship: "I never found love 'till I found peace, I never found peace 'till I found joy, I never found joy 'till I found music way down in my soul."

Also featured will be a new choral work, arranged by Shane Jewell, based on Olatunji's Uhuru.  This piece balances the rich acappella voices of the Folk Choir with the nuanced percussion of Gordy Ryan, a long-time member of Olatunji's renowned band, Drums of Passion. The song's title, Uhuru, translates as "Freedom to the World Now", and epitomizes Olatunji's world view:

"I am that I am, I am beauty, I am peace, I am joy, I am one with Mother Earth. I am one with everyone within the reach of my voice. In this togetherness, we ask the divine intelligence to eradicate all negatives from our hearts, from our minds and from our actions. And so be it....Ashe."

~Babatunde Olatunji

Sung in three languages, the piece embodies the journey to freedom. The first cycle of the song is the realization that we are not yet free. The second cycle is the effort and struggle needed to achieve our freedom. Finally, the third cycle is the realization that once our freedom is gained we have to maintain this freedom each and every day. Learn more about Olatunji here.

Join us Saturday, May 20th, 7pm in the VHS Theater for an evening of song featuring the intricate rhythms of drummer Gordy Ryan, the gospel jazz piano of Thomas Pruiksma, and vocal harmonies of Africa, America, and Europe. This is a family-friendly show, so bring everyone for the audience sing-along. Songs of freedom from South Africa and the US civil rights movement will round out this evening.

Suggested donation $5 - $10 (No one turned away for lack of funds.)