By GRETCHEN AMMERMAN/Oregon Coast TODAY
Based on the number of local chorales, people on the central Oregon coast really love to sing.
One of the newest entries, the steadily growing Porchlight Singers, performs a holiday concert at Newport First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Under the direction of vocal teacher Christine McKenney, Porchlight Singers began with six members and has since more than tripled in number.
“I have many students and some of them were kind of begging me to start a choral group,” McKenney said. “I was pretty hesitant because I’ve directed choirs all my life, including for kids in the Lincoln County School District. It’s a lot of work and I’m pretty busy already, but I really love choral music and I believe in the joy that the singing brings to both the listeners and the singers and lifts them all up.”
Formed during the pandemic, the group began practices under social distancing parameters.
“The whole first year we were outside,” McKenney said. “We started in my driveway, which worked great in the summer but then it started to rain and I wasn’t comfortable bringing it inside yet. I have a covered porch with a digital piano so we were able to continue practicing there.”
McKenney had originally envisioned the group being all women, but when a man asked to join, she found herself pleasantly surprised by the result. That singer recently passed away and his presence is very missed, but the number of male voices in the group has since increased.
“We have a very well rounded and dynamite sound now,” McKenney said. “We love to perform at the Newport First Presbyterian Church because the great acoustics really bring out the best in our sound.”
This choral concert, entitled “Tapestry,” takes its name from the artwork of 13-year-old Anja Rozen of Slovenia. In her visual art piece, Rozen captures the fabric of the world being knit together with human figures of many shapes and colors.
Porchlight’s concert builds on Rozen’s design with a cultural collection of early 16th Century carols and Christmas songs from many people of many lands. The chorale will be singing in multiple languages including Spanish, Italian, Latin, French Cameroon, German, Hungarian, Irish and English. The audience will hear some contemporary pieces including a Christmas spiritual and some songs of peace.
“We sing traditional religious holiday music but are not associated with any particular religion,” McKenney said. “We are a community choral singing group with many different faiths and followings.”
The hour-long program will feature solos, duets and trios by individual chorale members, along with a Christmas piano medley performed by Marie Read. Porchlight Singers members Ginger Hodge on piano and percussionist Ethan Read will also be featured, and two members of the Newport Symphony Orchestra, LeAnne Kenna on flute and Adrienne Welsh on cello, will add the rich sounds of their instruments.
The Porchlight Singers practice on Monday evenings and welcome new members.
“Most of the people who have joined us had come to one of our concerts,” McKenney said. “We are hoping to have a few more join after this next performance.”
There will be a no-host cookie party in the church’s Fellowship Hall following the concert.
Sunday’s event begins at 4 p.m. at Newport First Presbyterian Church, 227 N.E. 12th St. Entrance is by donation, with a portion of the proceeds going to Lincoln County Food Share. For more information, go to the Porchlight Singers page on Facebook.
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