Musikanten Helena Choral Week Classes and Concerts

Musikanten's Helena Choral Week invites local singers and audience members to join us for daily classes and free lunchtime mini-recitals Monday through Friday June 19 – 23.

All week-day events will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral, 511 N. Park (next to the YWCA). 50-minute classes are offered at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 am and include Music Fundamentals (by Thomas A. Gregg), A Cappella Renaissance Singing (Michael Harrison and friends) and “Delivering the Message to Your Audience" (various guest artists).

11:00 am classes are open to the public (5 days for $50, Drop-in $12 per) and will be held at St. Peter's (enter back door and up the stairs.) Local singers are encouraged to come at 9 for sight-singing and vocal skills instruction. Chas Elliott will coach Wednesday and Thursday on “Breaking the Rules." Anne and Bobb will introduce “Singing the subtext: what you THINK is what the audience FEELS”. Monday, Tuesday and Friday’s classes “through fun group exercises and brave volunteers.” Private voice lessons with the Guest Artists (Tom, Bobb, Anne, Chas or June Lee) can also be scheduled at mutually convenient times during the week. Private lessons are $40 for 45 minutes. To schedule a lesson please text Donna at 406-439-2926.

Lunch-time concerts (12:15-12:45) by local and guest artists will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral, Monday through Friday. They feature soprano June Lee (Monday’s 12:15) “Russian Romances,” and Chas Elliott (Friday) “Songs My Singers Taught Me.” These free concerts generously underwritten by local Helena businesses and St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral.

Choral Week culminates with Saturday evening concert featuring “Ode à la Musique” by Swiss composer Frank Martin, Benjamin Britten’s dramatic “Rejoice in the Lamb,” and “Alexandria Suite,” a special tribute to Washington DC composer Russell Woollen. Musikanten’s artistic director Kerry Krebill commissioned this work for chorus, string and wind quintets, piano and percussion in 1987, and recently presented it in Alexandria, Virginia, in a concert of works honoring Mr. Woollen’s centenary. The concert is Saturday evening, June 24, at 8 pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Community, 1700 Missoula Ave. Tickets are $20, $10 students (children free), and are available at Birds & Beasleys and Piccolo’s Music, or at the door. As always Musikanten Angel Donors ($100+) will enjoy reserved seating at the concert.

On Sunday morning, the group will participate in the 10:15 liturgy at St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral, singing parts of William Byrd’s Mass for 4 Voices, and motets by Byrd and Duruflé.

Contact: Kerry Krebill, Phone: (406) 431-7462, Email:kerrykrebill@aol.com