Although there won’t be the annual Borealis Chorale and Orchestra Christmas this year at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, there will be a virtual recording available to the community, with members of the Borealis Chorale & Orchestra (a group sponsored by the North Shore Music Association) performing music and readings. The photo above is from the 2017 Christmas concert. Photo courtesy of Sarah Reller
Recently Borealis Chorale & Orchestra (BCO) Director Bill Beckstrand wrote to the members of the long-cherished group of over 100 Cook County singers and musicians, “I’ve missed you all! I’ve missed all the rehearsing! What a year! This coming Sunday/Monday would have been our concerts this season. As it is with so many things during this crazy time, there will be a poignant absence in our community, as our joyful gathering and pride in our shared effort is forced to wait another year. It is a cruel reality when singing becomes a dangerous thing, and the world of choral music has truly suffered in these times— throughout the world.”
The event will, indeed, be missed this season. For the past seven decades, Cook County residents have gathered to experience the magic of BCO’s annual Christmas concerts—joining friends and neighbors in the warmth of community celebration at this cold, dark time of year. Feeling the loss of this tradition, longtime BCO member and choral assistant Karina Roth writes, “This autumn, as it became clear there would be no Borealis this year, I started to think about what was possible with the limitations of COVID-19. As a community, we are rich with many talented musical ensembles that perhaps could be recorded individually.” Looking for readings that celebrate the darkness and speak to why we should cherish times of darkness as well as times of light, Karina discovered Jan Richardson’s book Night Visions. She approached Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux, Rev. Kris Garey, and Rev. Anne Swallow Gillis to read. All of the readings in The Gift of Darkness program are excerpts from this book.
Karina then reached out to small musical ensembles who could choose their own music, rehearse, and record. Seven ensembles participated, ranging from solos to quartets. While being recorded by Sue Hennessy at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, the musicians wore masks (except when singing or playing wind instruments) and were socially distanced. The windows of the church were open (brrrr!!!), and an hour was allowed between groups to clear the air. After the literary and musical recordings were finished, Karina selected the order and Sue did the technical editing, producing the finished product that is The Gift of Darkness: An Advent Celebration.
The Gift of Darkness is accessible online now and throughout the holiday season at youtu.be/NpbZFD9maeY. There will also be two WTIP radio broadcasts of the program, on December 14, at 7 p.m., and December 24 (time TBA). There is no fee to enjoy the program. As always, donations to BCO are greatly appreciated and will help fund their traditional Christmas concerts in 2021, when the community is able to gather safely again. Tax-deductible donation checks can be written to the North Shore Music Association (with “BCO” written on the “For” line) and mailed to NMSA at P.O. Box 1376, Grand Marais, MN 55604.
Program – The Gift of Darkness: An Advent Celebration
1. “Hodie Christus Natus Est,” by Benjamin Britten (Tina Hegg Raway, Karina Roth, and Hilja Iverson, vocals, with bells)
2. Reading: “Darkness” (Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux)
3. “Once Upon Again,” by Mike DeBevec (Mike DeBevec, piano; Mike Roth, bass; Karina Roth, vocals; Eric Anderson, euphonium)
4. Reading: “Desire” (Kris Garey)
5. “Ave Maria,” arr. by Jean-Francois Michel (Don Grant and Robert Reed, trumpet)
6. Reading: “Preparing a Space” (Anne Swallow Gillis)
7. “When Christmas Morn is Dawning,” German folksong sung in Swedish, and “The Gift Carol” by Lloyd Pfautch (Janet Ringquist, Cindy Muus, Paul Muus, and Jim Ringquist, vocals)
8. Reading: “Hope” (Kris Garey)
9. “What Child Is This,” arr. by Eric Anderson (Philis Anderson, oboe; Sue Anderson, violin; Eric Anderson, euphonium; Karina Roth, piano)
10. Reading: “Birthing” (Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux)
11. “Never Before,” by Deanna Witkowski (Hilja Iverson, Tina Hegg Raway, and Karina Roth, vocals)
12. Reading: “Welcoming” (Anne Swallow Gillis)
13. “Some Children See Him,” by James Taylor (Kati Stieler and Nathan Kristenson, vocals)
14. Reading: “Thresholds” (Kris Garey)
15. “Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child,” arr. by John Legend (Tina Hegg Raway, vocals; Karina Roth, piano)
16. Reading: “Fragments” (Anne Swallow Gillis)
17. Clip from 2019 concert: “Eatnemen Vuelie (Fairest Lord Jesus),” by Frode Fjellheim (Borealis Chorale & Orchestra).
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