Dec. 6, 2024: A Choral Tapestry
Boise Women’s Chorus was more than 70 voices strong for its 2024 holiday concert in the beautiful sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church. Entitled “A Choral Tapestry,” the program featured a celebration of BWC’s founding 10 years ago.
It was not your typical Christmas concert. The singers of Boise Women’s Chorus brought our personal histories to life in “A Choral Tapestry,” weaving together songs and sounds from our own Christmases past. The capacity performance at First Presbyterian Church featured a celebration of our 10-year anniversary and a collaboration with Harmonia, the chamber choir of Idaho Arts Charter School, filling the stage with 114 musicians for our grand finale.
What does your house sound like at Christmas-time? What are the memories and traditions that you still carry with you today? These were the prompts Artistic Director Lindsay Whittig gave us to develop the unusual program. Selections included Joni Mitchell’s lonesome ballad “River”; Eric Whitacre’s stirring arrangement of “Goodnight Moon,” the classic bedtime story and ode to innocence by Margaret Wise Brown; and Joan Szymko’s powerful choral setting of Wendell Berry’s poem, “The Peace of Wild Things.”
The stage was full to capacity when BWC was joined by Harmonia, the chamber chorus of Idaho Arts Charter School under the direction of Anna Branigan, who was recognized as Emergent Conductor of the Year for 2024 by the American Choral Directors Association.
Individual singers shared backstories about their picks. Patty Wainwright reminisced about “Think of Me,” one of the songs her family sings around the piano every Christmas as her dad plays through the entire Phantom of the Opera score. “Songbird” was Reilly O’Connor’s favorite because it reminds her of Christmases in San Antonio with her late Aunt Judy. “This song would be a moment of stillness for us,” Reilly said, “when we could stop talking and be quiet, even in the middle of a Texas honky-tonk.”
The non-musical highlight of the evening was Cindy Boyce’s love letter to Boise Women’s Chorus. One of five founding members who started back in 2015, Cindy read her letter aloud. “The chorus brings a chance to connect and tap into something larger than ourselves,” Cindy said. “It’s not just about singing; it’s about relationships and our passion to be part of Lindsay’s vision.” Lindsay presented commemorative pins and flowers to Cindy and other founding members Alice Brockman, Jill Osborn, Patty Wainwright and Lindsay herself!
Relaxing backstage between sets, BWC singers from L to R, Laura Walton, Sara Young, Reilly O’Connor and Keh McCracken. We have two faculty members from Boise High School in our group, and we ofter use the nearby BHS music room as a staging area for our concerts at First Presbyterian.
In introducing our final act, Lindsay paid tribute to Boise Gay Men’s Chorus, whose spring 2024 performance of “You Are Enough: A Mental Health Suite” inspired our closing set of four songs, programmed to carry a message of healing during challenging times. “The best way to heal anything,” she said, “is through music, dance and art.”
—Patricia Meagher