Helen Tyrrell's blog

Magen Solomon, Guest Conductor

On 12 Mar, 2021 By Helen Tyrrell

WomenSing is excited to announce that Dr. Magen Solomon will be our guest conductor for our Spring 2021 concert. Dr. Solomon is well-known in the Bay Area and beyond. She is a music scholar, a mentor to young composers, and the director of many university and community choirs. Since 1995, Dr. Solomon has served as the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Choral Artists. Under her direction, the SFCA has premiered over 260 choral works and has performed at the American Choral Directors Association and the Chorus America conferences. The SFCA has twice received the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Since 2014, Dr.

The Light of Hope Returning

On 02 Mar, 2021 By Helen Tyrrell

Unique in the landscape of virtual choir projects, The Light of Hope Returning is a combined effort of WomenSing of the Bay Area, California (Director, Ofer dal Lal) and Elektra Women’s Choir, of Vancouver, Canada (Director, Morna Edmundson). This international collaboration features the music of Shawn Kirchner (Los Angeles Master Chorale Composer-in-Residence) and the hand-drawn animation of Kevork Mourad, bringing together 70 women’s voices in homage to the holiday season.

Exciting Technology News! JackTrip

On 01 Mar, 2021 By Helen Tyrrell

Exciting Technology News!

JackTrip

WomenSing has been hard at work throughout the pandemic. That means plenty of Zoom rehearsals! While we always enjoy “seeing” each other, this process has been challenging. Zoom participation is engineered for taking turns in a conversation. But, all music performance requires the ability to properly hear each other and participate at exact moments together. In a Zoom rehearsal, however, singers must be muted while the accompanist plays the piano. Perhaps most surreal, a conductor must conduct without hearing the singers!

"How I Became a Storyteller" - Tales from the Caravan

On 20 Feb, 2020 By Helen Tyrrell

Storyteller Dana Sherry writes about her own journey:

My love affair with Eurasia began in 1989, when chance brought me to a Russian language class on my second day of college. It would lead me to years living in the former Eastern Bloc: in various Russian cities, Warsaw, Budapest, and finally Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia that has become my second home. Along the way, I picked up a variety of languages and a variety of academic degrees, finally completing a Ph.D. in history in 2007, with a focus on Russian rule of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

About Susan Cooper

On 19 Nov, 2019 By Helen Tyrrell

About Susan Cooper

by Elaine Lind

Shawn Kirchner’s commission for WomenSing, “The Light of Hope Returning”, reveals the idea of the promise of hope from the perspective of a woman, and shares a celebration of Solstice/Christmas/New Year to restore hope in troubled times. The title was taken from a poem by Susan Cooper, whose writings will be featured in poetry, and will provide inspiration for new song settings.

Announcing: The Light of Hope Returning. A Landmark Concert-Length Commission

On 09 Aug, 2019 By Helen Tyrrell

WomenSing is thrilled to announce an exciting large-scale commission by renowned composer, Shawn Kirchner. Inspired by the album Folkjul, a Christmas suite influenced by Swedish folk traditions, WomenSing's artistic director, Ofer dal Lal has invited Mr.