New Music that Honors the Lives of Transgender Women of Color

For immediate release: April 6, 2021
Media Contact: Liz Bacon Brownson | liz@resonancechoral.org | 971.212.80341

Resonance partners with Pride Northwest to present the world premiere of “We Hold Your Names Sacred,” a commissioned new work that honors the lives of transgender women of color.

PORTLAND, OREGON — On Saturday June 19, 2021, at 5:00 pm, Resonance Ensemble presents the world premiere of “We Hold Your Names Sacred'' by award-winning composer Mari Esabel Valverde and author/playwright Dane Figueroa Edidi, the first Trans woman of color to be nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. The filmed premiere, broadcast for free to audiences worldwide, features 16 singers and reflects on the lives lost due to violence against trans women of color. The premiere will also include a live panel discussion with Valverde, Edidi, and local leaders in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Resonance will present this premiere in partnership with Pride Northwest as an official event of Portland Pride. “As an organization, our commitment to commissioning and presenting new work highlighting underrepresented voices and reflecting pressing social issues remains unwavering,” says Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “Our Commissions for Now project exemplifies that commitment. We are thrilled to present this important new work from two nationally recognized creative talents, Mari Esabel Valverde and Dane Figueroa Edidi, and to partner with Pride Northwest in solidarity with the trans community locally and globally.”

Valverde and Edidi wrote “We Hold Your Names Sacred” in memory of trans women of color who have been lost to systemic violence. “We must do the work necessary to keep our sisters’ memories alive to hold ourselves accountable, for the ultimate death is the death of their names being forgotten,” says Valverde. “For too many of our transgender sisters, brothers, and siblings, their humanity was forgotten long before their lives were stolen by cowards. We need to readily protect trans women of color because they are susceptible to a system working too well at impeding their flourishing.”

Edidi describes the piece as calling an assembly to “lift up their names and make them sacred, to acknowledge the divinity of Black and Brown trans women. We say their names to get the heavens to move for us.” 

Resonance co-commissioned this work with 27 other choirs from across North America as part of GALA Choruses’ Commissioning Consortium. It will be the final release from Resonance Ensemble’s 2020-21 Commissions for Now series, and the group looks forward to closing an unprecedented year with this powerful statement of support and reflection. 

Produced by Oh! Creative and filmmaker Kenny Hamlett, the video will be filmed with strict COVID safety measures in place. Viewers can watch the premiere beginning June 19, 2021 at 5:00 pm (PDT) on Resonance Ensemble’s YouTube channel. The live premiere will also feature a live panel discussion with Valverde, Figueroa (Lady Dane) and local leaders in the LGBTQIA+ community.  Following the premiere, the video will be available in perpetuity on YouTube (youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble). 

To reserve your virtual free seat to the world premiere video and live panel, or for more information, visit resonancechoral.org/tickets or contact RE’s Box Office, (503) 427-8701.

Special thanks to our sponsors Ronni Lacroute, Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Miller Foundation, Collins Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and to our individual donors.

Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Artistic Advisor Damien Geter, and Pride Northwest executive director Debra Porta are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling (503) 427-8701.

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FOR CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

EVENT TITLE: Resonance Ensemble Presents: Commissions for Now Episode 2: We Hold Your Names Sacred
DATE: June 19th, 2021
TIME: 5:00pm
PRICE: FREE
FOR MORE INFO: Liz Bacon Brownson
Email: liz@resonancechoral.org
Phone: (503) 427-8701
YOUTUBE LINK: youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble

About Commissions for Now Project
About Resonance Ensemble
About Pride Northwest
About Mari Esabel Valverde
About Dane Figueroa Edidi
About GALA (Trans Commissioning Consortium)

Follow us on the socials!  
Website: /resonancechoral.org
Youtube: /c/ResonanceEnsemble
Facebook: /resonanceensemblepdx
Instagram: /resonanceensemblepdx
Twitter: /resonanceensemblepdx

Hashtags: #resonanceensemblepdx #pridenorthwest #pride #singfortwoc #blacktranslivesmatter #blackartmatters #blackartistsmatter #shareblackstories #pdxevents

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PLACE.

Honoring history and complex truths

Our first three Under the Overpass episodes were filmed under awe-inspiring bridges located in Portland, Oregon, the city that we call home. The architecture of these outside spaces let us continue to create safely, despite a global pandemic. Singers got to sing, filmmakers got to film, and viewers were offered a reprieve from the chaos of current events in our world. We feel grateful for the places in our city that allowed us to make and share art in these times. 

For our fourth episode of Under the Overpass, we decided to focus our lens on the idea of “place” in a different way. The city of Portland is not only spanned by bridges, but also by a troubled history that continues to overshadow people’s lives in the present. 

For most of the 20th century, the Albina District in North Portland was home to the majority of the city’s Black population. As redlining, urban renewal, and gentrification undermined the area throughout the 1960s and 70s, the vibrant Black community was forcibly uprooted as their homes were razed. While the city of Portland promised to replace the homes of Black families who were displaced, decades later, the survivors and descendants are still waiting, still displaced, and still working to rebuild. 

We shot the film at locations along N. Williams Avenue in the Albina District, and the “overpass” we feature is the beautiful gazebo in Dawson Park, still a hub in the Black community of Portland (more below). You’ll see images of the original architecture and community at places like the Hill Block Building, which is now a vacant lot. 

In partnership with the Emanuel Displaced Persons Association (EDPA2) and the creators of Sanctuaries, Darrell Grant’s forthcoming chamber opera about the displacement with Third Angle New Music, Resonance invites you to learn more about these places and support the work being done to make sure that Portland’s redlining history is not ignored.

DAWSON PARK

Dawson Park, located in North Portland along Williams Avenue, has been a place where people have gathered for notable social and political movements including Civil Rights marches and community celebrations. It even famously hosted Robert Kennedy’s last public speech one week before he was assassinated in June 1968. For the last 50 years, Dawson Park’s dominating feature has been the Cupola, a copper-domed gazebo in the southwest corner of the park. The beautiful dome and brick flooring of the gazebo were salvaged from the Hill Block building and placed in Dawson Park in 1978.

Its landmark status as a meeting space for Albina residents lives on today.

Read more about Dawson Park

THE HILL BLOCK BUILDING

The Hill Block building, built by Charles H. Hill, Albina’s first mayor, was at the center of the bustling business district for Albina. It housed several businesses, including a market and a coffee shop, and was a popular gathering place for the Black community. In the late 1960s, Emanuel Hospital began planning a 19-acre health campus around the existing hospital. In clearing the land for this project, the City of Portland removed the last remaining sections of commercial area and displaced many residents. Despite all this loss, funding for the project ran out, and the health campus was never built.

The entire block has remained vacant ever since.

Read more about the Hill Block Building.

EPISODE 4, Sanctuaries in Dawson Park

In our next episode of Under the Overpass, premiering Wednesday, May 5 at 3pm, Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani stands and recites a poem in the middle of that vacant lot, four descendants and survivors from EDPA2 share ideas in a roundtable discussion under that historic gazebo, and while we are at Dawson Park, we also get to listen to an incredible performance by Damien Geter and Darrell Grant of a “bonus track” from Grant’s forthcoming chamber opera Sanctuaries. 

May we continue to honor the places that carry the memories of our city’s communities and allow us opportunities to envision a better future.

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TO WATCH EPISODE 4
CLICK HERE

VIEWERS CAN VIEW OUR LATEST EPISODE AS IT PREMIERES ON RESONANCE ENSEMBLE’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

TO BE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES, SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST.

Short film bares Portland’s history through art and activism

Resonance partners with Third Angle New Music and EDPA2 to bare Portland’s redlining history and present a sneak peek at Darrell Grant’s soon-to-be-premiered chamber opera Sanctuaries

On Wednesday May 5, 2021 at 3:00pm art and activism intersect for the premiere of the 4th episode in Resonance Ensemble’s popular series, Under the Overpass. The free, online film features critically acclaimed jazz pianist Darrell Grant, Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani, celebrated bass-baritone Damien Geter, and members of EDPA2, a group of survivors and descendants.

Viewers can expect to hear music and poetry written for Grant’s forthcoming chamber opera Sanctuaries, commissioned by Third Angle New Music. Along with the performances will be a roundtable discussion that showcases a multidisciplinary reflection on redlining, gentrification, and the displacement of Black families in Portland.

“Under the Overpass was created to highlight Portland’s beauty, but in this episode, we look at some hard truths about Portland, which is the only way things can really change,” Resonance Artistic Advisor Damien Geter says. “That is ultimately where the real beauty lies.”

“In 1971, Portland condemned and razed several blocks of Black-owned homes and businesses in the Central Albina District at the request of Emanuel Hospital to make room for a hospital expansion which never happened,” says Katherine FitzGibbon, Artistic Director of Resonance Ensemble. “Resonance invited EDPA2, a community based group composed of survivors and descendants of those displaced, to collaborate on this poignant episode.” 

“In addition to the fulfillment of a Federal Restitution Agreement, EDPA2 works hard to keep this history alive.” said Byrd, a founding member of EDPA2, who goes only by one name. “This particular artistic expression will heighten awareness not only of the story, but the ongoing work to resolve an uncompleted past.”

Artists involved with Sanctuaries, a chamber opera about this historic displacement, also worked alongside Resonance Ensemble and EDPA2. Sanctuaries composer Darrell Grant emphasizes, “I believe that it is this community connection that compels audiences to truly listen to and acknowledge marginalized voices —not in the abstract — but in a personal and transformative way.”

“We are thrilled to be part of this project,” Third Angle Artistic Director Sarah Tiedemann says. “Both Sanctuaries and this episode of Under the Overpass will hopefully be catalysts for local and national conversations about racial justice and the role of art in the fight for systemic change across the country and at home in Portland.”

Viewers can view the premiere starting May 5, 2021 at 3:00pm on Resonance Ensemble’s Youtube channel: youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble

Sanctuaries is commissioned by Third Angle New Music, Portland, Oregon.

Special thanks to Resonance sponsors Ronni Lacroute, Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Miller Foundation, Collins Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and to our individual donors.

Darrell Grant at Dawson Park

Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon and Artistic Advisor Damien Geter, Artistic Director Sarah Tiedemann, and representatives from EDPA2 are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling 971-212-8034.

FOR CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS
EVENT: Resonance Ensemble Presents: Under the Overpass Episode 4: Sanctuaries in Dawson Park
DATE: May 5th, 2021
TIME: 3:00pm
PRICE: FREE

FOR MORE INFO:
Liz Bacon Brownson
Email: liz@resonancechoral.org
Phone: (503) 427-8701

YOUTUBE LINK: youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble

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About Resonance Ensemble

In its twelfth season, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates thoughtful programs that promote meaningful social change. Resonance Ensemble works to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and they do so through moving, thematic concerts that highlight solo and choral voices, new and underrepresented composers, visual and other performing artists, and community partners. 

Under Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble has performed challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unusual collaborations with artistic partners from around the country: poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, dancers. The Resonance Ensemble singers are “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (Willamette Week), with gorgeous vocal tone, and they also make music with heart. 

The groundbreaking work that Resonance Ensemble has been producing over the last few years has been noted by local media and national arts organizations. In Oregon Arts Watch, Matthew Andrews described Resonance as “Part social commentary, part group therapy, and part best damn choir show in town" (June 2019). Chorus America honored Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon in the summer of 2019 with the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal for her work rededicating Resonance to promoting meaningful social change, and for the meaningful community partnerships she creates. For the tribute to Dr. FitzGibbon, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaJMVozrcPo. 

About Third Angle New Music

The music of our time creates a soundtrack to contemporary life, existing at the intersection of musical forms from jazz and classical to rock and electronica. For more than 30 years, Third Angle New Music has played outside the lines of the expected with the creation of dynamic musical performances and multi-disciplinary collaborations that defy the boundaries of the traditional concert hall and reflect the spirit and vitality of our community.

Third Angle’s mission is to perform and record the masterworks of the twenty-first century while commissioning new works from regional and nationally recognized composers. Its bold and innovative programming, high artistic standards, and tireless efforts to bring music of the 20th and 21st centuries to a diverse audience have earned it abundant critical acclaim.

With the organization’s focus on creating a soundtrack for our time, Third Angle has created and presented more than 125 programs of contemporary music, commissioned more than 66 new works, and released 12 recordings to critical acclaim. Sound of the Five: the chamber music of Chen Yi, was named a top 10 recording for 2009 by National Public Radio.

Third Angle’s roguish programming crafts experiences that are mind-altering by design, including concerts created to work in harmony or dissonance with their environment, wildly divergent repertoire, and a blending of the arts that redefines the genre. At a Third Angle performance, you never know quite what will happen next, but one thing is certain:

Third Angle New Music is anything but ordinary.

For more information about the Fall 2021 premiere of Darrell Grant’s jazz opera Sanctuaries: 

Thirdangle.org

About EDPA2

The Emanuel Displaced Persons Association 2, EDPA2, is an ad hoc, community-based social justice organization consisting of survivors and descendants whose family homes and businesses were demolished. They are fighting to make the City of Portland, Prosper Portland, Home Forward and Emanuel Hospital live up to their responsibilities and fulfill the Relocation Housing Policy and Cooperative Agreement which they adopted in response to findings of a federal complaint handed down by HUD in 1971.

EDPA2 has met with Mayor Wheeler for more than 3 years and recently presented a plan to the Mayor for current appropriate restitution under the Agreement, including long-term economic development of the vacant lot at the corner of N. Williams and Russell. As of now, the city has indicated a total lack of willingness to consider the proposals of the survivors and descendants or to work with EDPA2 in any constructive way. EDPA2 is asking for community support.

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Website:/resonancechoral.org
Youtube :/c/ResonanceEnsemble
Facebook: /resonanceensemblepdx
Instagram:/resonanceensemblepdx
Twitter: /resonanceensemblepdx

Hashtags: #SanctuariesAtDawson #resonanceensemblepdx #Sanctuaries #thirdangle #EDPA2 #newmusic #jazz #opera #blackartmatters #blackartistsmatter #neighborhoods #shareblackstories

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COMMISSIONS FOR NOW—Ep.1: "Normal Never Was" by Jasmine Barnes

This opening episode on the new series "Commissions for Now" features the poetry of noted author and social activist Sonya Renee Taylor and the commissioned music of rising classical composer, Jasmine Barnes.

Filmed on location at the Zidell Yards Barge Building in Portland, OR, the short film is produced by Oh! Creative, captured by local filmmaker Kenny Hamlett and features the beautiful singing of Resonance Ensemble.

Artistic Director: Katherine FitzGibbon
Artistic Advisor: Damien Geter
Music Directors: Katherine FitzGibbon, Shohei Kobayashi, Derrick McDuffey

► Thank you to the artists
Alonzo Chadwick
Phinizea Chadwick
Cecille Elliott (soloist)
DeReau Farrar
Katherine FitzGibbon (audio only)
Matthew Gailey
Becky Guderian
Emmanuel Henreid
Erik Hundtoft
Jessica Israels
Cecily Kiester (soloist)
Shohei Kobayashi (soloist)
Dee McDuffey
Derrick McDuffey
Vakarė Petroliūnaitė (audio only)
Kevin Walsh

► Thank you to the production crew:
Liz Bacon - Producer/Director
Danni Parpan - Assistant Director/Set Design
Kenny Hamlett - Director of Photography
Matt Greco - Sound Engineer
Bailey Dean - Production Assistant

Subscribe to our channel so you get notified for new exciting videos here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResonanceEnsemble

► About "Commissions for Now"
After what continues to be a challenging year for the arts, Portland’s Resonance Ensemble introduces Commissions for Now, an exciting new video series that premieres commissioned works from three nationally recognized composers performed by Resonance artists and collaborators All three films will be available to view for free here on our YouTube channel, and also on our website and Facebook page.

► How you can help
We believe that art is essential and must be accessible, now more than ever. Please consider making a donation to support our Commissions for Now Series. Your gift will allow us to bring performing art to our community safely and free of charge.

Resonance Ensemble announces exciting updates to the 2020-21 season

For immediate release: April 6, 2021
Media Contact: Liz Bacon Brownson | liz@resonancechoral.org | 971.212.8034

NORMAL, INDEED, NEVER WAS…

Resonance Ensemble announces exciting updates to the 2020-21 season

PORTLAND—Doubling down on their ongoing commitment to creating performances that promote meaningful social change, Resonance Ensemble announces exciting additions to its already vibrant 2020-21 season. The additions include partnerships with Pride Northwest, a new commission by Damien Geter setting the poetry of the iconic and beloved Portland conductor James DePreist, and teaming with local activists in Portland. 

“This season has certainly challenged us to think outside the box on how we will present the music we premiere, and we have risen to that challenge,” says Artistic Advisor Damien Geter. “Meeting those moments has both offered us new ideas and invited us to re-imagine our original ones. The work is definitely better for it.” 

Normal Never Was, Resonance Ensemble’s imaginative 12th season, continues to respond to the striking new challenges of the pandemic and to those that always were: racial and gender violence, inequality, and loss. From an exciting series shot under Portland’s bridges, to another that features three major world premieres commissioned by Resonance, the group continues to create visionary art with world-class composers and musicians.

The first of two film series, Under the Overpass celebrates our hometown of Portland, Oregon, and the space it provides for Resonance artists to continue to create. We have performed our first three episodes of the series under the proscenium-like trestles of bridges around our city, including the Ross Island Bridge, the Hawthorne Bridge, and the St. Johns Bridge. With over 10K views so far, the Under the Overpass series is proving to be just what a quarantined world needs! To watch the first three episodes click here.

Updates to this series include: 

EPISODE 4: Sanctuaries
by Darrell Grant (Commissioned by Third Angle New Music) 

Now premiering April 28, 2021 at 3:00PM

This episode, a partnership with Third Angle New Music, will feature Darrell Grant, Damien Geter, and Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani. The film will combine music written for Grant’s yet-to-be premiered jazz opera Sanctuaries, poetry, and a roundtable discussion to showcase a multidisciplinary reflection on redlining, gentrification, and the displacement of Black families in Portland.

We have also partnered with EDPA2 (Emmanuel Displaced Persons Association), a group comprised of descendants of the mostly Black families that had their homes condemned by Portland’s urban development agency in the ’70s through eminent domain. The agency destroyed the homes of 171 families to make room for a hospital expansion that never happened. The roundtable discussion with Darrell Grant and leaders from EDPA2 highlights the powerful intersection of art and activism. 

EPISODE 5: After Time has Gnawed Away the Shield of Dreams [world premiere]
Music by Damien Geter, Poetry by James DePreist

Premiering June 9, 2021 at 3:00PM

We are thrilled to announce the finale of the Under the Overpass series, a new work commissioned from Damien Geter for choir, piano, and flute. Geter sets a poem about memory and hope for a phoenix rising by the beloved late American conductor and honored laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony, James DePreist. In addition to marking this moment of transition from our pandemic time into what we hope will become a more just new normal, this work is dedicated to the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, that we may remember that appalling violence of 100 years ago and dedicate ourselves to combating racism in our own time.

For more information on Under the Overpass, visit resonancechoral.org/Under-The-Overpass

Our second video series premieres three commissioned works from nationally recognized composers and poets in response to this historic moment, performed by Resonance artists.  

Updates to this series include:

EPISODE 1: Normal Never Was
bY Jasmine Barnes

Now Premiering April 14 at 7:00PM

Resonance premieres the first of three films from this new, exciting video series. “Normal Never Was” features the poetry of noted author and social activist Sonya Renee Taylor and the commissioned music of rising classical composer, Jasmine Barnes. The video features performances by Resonance singers and is filmed on location in Portland, OR. 

EPISODE 2:  Offertory, from “An African American Requiem”
by Damien Geter

Premiering May 13, 2021 at 7:00PM

Resonance shares this “sneak peek” from Geter’s forthcoming work An African American Requiem, a bold, thought-provoking musical response to racial violence against African Americans. Presented jointly with the Oregon Symphony and shot entirely on location in New York, this film features Brandie Sutton, soprano, Karmesha Peake, mezzo-soprano, Bernard Holcomb, tenor, and Kenneth Overton, baritone. 

EPISODE 3: We Hold Your Names Sacred
by Mari Ésabel Valverde

Premieres June 19, 2021

We are thrilled to announce that our final premiere on this series will be an official part of the annual Portland Pride Festival. Award-winning Mari Ésabel Valverde is creating a new work with author/playwright Dane Figueroa Edidi (Lady Dane) titled We Hold Your Names Sacred. This work will share perspectives of trans women of color and reflect on losses due to gender violence. Highlights surrounding this premiere include:

• The world premiere of We Hold Your Names Sacred on June 19, 2021. 

• A panel discussion with composer Mari Esabel Valverde, librettist Dane Figueroa (Lady Dane), and local leaders in the LGBTQIA+ and trans community. 

• The announcement of a paid creative writing fellowship for trans youth of color 

For more information on Commissions for Now, visit resonancechoral.org/Commissions-For-Now

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SIX FEET APART

Due to production conflicts, the premiere of Six Feet Apart will now be produced solely by Anima Mundi Productions.

For more information on their premiere, head to: https://animamundiproductions.com/sixfeetapart/

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SAVE THE DATE!

Friday, June 25, 2021
5:30PM—Pre-Show
6:00PM—The Gala begins! 

WE ARE HAVING A PARTY - AND YOU ARE INVITED! 

Join us for a virtual fundraising gala that will close our 12th season with a bang! Resonance honors the unrelenting spirit of our artists, composers, staff, board, and supporters as we celebrate this unprecedented 2020-21 season and dream of what the future has in store. 

The evening will include special performances from Resonance artists and other special guests, surprises for attendees, and sneak peeks at the commissions and projects in store for next season. Gifts will go toward the Dinah Dodds Fund for the Commissioning of New Art, which continues to underwrite commissions from today’s composers and poets speaking to important social issues as we work toward an equitable future. 

Save the date, and stay tuned for more details for this free, one-hour virtual event! 

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Resonance Ensemble Introduces “Commissions for Now”

A series of commissioned new works that shine a light on injustices and feature celebrated composers 

PORTLAND — After what continues to be a challenging year for the arts, Portland’s Resonance Ensemble introduces “Commissions for Now,” an exciting new video series that premieres commissioned works from three nationally recognized composers performed by Resonance artists and collaborators and captured by Portland filmmaker Kenny Hamlett.

“Although live music has mostly been silenced by this pandemic, Resonance Ensemble will not stay silent,” says Artistic Advisor Damien Geter, one of the three commissioned composers. “Commissions for Now imagines a new path forward and shines a light on injustice.” 

The series opens 7PM Wednesday, March 31, 2021, with a piece by the notable choral composer Jasmine Barnes, whose multifaceted works frequently address questions of race and religion. Here she sets the powerful words of social activist and writer Sonya Renee Taylor, in “Normal Never Was,” the words that reached thousands of readers in the early pandemic and that Resonance has adopted as its theme for this season, with the permission of Sonya Renee Taylor.

The second video features a “sneak peek” excerpt from Damien Geter’s eagerly-anticipated work An African American Requiem, a bold, thought-provoking musical response to racial violence against African Americans (commissioned by Resonance Ensemble and presented jointly with the Oregon Symphony). This excerpt features the four soloists in the Requiem: soprano Brandie Sutton, mezzo-soprano Karmesha Peake, tenor Bernard Holcomb, and baritone Kenneth Overton. Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon remarks, “While we, and our audiences, wait for the rescheduled world premiere of the full concert-length Requiem in May 2022, we’re thrilled to be able to share this virtual premiere of a single movement. This brilliant music and its necessary message need to be heard now.” 

The series concludes with the world premiere of We Hold Your Names Sacred, by award-winning composer Mari Ésabel Valverde and author/playwright Dane Figueroa Edidi. This work will share perspectives of transgender women of color and reflect on losses due to violence against the trans community. Resonance will present this premiere in partnership with Pride Northwest as an event taking place during Pride Weekend. 

FitzGibbon notes, “As an organization, our commitment to commission and present new work highlighting underrepresented voices and reflecting pressing social issues remains unwavering. The Commissions for Now project exemplifies that commitment, and we are thrilled to present these dynamic new works by three phenomenal composers in innovative new videos.” 

The videos will be filmed with strict COVID safety measures in place. The filmmaker Kenny Hamlett will direct the videos, sharing footage of the performers as well as a vision of the stories being shared in each new work

Viewers can view each pre-recorded episode as it premieres on Resonance Ensemble’s YouTube channel. For more information, visit resonancechoral.org/commissions-for-now

COMMISSIONS FOR NOW: 

7PM PT WEDS, MARCH 31, 2021—Episode 1: Normal Never Was
7PM PT THURS, MAY 13, 2021—Episode 2: “Offertory” from An African American Requiem      
7PM PT WEDS, JUNE 16, 2021—Episode 3: We Hold Your Names Sacred

Meet our artistic team:

Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon
Artistic Advisor and composer Damien Geter
Composer Jasmine Barnes
Composer Mari Ésabel Valverde
Author playwright Dane Figueroa Edidi
Author Sonya Renee Taylor      

BECOME A SEASON SUPPORTER! In lieu of traditional subscription packages, Resonance is asking those who are able to support Resonance in whatever amount they can. The contributions of our Season Supporters bring timely new musical works to life, for free, for global audiences. Supporters can receive incentives including branded masks, T-shirts, and special invitations to exclusive events, including a behind-the-scenes seat at the filming of the final episode of Under the Overpass.

“We realize that times are hard for so many, and that art is a fundamental right that should be available to everyone—especially now,” says Resonance Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon. “It is our hope that those who can will join us to support the new, pivotal works Resonance is producing, that is being created and performed by artists who are responding to these times. I am excited to see what the future brings for all of us.”

For more information about Commissions for Now and to become a Season Supporter, visit resonancechoral.org or contact RE’s Box Office, (503) 427-8701. 

Special thanks to our sponsors Ronni Lacroute, Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Miller Foundation, Collins Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and to our individual donors, including donors to the Dinah Dodds Fund for the Creation of New Art. 

Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon and Artistic Advisor Damien Geter are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@resonancechoral.org or by calling 503.427.8701.

About Resonance Ensemble

In its twelfth season, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates thoughtful programs that promote meaningful social change. Resonance Ensemble works to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and they do so through moving, thematic concerts that highlight solo and choral voices, new and underrepresented composers, visual and other performing artists, and community partners. 

Under Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon, Resonance Ensemble has performed challenging and diverse music, always with an eye toward unusual collaborations with artistic partners from around the country: poets, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, painters, dancers. The Resonance Ensemble singers are “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (Willamette Week), with gorgeous vocal tone, and they also make music with heart. 

The groundbreaking work that Resonance Ensemble has been producing over the last few years has been noted by local media and national arts organizations. In Oregon Arts Watch, Matthew Andrews described Resonance as “Part social commentary, part group therapy, and part best damn choir show in town" (June 2019). Chorus America honored Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon in the summer of 2019 with the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal for her work rededicating Resonance to promoting meaningful social change, and for the meaningful community partnerships she creates. For the tribute to Dr. FitzGibbon, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaJMVozrcPo. 

For more information: 

Website: resonancechoral.org
Youtube: /c/ResonanceEnsemble
Facebook: /resonanceensemblepdx
Instagram: /resonanceensemblepdx
Twitter: /resonanceensemblepdx
Hashtags: #CommissionsForNow #NormalNeverWas #AnAfricanAmericanRequiem #WeHoldYourNamesSacred #ResonanceEnsemblePDX

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Under the Overpass: Episode Three released!

In the third episode of the series, Resonance Ensemble singers are once again joined by singers of Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir and pianist David Saffert, in a stunning rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” filmed at the iconic Cathedral Park beneath the St. Johns Bridge.

Resonance Ensemble (Katherine FitzGibbon, Artistic Director) Kingdom Sound (Derrick McDuffey, Artistic Director)

►Thank you to the artists
Kristen Buhler
Austin Daniel
Emmanuel Henreid (Onry)
Jahana Jones
Shohei Kobayashi (Music Director)
Dee McDuffey
Derrick McDuffey (Music Director)
Vakare Petroliunaite
David Saffert (pianist)

► Thank you to the production crew:
Production Company: Oh! Creative
Kenton Waltz - Director
Liz Bacon - Producer
Danni Parpan - Set Designer
Matt Greco - Sound Engineer
Mike Pilgrim (Perfect Shot Filming) -
Drone Photographer
Kiah Bacon - PA
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Resonance Ensemble performs under the St. Johns Bridge in episode 3 of “Under the Overpass.”

PORTLAND—All of Portland is a stage in Resonance Ensemble’s ongoing digital concert series, "Under the Overpass." Beginning in the summer of 2020, artists were filmed in acoustic spaces under Portland’s famous bridges -- six feet apart, masked, and yet making music together.

Resonance Ensemble and Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir once again partner in a stunning rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” filmed at the iconic Cathedral Park beneath the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, OR.

"After days of unrelenting rain, it was such a gift to sing with all these talented musicians under my favorite bridge without a raindrop in sight," said Resonance singer Kristen Buhler. "Everyone on set was so positive, hopeful, and kind. I hope the message we sang, and the collective joy we felt from singing together comes through to everyone who watches.”

Viewers worldwide can watch the world premiere of episode 3 for free on Wednesday, January 27 at 3:00 PM (PT) at Resonance Ensemble’s website and YouTube channel.

About Under the Overpass: 

Because of the pandemic, Resonance and other arts organizations have had to cancel or postpone in-person performances, including Damien Geter’s eagerly anticipated An African American Requiem with the Oregon Symphony. Resonance has embraced the opportunity to reimagine its 2020-2021 season, Normal Never Was, which includes Under the Overpass as well as brand-new commissions highlighting timely social issues. 

Each video in the Under the Overpass series showcases a different bridge in Portland. The performances, which are no more than six minutes long, are released and then archived on the organization’s YouTube channel for free, with a complete presentation of all the episodes available worldwide in June 2021.

The artists in each video worked with filmmaker Kenton Waltz and production company Oh! Creative to execute their vision. No longer confined to indoor theater venues, the film crew scouted spaces that could offer natural stage elements that allowed for singers to sing masked and six feet apart, yet still create an artistic moment on film. Each video on the series illustrates how art moves forward, despite current challenges. 

“The pandemic has forced us to be more imaginative and creative in how we present our work,” says Resonance Ensemble Artistic Advisor Damien Geter. “This series explores what art looks like in this new world.”

Media Contact
Liz Bacon Brownson, Director of Marketing and Operations
503-427-8701 | liz@resonancechoral.org

On why I am grateful for Resonance Ensemble

“I am still grateful that Resonance stands for showing us the best of humanity by highlighting our existence’s brutal truths through music.  ”

— Aminata R. Sei, Resonance Ensemble Board Member

If you know me well enough, you'd know that music is an integral part of my existence—all forms of it. I remember not quite knowing what to expect when my friend, composer Damien Geter invited me to a quaint church performance in the heart of Northeast Portland. I walked into what seemed like a much-cultured group of people and found a seat in one of the front pews so I wouldn't miss a note. I remember the warmth of blissful euphony matched with professionalism and a rare sense of purpose, the unexpected consciousness of a chorus that delivered great music while transporting its audience through the realities of the day and raising awareness of social issues. I had never witnessed that before Resonance. Impressive. I left that church knowing I'd answer as best I could, every invite that Damien sent me to see this again.

I was asked to another event at Cerimon House, and again I was blown away by not only the musical arrangements and delivery but the group's commitment to uplift and celebrate those who oftentimes have been forgotten in our community. Mental illness, depression, suicide, addiction, failing health, abuse, and victimization, to name a few of the conditions we often gloss over or dismiss. Resonance found a way to bring them all to light. The juxtaposition of these misappropriated sordid instances against music made them come to life in a manner that unearthed the truth and the dangers of our selective neglect. I am still grateful that Resonance stands for showing us the best of humanity by highlighting our existence's brutal truths through music. 

I did not hesitate when Damien, Katherine, and the late Dinah asked that I join the Resonance Ensemble Board. I've enjoyed the privilege of serving. I was also profoundly honored when Damien asked me to write the foreword for An African American Requiem (rescheduled for May 7th, 2022). I am confident it will long-stand as a seminal work that takes on yet another brutal reality that threatens our humanity- racial injustice.

The work of Resonance Ensemble continues to inspire even as the world struggles in this pandemic. Under the Overpass truly encapsulates our resilience as a community. Resonance did a fantastic job capturing and reflecting such beauty in music, especially in this challenging moment in time. I encourage your continued support for Resonance Ensemble, and I am grateful for it.

Indeed, they show us the best of humanity, every time. 

Two Days Left to Give: 
Make Your Year-End Gift Today.

We bravely aimed high this month and, thanks to our incredible donors, we've raised almost $15,000 towards our December giving fundraising goal of $30,000.

So much of what we do depends on your support. Please donate by December 31st. Your gift will allow us to bring performing art to our community safely and free of charge. Your gift will support our digital programming with performances like Under the Overpass and Commissions for Now.

Plus, there are fun gifts for our supporters!

We believe that art is essential and must be accessible, now more than ever.

If you’ve already donated, thank you! Please forward this email to your friends and family, and help us spread the word about the important work Resonance is doing.

Donate here.

Meet a Resonance Singer: Dee McDuffey

“Resonance Ensemble is like a family to us. I am looking forward to the next time we can all sing together. ”

— Dee McDuffey, Alto

We asked Resonance singers who are featured in the "Under the Overpass" video series to share their experiences as artists during these times, and what it was like to sing together after so much time apart.

A special thank you to Dee McDuffey for contributing to this video. We miss you.

► ABOUT "UNDER THE OVERPASS"

This series of videos celebrates Resonance’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, and the space it provides for Resonance artists to continue to create despite the pandemic. Masked, imperfect, together. Starting in the summer of 2020, singers and spoken word artists met in acoustic spaces around the city - six feet apart, masked, and yet together. Viewers will experience music performed in these gritty, hauntingly beautiful spaces.

In collaboration with Oh! Creative and Portland filmmaker Kenton Waltz, the series features Resonance singers and other local artists and musicians all captured under Portland's famous bridges. All five films will be available to view for free here on our YouTube channel, and also on our website and Facebook page.

► How you can help

Resonance believes that art is essential and must be accessible, now more than ever. Please consider making a donation to support our "Under the Overpass" Video Series.

Your gift will allow us to bring performing art to our community safely and free of charge.

For more information on how you can be a Season Supporter, click here.