Washington Sings! A Recording Project
Funded through a David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities (CAH) Faculty Fellowship.
What: 24 Singers from across Washington State will come to the WSU Pullman campus in the summer of 2024 to rehearse, perform, and record works by Washington composers. This will include three newly commissioned works for the project. See commissioned composers below. Dean Luethi (David G. Pollart CAH Fellow and WSU Director of Choral Activities) will conduct the choir and Matthew Myers (WSU Associate Director of Choral Activities) will produce the sessions and assist in rehearsals. The commissioned composers will be in attendance and will co-produce the recordings of their works.
Who: Singers who wish to participate in the project choir will prepare music prior to attending, should have experience in choral singing (preferably in a small ensemble), and be willing to attend all rehearsals and recording sessions. For more information on what will be required and to submit your name for consideration, please complete the Washington Sings Participant Interest Form. You will need to submit a short recording (2 – 3 minutes of you performing a solo) and will need a choir director recommendation. See the form above for more info on this. Please complete the singer participant interest form by Sunday May 26th.
Where: The experience will take place on the WSU Pullman campus. We will rehearse in the Kimbrough Music Building, record in the WSU School of Music Recording Studio, and perform on Wednesday July 31 in WSU’s Bryan Hall Theatre.
When: July 31 – Aug. 3, 2024
Tentative Itinerary
Wednesday July 31: Afternoon arrival (check-in), evening rehearsal – 6 – 9 pm
Thursday August 1: Rehearsals
Friday August 2: Rehearsal / Recording
Saturday August 3: Recording / Evening Performance / Evening Gathering
Cost: Participants will be supplied housing and music but will pay for most meals. Housing will be either home or hotel stays.
Clock Hours for Educators: A maximum of twenty six Washington O.S.P.I. approved clock hours will be available, dependent upon personal attendance. Clock hours will be free to current members of the Washington Music Educators Association. Non members may earn clock hours at the rate of $2 per clock hour claimed. Clock hour information and materials will be available onsite at the event.
Commissioned Composers: We are happy to commission three composers to write works for this year’s project, see information below.
Call for Scores: The Washington Sings! project is looking for SATB scores or TTBB, SSAA that include piano, and/or one or two instruments, or is without accompaniment. The works should be between easy/medium to medium/difficult as we have limited time for prep, rehearsals, performance and recording.
Please send scores along with midi or audio recordings to dean.luethi@wsu.edu by April 10, 2024. We look forward to looking through your music and will notify you if we decide to include your music on the album.
If you have any questions about this project, please contact Dean Luethi.
Commissioned Composers
John Muehleisen
Sheila Bristow
Jacob Malpocker
John Muehleisen’s more than 150 vocal and choral works have been variously described as “masterful writing…imaginatively harmonized…beautifully realized…and brilliantly crafted.” In addition to more than 25 sacred choral works, his varied compositions have focused on topics ranging from humor—Eat Your Vegetables! and Cantata Caffeinata (commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for their 2022 National Convention)—to the healing power of love & music—Sing to Me, Love is…, Hope, The Stars Still Shine, and Singing Together—to serious social and cultural issues, including spiritual and emotional dimensions of suffering and healing (Pietà); gun violence (Consolation: Requiem for Newtown); immigration (Borders, premiered through DCINY at Carnegie Hall in 2019); hate crime (When All is Done), and the personal cost of war (the WWI Centennial oratorio But Who Shall Return Us Our Children? – A Kipling Passion, winner of the 2020 American Prize for Professional Choral Composers, Major Works division.)
John has been Composer-in-Residence for Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble for most years since 1996, the Dale Warland Singers (2003–2004), and Choral Arts Northwest (2011-2012 and 2016–2017). Other commissioning organizations include Conspirare, DCINY (Distinguished Concerts in New York), the Donald Brinegar Singers, the Harvard Glee Club, Seattle Pro Musica, and Volti. His works have been performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia by the Louisville Orchestra and by choral groups including the Ansan City Choir, the St. Olaf Choir, and Yale Schola Cantorum and by esteemed conductors including John Alexander, Anton Armstrong, Robert Geary, Craig Hella Johnson, Nancy Menk, Kathleen Rodde, Ben Spalding, and Ethan Sperry. His compositions have been featured at the Sixth World Choral Symposium; the 2007 NEA American Masterpieces Choral Festival in Austin, TX; at multiple ACDA conferences; the 2013 Chorus America Conference; and the 2018 and 2022 American Guild of Organists Conventions.
Awards include the 1988 Louisville Orchestra Composition Award, the 2014 Chorus America/Dale Warland Singers Commission Award, multiple American Prize awards (2013, 2019, 2020, and 2021), and most recently co-winner of the 2022 American Prize, Social Justice Division (Consolation Requiem for Parkland) and an Honored Artist: Composer Award in 2022 as well.. His works have been supported with grants from New Music USA, the Jerome Foundation, and several National Endowment for the Arts grants. John also maintains a thriving private composition teaching studio of more than a dozen talented students. (Website: https://johnmuehleisen.com)
Sheila Bristow is a composer, church musician, and collaborative keyboardist living in Tacoma, WA. Her compositions are inspired by her love of poetic texts and the beauty of the human voice. Sheila’s next premiere is “Winter Solstice” for choir and chamber ensemble, to be performed by Harmonia Orchestra and Chorus this spring. Ongoing commissions include a song cycle based on the poetry of Angelina Weld Grimké, and liturgical music–psalm settings and a choral mass–for Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Seattle.
Sheila studied composition as a Kreielsheimer Scholar at Cornish College of the Arts, and earned her MM in organ performance at the University of Washington. Her composition teachers include Bern Herbolsheimer and John Muehleisen, and she has received awards from Boston Conservatory and The American Prize.
Sheila serves as Music Director & Organist at St. Barnabas Episcopal (Bainbridge Island) and is the keyboardist for Harmonia Orchestra & Chorus. She is also in demand as an opera accompanist and coach. Current news can be found at sheilagailbristow.com.
Jacob Malpocker is an American composer, conductor, tenor, and educator born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music from Seattle University where he assistant conducted the University Chorale and Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Joy Sherman. He holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Washington State University, under the tutelage of Dr. Lori Wiest. He has conducted musicals and gives workshops for young singers.
Jacob taught for six years as the Director of Choirs and Liturgical Music at Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, Washington. In his time as director, his choirs have traveled to California, Florida, and Idaho, performing and competing in festivals. Currently, he teaches Choir, Orchestra, and Guitar at Evergreen High School in the Highline School District. He directs the young, changed voices ensemble Fratres at St. James Cathedral. In his teaching, Jacob cultivates a safe space for all students by building strong relationships and programming music that helps students connect to the world around them.
Jacob sings in multiple choral groups in the Seattle area. He is a member of the Cathedral Cantorei at St. James Cathedral in downtown Seattle, where he sings in mass services and concerts. Jacob has been a member of the Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble since winter of 2022 and is on the board of directors for the ensemble. He has also sung in concerts with the Epiphany Parish music program.
Jacob’s composed music for choirs is rooted in dedication to text and to bright, extended harmonies. Jacob writes for all manner of ensembles, from middle and high school up through community and professional choirs. For the past 5 years, he has been studying with Pacific Northwest composer John Muehleisen. His composition list includes arrangements of Christmas pieces, sacred works for SATB choir, secular works for SATB choir, works for SAB and SSA choir, and vocal duets. His website is currently in construction so stay tuned!
If you’re interested in working with Jacob on a project, please send an email to jacob.malpocker@gmail.com