Hood River’s Jackson Park was filled with concertgoers July 17, when Aaron Meyer and his five-piece band joined the CGOA Sinfonietta for a free concert to thank hometown heroes during the pandemic.
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed its live performances in 2020, Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association Artistic Director Mark Steighner and board of directors had one goal: “To keep our performers engaged and to provide as much as possible an uninterrupted flow of musical entertainment, education and opportunities to experience music for audiences in some form,” said Steighner.
Like many arts organizations in the Gorge, that meant virtual performances. Since the shutdown, CGOA created almost 60, including a two-hour holiday show and Sinfonietta performances with Sam Baker and Tish Hinojosa, among others.
They also created virtual adult education classes — CGOAcademy — which provided “dozens of Zoom classes in music history, theory and appreciation,” Steighner said.
“While none of those activities were a replacement for live rehearsals and in person performances, they served the stated purposes of keeping many of our performers active and giving or community of members and supporters a steady stream of music to enjoy,” he said.
A side benefit? A global audience for its work.
But the pandemic has put a strain on the organization, said GGOA President Elaine Thompson. “A lot of our board meetings are focused on COVID safety and what steps to take to keep everyone safe,” she said.
Looking at the 2021-22 season, Steighner and the board began to plan its performances “with the hope that we could return to something approximating normal,” he said — because the pandemic still had the potential to impact live performances, whether or not things were beginning to open again.
They decided on a slightly reduced season, taking into consideration any hesitancy audience members and performers might have with the return to shared spaces, he said.
“When we rehearsed with Aaron Meyer and his band for our July concert, it certainly seemed that we were moving in the right direction, but the Delta variant and increased spread has once again placed some restrictions on our activities,” he said. “For example, we’re currently rehearsing in Valley Christian Church and WAAAM as the schools are not allowing outside activities to use facilities.”
None of its upcoming events have been canceled — the Jazz Collective will play at the annual tree lighting and static parade downtown Hood River Friday, Dec. 3 (5-8 p.m.), and Christmas Through the Ages and Around the World is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at Riverside Community Church, and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. at Old St. Peters Landmark Church in The Dalles, (tickets are available at gorgeorchestra.org); in October, they held the annual sponsor appreciation at Stave & Stone, with six members of the Jazz Collective performing, and in November, “A Sasquatch Portrait” was performed at The Discovery Center in The Dalles and River of Life Church in Hood River.
Hood River’s Jackson Park was filled with concertgoers July 17, when Aaron Meyer and his five-piece band joined the CGOA Sinfonietta for a free concert to thank hometown heroes during the pandemic.
Trisha Walker file photo
“As the season progresses, we of course will be at the mercy of our venues and their availability, but also continue to be responsive to the needs of keeping our audiences safe,” he said. “In some ways, this is a more difficult time than when the lockdown shut all activities down, because there is more uncertainty, and everyone is trying to make smart and careful choices about their own health and that of others while still creating some semblance of normality and progress.”
The board and CGOA committees have created protocols to keep members and audiences safe, even with rapidly changing conditions. All ensemble members are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before each rehearsal; players and singers must be masked, and woodwind and brass players use covers on their bells or special slit masks that allow placement of a mouthpiece. During its first Sinfonietta rehearsal in September, there was 100 percent vaccination compliance, though a few members expressed unwillingness to participate until case numbers go down.
“Obviously, these are difficult measures to take and they inhibit the comfort of our musicians in rehearsals, but our general feeling — and one shared by the vast majority of performing ensembles that I am in contact with — is that it is possible to make music and remain safe using these protocols,” Steighner said.
“I do continue to believe that music and the performing arts can be very healing and energizing for people,” said Thompson. “We still not only need, but now crave, that feeling that only a shared musical experience can give. The performing arts are transformational, and right now, in our world, we desperately need transformation. Our hearts and minds are being stretched to capacity just like our hospitals. There are new divisions due to this pandemic and we have to be able to see our way through.”
“I believe that it will be some time before everything returns to normal, and I think that all of us in the performing arts will experience a period of rebuilding and perhaps re-focusing on what is most critical to our audiences and performers,” said Steighner. “All that being said, we’ve planned an exceptional and interesting season of performances and I’m excited to put the pieces in place, no matter the barriers.”
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