Upcoming concerts highlight Gorge music

On April 27 and 29, Voci Choir presents “Voci Does Renaissance: From Castle to Cathedral,” programs of choral music from England, Italy and beyond. Voci is part of Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association (CGOA).

The concerts will be April 27 at 7 p.m. and April 29 at 2 p.m., in the auditorium of Hood River Middle School. Tickets are $15 for adults (18 and over) and $10 for students and children age 10-17. Children under 10 are free.

Tickets are available at the door or online at gorgeorchestra.org.

Also on the program will be selections sung by a small choral ensemble drawn from the larger Voci choir. Both ensembles are conducted by CGOA Artistic Director Mark Steighner.

Entirely a cappella, this month’s Voci concerts will include “profound and joyous sacred music still as moving as when it was written in the 1500s,” Steighner said.

Steighner notes, “While people have been singing for millennia, there is little doubt that the ‘golden age’ of choral music was the 15th through the early 17th centuries, the period historians call the Renaissance. The world was being explored, great writers and artists such as Shakespeare and Da Vinci were creating masterpieces and the landscape of music was changing as well.”

The “Madrigal History Tour” portion of the concert will feature a selection of “playful, clever and occasionally cheeky secular songs that were the Renaissance equivalent of modern pop music,” he said.

“Altogether, the concerts will demonstrate the consistent style and beauty that characterized the Renaissance.”

Gorge Winds

The community is invited to the annual Spring Concert of The Gorge Winds Concert Band under the direction of Larry Loop.

The concert will feature selections from Frank Ticheli, James Swearingen, Frank Erickson, Percy Grainger and local composer, band director, and Gorge Winds Concert Band member Steve Hodges.

“We will be performing one of Steve Hodges latest compositions titled ‘The Refiner’s Fire.’ This is a wonderful piece written to honor his daughter after her recovery from illness,” Loop said.

This year there will be two performances of our Spring Concert. The first performance will be on Friday, May 4 at 7 p.m. in the Hood River Middle School Auditorium at 1602 May St. The second performance will be held on Sunday, May 6 at 3 p.m. in Calvary Baptist Church, 3350 Columbia View Drive, The Dalles.

The Gorge Winds Concert Band is a volunteer organization comprised of men and women in the Mid-Columbia area who are dedicated to making a unique musical and cultural contribution to our community. Founded in 2000, the Gorge Winds Concert Band performs in many venues throughout the Mid-Columbia area, including The Dalles, Hood River, White Salmon, and Goldendale.

Admission is free; however donations are accepted. Details can be found at www.gorgewindsband.org, or on Facebook at Gorge Winds Concert Band. The Gorge Winds Concert Band is a 501c3 organization, and any donations are therefore tax deductible.