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31 October 2010

By Cheryl Bristah ’68

Hi, everyone! This is Cheryl Bristah, class of 1968.

For me, the best part of Highland Park High School was singing in the Concert Choir. My fondest memories of those four years are the ones I spent singing with Mr. Sturdevant and Mr. Gifford.

The whole experience was amazing - the depth of music we performed, the high standards Mr. Sturdevant set for us, Mr. Gifford’s accompaniment and composing skills, the fun we had on tours, and the support of our community. If you’ve listened to any of the wonderful CDs Clifford Larkins has produced, you know how great we sounded.

That experience has colored my expectations of what a choir can do and should sound like. It’s been hard to find one that comes close. Luckily, I have been in several here in Portland. One was the Oregon Vocal Arts Ensemble, which my vocal teacher created and conducted. All of us singers were his students. Because we all used the same singing techniques, our vibratos matched and we were able to blend extremely well. We performed challenging music for three to four seasons before our conductor disbanded the choir to meet other professional commitments.

The second choir was the Concord Choir in which I sang for five years. In 1991, we toured Eastern Europe, the highlight being our time in Estonia at an international choral concert. At that time, Estonia was still part of the Soviet Union. Concord Choir sang alone and then with all of the other choirs there - 30,000 singers in one amphitheatre! And 250,000 people in the audience! That country loves its musical and dance heritage. It was really a thrill. The high point was singing Estonia’s then unofficial anthem (previously outlawed by the Soviet Union). We held each other’s hands up in the air and swayed to the music. I’ll never forget that feeling.

I am now in my 11th season as an alto in the Choral Arts Ensemble of Portland. We are about 35 voices, SATB, and this season we are celebrating our 40th year. We have performed a wide range of music - from Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis to spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan, from Mozart’s Requiem to music from the Civil War (both sides).

I can’t thank Clifford enough for bringing Concert Choir back into my life and for the opportunity to tell Mr. Sturdevant how much Concert Choir meant to me. Those “magic moments ” are ones I have always cherished and always will.

Cheryl Bristah ’68