Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana may be the most recognizable choral work, spanning popular culture and the concert hall. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are delighted to present—for the first time in our history—a curated collection of movements with two pianos and multiple percussion instruments. From the Superbowl to the cinema, Carl Orff’s powerful setting of secular medieval Latin poetry continues to engage audiences. Passionate love, bright springtime, a raucous tavern, and Fortune herself come to life! This work will be presented as the first portion of our concert, prior to a brief intermission.

Composer and conductor René Clausen adapts “Dusk at Sea,” a poem by early 20th-century poet Thomas S. Jones, Jr. to stunning effect. Writing in the early 1990s, Clausen was at the height of his compositional powers as he stewarded the Midwest choral tradition while teaching and conducting at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. Introspection, hope, and the undulation of the sea are evoked in this masterful work. This piece will open the second half of our concert, after a brief intermission.

Moses Hogan (1957-2023) was among the most esteemed composer-arrangers of the African American spiritual and arguably the foremost caretaker of this art form’s legacy during his career. Northwest Repertory Singers has a rich history of presenting Hogan’s works, including “This Little Light of Mine.” The beloved text finds new expression with a gentle, original melody, a contrasting and forceful “B” section, and a stirring finale.

Along with the late Moses Hogan, Roland Carter is recognized as one of the foremost interpreters of the African American Spiritual since the latter half of the last century. Since 2022 (the year of the composer’s 8oth birthday), Northwest Repertory Singers has been featuring works from Carter’s catalogue, and our 25th Anniversary Concert and Celebration will mark our first time presenting “Rise, Shine, for the Light Is A-Coming,” which follows beautifully from Hogan’s “This Little Light of Mine.”

Composer Donna Gartman Schultz, the spouse of our late founder, Paul Schultz, NWRS, is familiar to our audiences through our performances of many of her choral works. “Meet Me at the Green Glen,” with a text by 19th-century English poet John Clare, was premiered at Paul’s retirement concert in June 2018. Delicate and reflective, the work has an elegiac quality and briefly quotes the “Nimrod” movement of Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Donna passed away unexpectedly from illness shortly before our December 2025 concert. We are looking forward to sharing this music with our audience again as we remember Donna and her contributions to NWRS and to the choral music world.

The poetry of Robert Frost was dear to the founder of Northwest Repertory Singers, Paul Schultz. This setting of “The Pasture” by Z. Randall Stroope was featured both in the early days of NWRS and at Paul’s retirement concert in 2018. For our 25th Anniversary Concert and Celebration we will present this poignant work with Stroope’s instrumentation for chamber orchestra as heard in the sample recording here.

The famous words of 19th-century English poet William Henley are set to driving music by Millennial-generation and Oregon native Joshua Rist, who has gained prominence in the American choral music scene in recent years. Well-received at our initial performance of the work with piano accompaniment, we present an encore with Rist’s orchestration (which we will present with a more intimate complement of players than in the linked video). The work concludes with one of the most famous couplets in English-language poetry: “I am the master of my fate, / I am the captain of my soul.”

The works of Gwyneth Walker have been performed across our ensemble’s history. Most notably, NWRS has twice presented Walker’s evocative three-movement cycle, Three Days by the Sea. For “How Can I Keep from Singing,” Prior members of the choir will be invited to join the current ensemble on stage to conclude our 25th Anniversary Concert and Celebration with this buoyant arrangement of a Shaker tune and text that celebrates singing itself—a perfect way to conclude this milestone concert together.

Marjorie Skreen is the staff collaborative pianist of Northwest Repertory Singers. Indispensable to our organization, Margie’s talent, spirit, and dedication have helped shape every rehearsal and performance since the ensemble was founded in 2001. A true constant in the ensemble, Margie has indisputably contributed to our success and recognition. We invite you to consider a sponsorship for this concert as we recognize Margie’s artistry and accomplishments across twenty-five years of collaboration with us, including her performance of Carmina Burana for our 25th Anniversary Concert and Celebration.

Jieun Yun returns to NWRS as a guest collaborative pianist for Carmina Burana. With a distinguished career as both pianist and organist, Yun performs regularly as a soloist in the region. She currently serves as an affiliate pianist at the University of Puget Sound School of Music, works as the collaborative pianist for the Bremerton Symphony Chorale, and conducts the Tacoma First Baptist Church Choir. Passionate about musical excellence and community engagement, she brings energy, artistry, and dedication to her work as a performer, educator, and collaborator.

Acclaimed operatic tenor Robert McPherson will make his first appearance with Northwest Repertory Singers with “Olim Lacus Colueram” from Carmina Burana and the African American Spiritual, “Rise, Shine, for the Light Is A-Coming.” Hailed by the New York Times for his “robust voice, agility and confidence,” his international career includes roles and appearances with the Seattle Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Israeli Opera, English National Opera, Polish National Opera, and more. His discography includes the Houston Symphony’s 2018 Grammy-winning recording of Wozzeck, performing the role of Andres. He also appears locally as The Drunken Tenor, mixing comedy with classical music.