RCC Choir January 2023

It was good to be back.

The Redmond Community Choir, following a hiatus of almost three years due to COVID-related restrictions, had been rehearsing for three months and were ready for our 2022 holiday concert. Then came the weather.

On Dec. 11, the day of the concert, it began to snow. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, it continued snowing in Redmond. It became obvious that there wasn’t going to be a concert that evening. Another setback.

Thanks to the perseverance of our choir director, Ken Piarulli, and with help from Ben Lawson of Redmond High School, the concert was rescheduled for Jan. 8.

Family, friends, and the community turned out to hear “Sounds of the Season.” As Ken told the audience that evening, “there are places in the world where Christmas is celebrated well into January.” And that is just what it felt like — an ongoing celebration of the season.

About the choirThe Redmond Community Choir, a highlighted program of Central Oregon Community College’s community education, provides a welcoming, high-quality musical experience for music lovers of all skill levels. No audition is required.

The current choir includes members who are trained professionals and skilled amateurs, as well as members who have never sung in a choir before. The common denominator is that we all love to sing.

When Director Ken Piarulli and his wife Jude moved from upstate New York to Redmond in 2018, he brought with him years of experience as a professional jazz pianist and director and member of several choral groups.

Ken believes that a vibrant music culture is vital to the quality of life in a community. So he decided to use his musical training and experience to start a community choir in Redmond. We first met in September 2019 and performed our first concert in December.

After our recent “Sounds of the Season” concert in January, we’ll begin rehearsals later this month, and are looking forward to our “On Broadway” concert in May.

You can learn more about Ken at www.redmondchoir.org.

Save the date

Mark your calendar for the upcoming “On Broadway” spring concert, which will be May 21 at the Redmond High School auditorium. In addition to traditional choral music, the concert will feature a salute to the Broadway of yesteryear, as well as present-day Broadway — from Hammerstein to Hamilton. Admission is free.

There’s still room

Registration has already begun for spring term, but there are still some openings for those interested in joining the choir. The choir rehearses on Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 p.m., beginning Monday, Feb. 27 through May 15. There will also be a dress rehearsal (date TBA), followed by the concert on May 21.

To learn more about joining the choir, check out the frequently asked questions under “Join the Choir” tab at www.redmondcommunitychoir.org.

There are several ways to sign up for the choir:

1. Call the Community Education Department of Central Oregon Community College (COCC) at 541-383-7270.

2. Go to www.cocc.edu/choir

3. Click on the “Join the Choir” link at www.redmondcommunitychoir.org

Click on this link at the Redmond Community Choir website: Join the Choir — Redmond Community Choir