Sammamish choir brings classical music to the community
On April 5, the Sammamish’s own Spotlight Concert Choir will perform classical vocal pieces with accompaniment from the Octava Chamber Orchestra at Pine Lake Covenant Church for its Harmonies of the Heart spring concert. The group hopes the concert will highlight the availability of high-quality music featuring local talent in Sammamish.
The Spotlight Concert Choir is part of the Sammamish nonprofit Spotlight Repertory Northwest, whose mission is to deepen community connections and lift spirits through access to music. The nonprofit is passionate about providing access by keeping ticket prices low, performing in local community spaces, and offering music education and performance opportunities for a variety of skill levels.
The April 5 concert will be the choir’s first time performing with a full orchestra. The Lynwood-based Octava Chamber Orchestra features a full ensemble of 32 top-tier musicians. The concert will feature several classic pieces meant to highlight the powerful combination of vocal and instrumental music.
“When you’re in a room with an orchestra, you feel it. There’s a stirring that happens. That doesn’t happen often,” said professional opera singer and Sammamish resident Frances Garcia Hoffman.
Garcia Hoffman founded Spotlight Repertory Northwest in 2019 with the hopes of filling a musical gap in the community.
“There are families that have two, three, or four kids, and the last thing they want to do is trek all the way somewhere to see a show,” Garcia Hoffman said.
As the COVID-19 Pandemic began to taper off, the repertory’s Spotlight Concert Choir was established and became a place where novices and veterans could learn and experience music together.
“The goal is to have multigenerational events where everyone can enjoy and get educated at the same time right here in Sammamish,” said Garcia Hoffman.
In addition to its aim to connect the community, the Spotlight Concert Choir has become a community of its own for its members.
“We’re giving to the community, but we also have our own choir community and it’s just a great group of people. I really enjoy the time we spend together,” said choir member Marika Galvin.
For choir member Angela Roesler-Lombardi, the choir has helped fill a missing piece in her life. She enjoyed musical training in college but found it difficult to maintain after moving to Sammamish–until she found Spotlight Repertory Northwest.
“When I moved out here, it was hard at first because I had these connections to music that I couldn’t find here. The choir was great because I was missing that–like a part of my soul was missing,” Roesler-Lombardi said.
Garcia Hoffman hopes the April 5 concert gives Sammamish a new level of appreciation for all that music and the community have to offer.
“My goal is to bring this kind of amazing talent here to our community and to give this community a sense of pride. This sense that I don’t have to go far. I can come to my backyard and have this amazing experience.” For concert details and to purchase tickets, visit the event webpage.
