From the former Soviet Union to Chile, Cuba and Venezuela, the Seattle Peace Chorus (SPC) isn't afraid of conflict. They sing to promote peace.
The SPC began in 1983, when director Helen Lauritzen believed she could help end the threat of nuclear war by making personal connections with others through music. The group started small, but her passion quickly spread as more and more people lent their voices to unite in delivering a message for peace through song.
Their mission began to take shape in 1985, when 49 men and women embarked on a goodwill tour of the former Soviet Union, performing in seven cities and creating lasting friendships along the way. In fact, the tour was so successful that they returned home, only to be invited back.
They went on to sing with Soviet choruses and organize U.S. tours for the Russian Vladimir Chamber Choir in 1988.
Markos Weiss, SPC membership chair and choral member since 1992, is one of the group's longest-running members. He has spent his entire life traveling and said he joined the SPC because the chorus combined two of his greatest passions: exploration and activism.
"It's been a great opportunity," he said. "We are building a community at home and supporting efforts of peace, freedom and justice abroad. It's been very effective in changing people's views."
For board president Sue Hurley Rector, "SPC is unique in that we are a real, quality chorus, and we have a message for peace. Singing is an amazing way to heal a country."
'CITIZEN DIPLOMATS'
Over the course of the next decade, the SPC performed biannual concerts at home, as well as visited Chile for the first Chilean International Choral Festival.
In 1993 the group celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a special collaboration concert featuring the Evergreen Chorus, Korean Chorus, African dancers, the Seattle Kokon Taiko drummers and a Native American storyteller.
Six years later, the group ventured as "citizen diplomats" to Cuba, where they sang with 20 choirs from around the world and became so popular that they were broadcast live on Radio Cuba.
Such success then led to the group's return to Cuba in 2003 in commemoration of its 20-year anniversary. The group also was part of the Seventh International Choral Festival in Santiago, Chile, that year.
In 2000, renowned musician and composer Fred West joined as the choral director, leading the group as it is known today. A director in the Seattle area for more than 27 years, West not only founded the City Cantibile Choir in 1981 but has been a guest lecturer for the Seattle Symphony and works with a handful of children's choirs in the Seattle School District.
In addition to this, West was also recognized for his creation of OrcaSing, a concert for Orca Whales featured on the CBS show "60 Minutes II" in 2000.
"There are dozens of fine choirs, but only one like us. If we create friendships with music we are less likely to be talked into going to war with those people," he said.
Most recently, West led the group to Venezuela for a summer goodwill tour at the Festival Internacional de Coros.
"The state department discouraged us to go, but we [didn't] go because we were for or against the government. We went to represent our country as artists, not politicians," he said.
UPCOMING CONCERT
Having recently returned from Venezuela, the group is now preparing for the first of its annual concerts, "South American Connections," at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave.
The concert will feature the U.S. premiere of "Misa por la Paz y la Justicia" ("Mass of Peace and Justice"), by Argentinean composer Ariel Rameriz.
Tickets are $15 in advance.
The choir will also share songs and stories from its trip, as well as a recreation of a Venezuelan drum festival.
As for what country the group will visit next, West says nothing is for certain yet.
"We used to just go to places where there was difficulty between our government and theirs, but now that's a pretty wide field. A lot of countries are upset," he said.
