Shelton is not particularly noted for an abundance of cultural events, so whenever one comes along that seems remotely interesting I am quick to take advantage of it.  The Shelton High School chamber choir has been doing a marvelous job under the direction of Paul Nakhla.  I heard them in concert at the high school auditorium a few weeks ago and was impressed enough to consider purchasing tickets to a special event fund-raiser they were planning.  So this Saturday I took my mom and two friends to the Colonial House in Shelton to the first annual production of Ah Primavera!



No one was quite sure what to expect (since this was the first annual) so the first night was not that well attended.  Word quickly got out though, and the next three nights were sold out.  I had purchased tickets ahead of time and so had the privilege of sitting at the front table.  In actuality my seat was so close to the choir that I was pretty much rubbing elbows with the director and was able to follow along in his musical score.

The evening started with fruita fresca appetizers and a few musical selections by the choir, accompanied by piano and strings.  The theme of the evening was The Italian Renaissance and everyone was dressed in authentic looking attire for the time period.  We were treated to an introduction to Renaissance history by choir members Emilie and Liam, our hosts for the evening.  It helped to pay attention to what they said, which came in handy for the trivia game later on.  For instance did you know that the word Renaissance is French, though the movement started in Italy?  It means "rebirth" or Rinascimento in Italian.  I must admit my knowledge of Renaissance history is sadly lacking.  I did enjoy the music, which included songs from various eras, including an incredible rendition of the beautiful American folk song Oh Shenandoah.



Yes, that's Paul Nakhla in the cute hat directing the choir.  His whole family joined the fun and dressed for the occasion.  The Colonial House, decorated with flowers and decorations to suit the theme, made a nice setting for the event.  After a few songs were sung and our fruit appetizers were consumed, Emilie and Liam came back to entertain us with some humorous skits (and rather old jokes).  Here you see them attempting to demonstrate the proper method for making Tiramisu, with appropriate music played by Kellen on the piano.



Everyone was glad that another choir member had actually made the Tiramisu because these folks obviously had some very different ideas about exactly what are "lady fingers" and how much rum or ale should be used.  For my dessert, I chose the apple crisp, which turned out to be more of a crispy, delicate apple pastry and was very delicious.  After finishing dessert, we were treated to a few more songs by the choir and a solo by Kellen Gold.



Don't you love the workmanship in this dress?  Apparently her father actually made this for her, just for this event!  The material used was just exquisite, though you can barely see the intricacy of the designs in the fabric in this small photo.  The solo was also lovely, skillfully accompanied by Connie Miser on the piano.

To keep the evening interesting we played a few games, which included prizes.  First we played a card game, similar to spoons "except without the spoons". My mother actually won a triple-decker, chocolate brownie.  Finally, we had a trivia game, each table competing with one another to see who knew the most about the music, art, and history of the Renaissance.  Our table came in second.  Though we knew all the art questions and some of the music, I'm afraid the ones about which pope did what were beyond the scope of our education.  Nevertheless, it was a fun and challenging game and brought a little excitement to the evening before it was time to close with the final choir songs and a serenade out the door and down the steps.

I leave you with a trivia question of my own. What does the word primavera mean? If you think it is something you order at The Olive Garden, you really are only half right. The answer will be in the next blog. Stay tuned!

Tags: concert
Current Location: Shelton, WA