2014-104 Arts - Women's Voices Chorus - Fall 2013 Arts Grant Agreement

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Women's Voices Chorus OCAC APPLICATION NARRATIVE–November 2013 3. Short programs. As a service to community members who may not be able to attend our regular performances, we have sung mini-concerts at Carol Woods and Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill, and at House of Healing (Duke) and the Regent in Durham. We also have performed at the Durham Public Library and at assorted awards ceremonies and conferences. 4. Commissions & Premieres. We have commissioned 13 pieces over the last 14 years from a variety of well-known composers and have premiered 14 original works. 5. Enrichment. We hold a Saturday retreat twice a year for members to work on choral techniques, vocal health, choral history, and repertoire. PROPOSED USE OF GRANT FUNDS We are partnering with Duke Cancer Institute and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to perform The Long Bright on May 16, 2014, at Hill Hall Auditorium on the UNC–Chapel Hill campus. This hour-long cantata by award-winning composer Andrea Clearfield is based on poems that David Wolman wrote between his wife's breast cancer diagnosis and death. The work premiered at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia in 2004 as a fundraiser for cancer research. Ms. Clearfield explains the title and purpose of the composition as follows: "The title, The Long Bright, may be perceived as the white light at the end of the tunnel of dying, the long but bright hope for a cure and the fierce brightness of our lives—the white light of our souls. It is my hope that the piece . . . will generate an increased awareness of breast cancer and the need for finding a cure." For more information, see www.andreaclearfield.com/works/choral/the-long-bright/. We have the opportunity to work directly with Ms. Clearfield to enhance our musical understanding of The Long Bright and, in turn, to make our performance as meaningful as possible for the Triangle community. She has agreed to lead the chorus's spring retreat on February 15, to participate in our regular rehearsal on February 17, and to attend two technical rehearsals in May as well as the concert itself. We know from past workshops with other musicians (most recently Caroline Mallonee and Jayne Swank) that there is no substitute for a composer's personal knowledge and insight. We are fortunate to have access to someone of Ms. Clearfield's reputation and caliber, and we expect to learn from her and grow in ways that will impact not only this concert but also future performances. To enable Ms. Clearfield's two trips from her home in Philadelphia to Chapel Hill, we request$1,000 in travel funds. We will perform The Long Bright with a 22-piece orchestra, making this concert our most technically ambitious to date. We also request $500 to support the purchase of orchestral and choral scores. Approximately 350 people typically attend our spring concert. Our audience is mostly white, of all ages (6-80+), and slightly majority female. Although some of our audience members live in the greater Triangle area and beyond, we primarily serve Chapel Hill–Carrboro and Durham. We expect to perform for a larger and broader audience with this concert via outreach to cancer survivors and their families, with the assistance of the two research institutes mentioned above. In terms of our past programming, our typical audience reach, and the importance of the subject matter to our community, this concert challenges Women's Voices Chorus. We have committed significant institutional funds to make it a success, and we would be honored to have the Orange County Arts Commission's support as well.