No single work shows off more Consort Soloists than Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Serenade to Music.” The text is from Act V, Scene 1 of “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare.
The new soloists we hear for the first time in this series are:
| Soloist | Joined | First solo with Consort |
|---|---|---|
| Natalie Moon-Wainwright | 2012 | Saint-Saens, “Requiem” 7. “Benedictus” in 2017 (with Melissa Muller, Sanford Dole, and Norm Proctor) |
| Naomi Peterkin | 2006 | Saint-Saens, “Requiem” 8. “Agnus Dei” in 2017 (with Martha Wall, Sanford Dole, and Norm Proctor) |
| Norman Proctor | 2016 | Saint-Saens, “Requiem” 4. “Oro supplex” in 2017 (with Patricia Littman, Michele Baroody, and Sanford Dole) |
| Jack Miller | 2019 | Today’s feature: Vaughn Williams, “Serenade to Music” |
| Martha Wall | 1994 | Petker, “Kyrie Today” in 1995 (with Fay Manes, Piano and Todd Jolly, Drum) |
| Judith Ward | 2013 | O’Regan, “Triptych” in 2013 (no recording), earliest recorded solo: Handel, “My Heart is Inditing” in 2019 (with Charles Little, Melisa Muller, and Jon Curtis) |
| Sanford Dole | 2012 | Haydn, “Timete” in 2013 (no recording), earliest recorded solo: Mozart, “Vesperae” 3. “Beatus” in 2015 (with Marty Friesen, Michele Baroody, and David Irvine) |
Persons of the Day: Consort Treasurers Perhaps one of the most hidden, yet important and demanding jobs, is the Consort treasurer. It’s not just keeping track of the bank accounts, but these days it’s also managing our Square and PayPal accounts, tracking membership dues, receiving donations and sending the IRS receipts, keeping our business license and non-profit status papers filed, paying our directors, accompanists, orchestra members, facilities costs, and insurance, and providing budget and profit/loss reports to the Board. Gail Fox was our original treasurer in the earliest years. Marty Friesen took over from Gail and led us through the late 1990s into the 2000s. Kimberly Ayers was next, and for a while, Consort was being handled out of San Pedro. David Raub is our current treasurer. He started with the new Board and has been instrumental in getting our finances moved to Marin and all our records and procedures up to date with our nonprofit status. |
Ralph Vaughn Williams “Serenade to Music”
| Soloists | Lyrics |
| chorus | How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. |
| Natalie Moon-Wainwright | of sweet harmony. |
| Sanford Dole | Look how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold: There’s not the smallest orb that thou behold’st But in his motion like an angel sings, Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; |
| chorus | Such harmony is in immortal souls; |
| Sanford Dole | But whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, |
| chorus | we cannot hear it. |
| Naomi Peterkin | Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn! With sweetest touches pierce your mistress’ ear, And draw her home with music. |
| chorus | And draw her home with music. |
| Patricia Littman | I am never merry when I hear sweet music. |
| Norman Proctor | The reason is, your spirits are attentive – The man that hath no music in himself Nor is not mov’d with concord of sweet sounds, |
| Jack Miller | Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night And his affections dark as Erebus: |
| chorus | Let no such man be trusted. |
| Martha Wall | Music! hark! It is your music of the house. Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day. |
| Michele Baroody | Silence bestows that virtue on it |
| Judith Ward | How many things by season season’d are To their right praise and true perfection! |
| Michele Baroody | Peace, ho! the moon sleeps with Endymion And would not be awak’d. |
| chorus | Soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. |
| Natalie Moon-Wainwright | of sweet harmony. |
| chorus | sweet harmony. |