Year-end Letter from PEV's Board President
I hope this message finds you snuggled up somewhere cozy enjoying a warm beverage (spiking optional), spending time with loved ones, and listening to your favorite holiday music (PEV on shuffle, of course), like the selections from our holiday concerts that we share here as a gift to you.
This year has felt like we're almost back to normal (almost) after two years of having to adjust our usual ways of creating and performing music for you. I have to say: normal never felt so good! You can't imagine how gratifying it is for us to be able to sing together, in person, and perform in front of a packed house with live bodies in the seats! Of course, we will continue to take precautions to keep our choir members and audiences safe as we monitor the state of this (hopefully) ebbing pandemic, but we are SO looking forward to the day when we can once again rehearse and perform with no masks in sight!
Our 2022-23 season is already off to a great start, with two powerful performances of our Journey to Peace program in early December, dedicated to the men, women and children of Ukraine, who have suffered far too long during the brutal Russian invasion of their sovereign nation. At the risk of dividing your generosity, I encourage you to make a donation to Hearts for Ukraine, which has been delivering critical supplies directly to hospitals, schools, shelters, and other groups in Ukraine since the invasion began in March.
Creative and inspiring programs like these have always been what Pacific Edge Voices is all about, and we're thrilled that our now not-so-new music director Ash Walker continues to push the envelope of what is possible with our ensemble.
In the last two years, we've grown from a trim 25 members to a chorus of almost 45 voices! (with a few more new singers joining us in January) The numbers really do make a difference, both in terms of the power and sound we are able to deliver and in the range of pieces we're able to perform for you.
But enough about us, because this message is really all about YOU! During our 42-year history, we have been blessed with an enthusiastic and dedicated community of supporters. This strong sense of community is what drives us forward. Your physical and virtual presence for our music-making events, and your ongoing emotional and financial support, make everything we do possible.
We hope you will continue to provide that crucial support now and into the new year, so that we can continue to provide you the creative, inspiring, uncommon musical experiences you've come to expect from PEV.
We have a lot more in store for you in 2023… our first in-person gala event in three years (February 25 - details here!), our "one night only" spring concert Son to Mother, and our annual Jazz & Pop concerts in June. If you're with us for the long haul, please show your support today with a gift that will help build our community and allow us to continue making the music you want to experience.
Wishing you and yours a safe, joyful, and music-filled new year!
Dustin Frazier
PEV Board President and member since 2019