Compassionate is proud to sponsor in part, the Saginaw Choral Society’s Alzheimer’s Stories Choir! Jody Wilk, COO and co-owner has been a proud member of the Saginaw Choral Society since 2012. Be sure to get your tickets today and experience this powerful concert firsthand.
Saginaw Choral Society Presents Alzheimer’s Stories Choir
Sharing the Search for a Cure
[Saginaw, MI – March 3, 2020] – On March 21, 2020, Saginaw Choral Society presents Alzheimer’s Stories at 3:00 PM in First Presbyterian Church of Saginaw. Under the direction of Artistic Director Jeremiah Kraniak, Alzheimer’s Stories is the anchor work on the program subtitled Sharing the Search for a Cure. A monumental composition by Robert S. Cohen with libretto by Herchel Garfien, Alzheimer’s Stories features the choir with orchestra and soloists Erin Whitfield, soprano, and Kevin Simons, baritone. Completing the program are Randall Thompson’s “Frostiana”, a song-cycle based on poetry of Robert Frost, and Shawn Kirchner’s “Heavenly Home: Three American Songs.” with Catherine McMichael at the piano.
Alzheimer’s Stories was performed in 2019 at the American Choral Directors’ National Conference in Kansas City. Artistic Director, Jeremiah Kraniak, who was in attendance says “Hearing this work for the first time, I was unprepared for its emotional impact,” he says. “I wasn’t alone. The entire audience lept to its feet in awe!”
“All three movements are powerful, but it is the text of the final movement that sums up the glorious experience of the work. ‘Find those you love in the dark and light. Help them through the days and nights. Keep faith, they sense what they cannot show. Love and music are the last things to go. Sing anything.’ I knew immediately that this is a work the Saginaw Choral Society needs to perform.”
Using facts and stories of personal experiences gathered from choral singers, the inspiration for the ending came from one contributor. Each time she visited her father in the hospital, she sang a song from his childhood. When one day she forgot to bring in a song, he looked at her and pleaded, “Sing anything.” With this, Cohen and Herschel’s breathtaking composition transcends the darkness to show us light.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to statistics from the national Alzheimer’s Association. Between 2000 and 2017, deaths from heart disease decreased 9% while deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 145%. One in three seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia and more than sixteen million Americans provide unpaid healthcare for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“Alzheimer’s disease affects all of us, whether directly through a loved one or indirectly through others we love,” says Tamara Grefe, Executive Director. “Our goal with this brilliant work is not to emphasize the disease’s devastating effects, but to show that music can be an instructive and healing force and can reach those who suffer from a loss of self. We want people to leave remembering that message, and to be moved to ask, “What can I do? How can I help?”
The Alzheimer’s Association and several support communities will have materials to distribute to attendees. Support groups desiring a presence should contact Tamara Grefe at 989-753-1812. Special ticket pricing is available for groups.
General admission tickets are available through the Temple Theatre Box Office at 989-754-7469 or online at TempleTheatre.com
About the Saginaw Choral Society
With offices in the beautiful Temple Theatre Complex of the Shaheen Performing Arts Center, Saginaw Choral Society provides audiences in the Great Lakes Bay Region with performances ranging from classical masterworks to popular favorites. Subscriptions consist of three to four concert hall and several small stage events, each season featuring a December holiday concert. The chorus consists of 85 volunteer singers from all walks of life, representing counties throughout the region. The organization’s mission is “Building and Uniting our Community through Music.”
For more information, visit the Saginaw Choral Society’s website at SaginawChoralSociety.com.