The InTernaTIonal Choral FesTIval oF MIssoula Is a nonproFIT organIzaTIon dedICaTed To proMoTIng arTIsTIC exCellenCe, global undersTandIng, FrIendshIp and goodwIll Through Choral MusIC.

OCTOBER 2007

OFFICERS

Terry ConradPresident

Beth MastPast President

Tom TriggVice President

Janet PalmerSecretary

Peter HeylerTreasurer

David HeidelArtistic Director

STAFF

Melissa BluntExecutive Director

DIRECTORS

Ernest DeweyRenie GibsonBob Hermes

Saxon HolbrookLee Kirkegaard

Doug KleinNancy Labbe

Doug LawrenceDean PetersonAlex SubrayanKatie Van DornAngela Wilkes

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

“Who would expect to come to Montana and hear the whole world

sing...Amazing!” 2009 Audience Member, Philadelphia

The 2013 International Choral Festival in Missoula is fast ap-proaching, with just 9 months to go! We are expecting another spectacular and successful event. Over 25 choirs from all over the world are preparing to come to Missoula next July and we

are preparing to welcome them (see the next page for the current listing of coun-tries represented).

But we have much to do in the meantime. Our fundraising has been going well but we still need to raise a bit more. You can read more about our efforts in Doug Lawrence’s report on page 7. We’re starting to recruit host families to care for our guests and I encourage each of you reading this to consider opening your home to a singer or two from far away for several days, and enjoy that unique experience. Learn more in Janet Palmer’s report on page 3.

This fall we have a new project in the works. The School of Music at UM and the International Choral Festival will be reviving the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah with community members comprising the chorus and orchestra. For many years this was a successful fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Several years have past since they stopped presenting the event and many people have missed it, so we’re bringing it back! See page 6 for details.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank our many hard-working Board members and our indispensable Executive Director who make this all happen. Many unpaid hours go into this event, but we do love it when a plan comes together. Be sure to reserve the dates, July 17-20, 2013 for Missoula’s 9th International Choral Festival. ♪

OCTOBER 2012

July 17-20, 2013

Terry ConradPresident

2 OCTOBER 2012

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

www.choralfestival.org

Last night while listening to a live performance of the all male chorus Chanticleer, I was transported to a place where beauty and perfection reigned—where everything in the background blurred: the smoke in the valley, the politics of the day, and the chores I didn’t get done this weekend. What a gift those men have, and gave to us.

Surely many in the audience last night were thinking, “...and what

a perfect prelude to the International Choral Festival next summer”. Well, I was thinking that! Because in 9 months we will once again have the rare and precious opportunity to hear the world’s most beautiful choral music, performed by some of the world’s best choirs, right here in Missoula. Extraordinary!

Over 25 choirs have accepted our invitation to Mis-soula’s 9th Festival, and all of them are making every effort possible to get here. One of the many touch-ing stories of their journey is that of the choir from Zimbabwe, whose charismatic conductor passed away unexpectedly this summer. The choir’s determination to participate in our Festival did not falter—rather; it cemented their determination to sing in Missoula, in his honor, under the direction of his son.

Here is the current line-up of national representation, literally from A to Z. This may change before July 2013, so check our website for updates. ♪

Melissa BluntExecutive Director

Are you looking for a choral fes-tival that has choirs from every continent? We’ve got it! Are you looking for some of the best choirs in the U.S. and Canada? We’ve got it! Are you looking for children’s, youth, men’s, women’s, and mixed choirs? You guessed it – we’ve got it.

For 2 years, we have been col-lecting what may be not only one of the largest contingencies of choirs, but also choirs of the highest caliber. For the cost of a little more than going to a movie, Festival audiences can attend ALL the concerts, as well as con-ductor’s seminars and a “meet the choirs” luncheon. When attending other choral festivals around the world, I have found it most common to pay anywhere from $25 - $50, and that’s just for a single concert!

If you’re not excited enough, consider the idea of your business, organization, school, or church hosting members from one of our international choirs. Not only would you be helping the Festival greatly, but you would have the chance to establish a close relationship with the choir members, which can be a life changing experience. If your group can’t host a choir, how about you and your family volunteering your time – a little or a lot goes a long way. It’s easy, just go to our website and look under the “Support the Festival” heading.

So here is my challenge to everyone reading this: Help us share Missoula’s Festival with everyone you know, whether it is your neighbor or a relative on the east coast. Tell your friends to make their summer plans around Missoula next July. With your help, our parks and performance sites will be filled with the excite-ment of audiences begging for more.

Other festivals try to copy us, but there is only one festival that offers the number of choirs, the number of concerts and the great audiences. Combine that with all the host families, volunteers, sponsors and pa-trons, and the result is the original, and one and only International Choral Festival of Missoula. ♪

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT

David HeidelArtistic Director

ArgentinaAustraliaCanada

Costa RicaDR CongoEstoniaFinland

GermanyHungary

IrelandIsrael

MacedoniaPoland Russia

SloveniaSouth Korea

TaiwanZimbabwe

Since its beginning, the International Choral Festival has hosted 5,200 singers

representing 42 countries.

3OCTOBER 2012

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED!

ICF would cease to exist without the generous support of the many Missoula families who open their homes and hearts to the visiting international choirs. It is one of the things that makes our Festival so unique!

Imagine welcoming singers from Zimbabwe in your homes, or sharing a meal and love for music with singers from Ireland, or watching your children play with kids from Slovenia! Hosting requires time and energy, but it is totally worth the effort!

Hosts provide comfortable, private sleeping arrangements, most meals, and transportation to the many activities during Festival week. Most choirs will arrive Tuesday, July 16, and depart Sunday or Monday, July 21 or 22. Most host families house two guests from the same country.

If you are interested, please see our website for more information under the “Support the Festival/Host” menu, and then complete our online Host application.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me: host@choralfestival.org, or by phone at 406-251-9336 (home) or 406-274-0500 (cell).

I look forward to meeting up with past hosts and making some new friends next summer! ♪

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

Saxon Holbrook (far right) with volunteers

I am happy to serve as the Staff-ing Coordinator again for the 2013 Festival, and am already recruiting volunteers. We will need hundreds of people to help manage concert sites, serve food, answer phones, usher, and perform a myriad of other tasks.

To sign up, visit our website and fill out the online volunteer ap-plication form. You will also find volunteer job descriptions on

our website, under the “Support the Festival/Volun-teer” menu. If you prefer to sign up by mail, contact the Festival office and a form will be sent to you.

Janet PalmerHousing Chair

Saxon HolbrookStaffing Chair

Volunteering is a great way to experience the Festival, with behind the scenes access to events and concerts, and the knowledge that you are helping make it all possible. We can’t do this without you! ♪

Host and guest, 2009 Festival

ICF Board of Directors Positions Available

If you love the Festival, and have time and talents to offer, please

consider joining our Board!

If interested please contact Melissa Blunt at 721-7985 or

info@choralfestival.org

4 OCTOBER 2012

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2009 FESTIVAL

Taiwanese traditional music and dress entertained the crowd

ICF founder Don Carey enjoyed a reunion with daughter Suzanne and Helen Vehrs at the Carson Vehrs Memorial Picnic

Who could ever forget The Chanters Group from Tbilisi, Georgia!

New arrivals at Festival check-in, all the way from Sweden

“What a service you do for the world! These lessons in fellowship are so valuable!

Music is a wonderful universal language, crossing geographic and age boundaries!”

Audience member, Plains, MT

“It seems to me that the International Choral Festival is the key to world peace

and understanding.”

Host Family, Missoula, MT

“The Festival embodies our belief that music is an incredibly unifying force that brings people together and enables everyone to speak the same language of

music.”

Conductor, Colorado

“A premier event! It is magnificent!”

Audience member, Enterprise, OR

5OCTOBER 2012

Despite the excessive heat, the Finale Concert was enjoyed by thousands of enthusiastic audience members and choirs alike

Missoula’s own Youth Choir leading the Parade of Nations

Choir Host John Talbot enjoying one of the Festival social events

Singers from Germany cutting loose on the dance floor at the Finale party With fans and bright costumes, the South Koreans were always entertaining

“I had a ‘once in a lifetime adventure’ at the Missoula Choral Festival. It’s so special; it’s so unique; and when you live in it, you

NEVER want it to end.”Choir Member, Sweden

“I had goose bumps from the moment the Celtic Bagpipers lead the participants into the stadium until the last song was sung at the Finale Concert…how fortunate this area is to be able to host such an

event.”

Audience member, Missoula, MT

“I know the Festival is about music, but it really is about so much more! It was wonderful experience.”

Host Family, Missoula, MT

The Choral Festival is a marvelous contribution to civilized society.” Contributor

6 OCTOBER 2012

HALLELUJAH!!Join us for this beloved holiday performance of Handel’s Messiah,

Sunday, November 25th in the Dennison Theater. Presented by the International Choral Festival and the UM School of Music as a join-benefit concert.

Conducted by Dr. David Edmonds, Director of Choral Activities at the UM, and accompanied by an orchestra of talented local musicians and soloists.

JOINT BENEFIT CONCERT

The concert is free to the public, but singers are asked to raise sponsorships or donate a minimum of $75 (all tax-deductible) to join the chorus. There will be two optional rehearsals on Sunday, November 11th & 18th, from 2:00~4:00 p.m. in the UM Music Building on campus, and a mandatory dress rehearsal on performance day.

For details and to join the chorus, visit: www.choralfestival.org

orwww.umt.edu/music

Or, call the School of Music at 243-6885.

Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends. ~Alphonse de Lamartine

7OCTOBER 2012

You’ve heard me say this before--it takes an enormous effort to raise the significant amount of money needed to produce each Festival. Thanks to the generosity of the Missoula commu-nity, we have reached 74% of our fundraising target to date. That is great news indeed! A thousand thanks to all our sponsors, and businesses and individuals who have supported us with cash and in-kind contributions so far.

But, we are not out of the woods yet, and are planning a couple more fundraisers this fall to help us reach our goal. If you like to sing, please consider signing up for the chorus of theMESSIAH, which we are co-sponsoring with the UM School of Music as a joint benefit concert (see preceding page). And, plan to do your holiday shopping at the ICF BOOKFAIR at Fact and Fiction on Higgins Ave. downtown on Saturday, December 8th. A portion of the proceeds will benefit ICF (thanks to Barbara Theroux for this!).

Your contributions will enable us to:• Pay travel costs for our Artistic Director to personally recruit choirs overseas• Rent local concert venues and equipment• Hire a stage crew, sound & lighting technician, recording engineer, and other personnel• Feed and entertain 1000+ people at Festival-sponsored meals and social events• Charter a fleet of buses to provide local transportation for visiting choirs• Publicize the Festival locally, nationally, and internationally • Hire legal assistance for choir visa issues.

And finally, if you wish to further support this extraordinary Missoula tradition, please consider making a two-year pledge or one time donation of any amount by filling out the pledge form below and mailing it to us in the enclosed remit envelope. We are deeply grateful for your support. Thank you! ♪

FUNDRAISING COUNTDOWN

Save the Date!Saturday, December 8, 2012

HOLIDAY BOOKFAIR AT FACT AND FICTION 220 N. Higgins Ave. downtown

Yes! I/we want to support the 9th International Choral Festival of Missoula

I/we will pledge $___________ per year for _____ years. I/we will pay this pledge as follows:

I/we will make our payments: _______ annually; _______ quarterly; _______ monthly

I/we have enclosed a check for $_____________ as my/our first installment.

I/we will send our first contribution in (month)_________________________of (year)______________ Please send reminders: _____ via e-mail _____ via regular mail

I/we cannot pledge at this time. Instead, I/we have enclosed a gift of $____________.

Signature __________________________ Printed Name ________________________ Date ________

Doug LawrenceFundraising Chair

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMISSOULA, MT

59801PERMIT NO. 569

P.O. Box 8203Missoula, MT 59807

USA

Advertise in the Official 2013 International Choral Festival Program Book:

• Reach a targeted audience. Over 25,000 people from local communities and from around the United States will attend Festival events.

• Increase business. Choral Festival visitors will spend over $2 million on lodging, food, and souvenirs during their stay. Direct some of those dollars toward your business!

• Support an important community cultural event. The revenue from your ad will directly support the International Choral Festival of Missoula-–it pays for the production of the program book as well as other event expenses.

For more information and advertising rates, see our website or contact the Festival office:E-mail: info@choralfestival.org

Phone: (406) 721-7985

www.choralfestival.org

Space reservation deadline: May 10, 2013Advertising materials due: May 25, 2013

“Bringing the World a little Closer, Through Music”