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From Our President

Donn Davy

Thanks to the support of so many devoted Slavyanka fans and supporters, our outlook is once again bright. We are grateful for your belief in us and our mission to bridge the gap between East and West with the international language of music. The Chorus now operates on a sustainable, revised budget that is in line with historical income.

Increased concert attendance will naturally provide the cash flow to propel us forward to bring the beauty of Russian a cappella music far and wide. Slavyanka publicity efforts are now headed by the very capable and hard-working Ann Wilkes, wife of Slavyanka bass Patrick Wilkes, of Rohnert Park. Our renewed attention to and support of publicity efforts for Slavyanka concerts have already resulted in sold-out concerts in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria in January. If these were any indication, we can predict attendance will increase, perhaps dramatically.

The Slavyanka Board, recently joined by new members John McCarthy and Andy Calman, has created committees to initiate strategic actions for both short term (until July), and beyond. Gregory, Andy Anderson and George Cagwin will be working on Special Projects (tours, festivals, recording); Don Reinhardt and George will lead the effort to recruit additional voices; Jeffrey Jones, Andy Calman, Don Reinhardt and Andy Anderson will coordinate Fundraising. Gregory Smirnov, John Hutchinson, Jeff Jones, Ann Wilkes, Don Reinhardt and I will oversee Performance and Repertoire.

Ann Wilkes and Jay Kuhlman will head up publicity and communication. Jay Kuhlman has created a “slavyankalive.net” website where people can connect with the group, order CDs, make donations and more: check it out at www.slavyankalive.net. Ann will be generating newsletters in the spring and fall (March and September). They will convert our communications with our supporters and fans to email as much as possible for efficiency and economy.

John McCarthy and Paul Andrews now head up an Alumni Liaison group. An Alumni Concert and reception is slated for June 9 at Oakland First Unitarian Church.

We need other singers, alumni, and friends to help with each of these efforts. We encourage you to pick an area of interest and join in (see John McCarthy’s article, “Many Ways to Help" at the end of this newsletter.)

And oh, yes, Slavyanka still sings, as beautifully as ever. We have developed a large collection of pieces by Chesnokov, with a future recording in mind (an East-coast producer/distributor has expressed interest). Plus a return to some old favorites like “Akh Ty Sertse”, “Vecherni Zvon” and “Vecher Na Reide”. The Chorus has acquired some new members, including two Russian-speakers. The fire is still there, and the heart of this soul-stirring music still touches the hearts of our singers, as I know it does yours. Thanks again for your continuing support. We hope to see you at one or more of our concerts soon.

Concert Schedule

Donor Department

Special Thanks
by Founder & Conductor Emeritus Paul Andrews

And then what happened? A whole lot of people who care about the Chorus – current members, Slav alumni and friends of the Chorus – came out of the woodwork determined to set Slavyanka on a course to not only survive, but thrive.

The Board of Directors and a Strategic Planning Committee have met frequently since November to turn things around. They started by rewriting the budget to bring expenses into line with historic revenues, and by planning and carrying out a special short term fund drive, which quickly netted over $12,000 to put Slavyanka back on the road to fiscal good health. What a wonderful tribute those contributions in time and money are to what this chorus has meant to so many singers and audience members alike.

So…getting through the immediate crisis is great. But that’s only half of what’s been put into motion. What’s also emerging out of this process is a new organizational foundation – a way of identifying, organizing and sharing the ongoing “non-musical” work of the Chorus, so that it gets done well without overburdening particular individuals, particularly the Music Director, President, and active singers. Slavyanka has been blessed throughout its history with people who have stepped up to do this vital work; and this winter has seen a broader infusion of new volunteer commitment by members of the Board and Strategic Planning Committee, both current singers and alumni. If that level of commitment can spread to include more people, this year and succeeding years will benefit enormously. More about this in the article about volunteer opportunities.

So…THANK YOU! Thank you, donors, for helping to turn Slavyanka’s fortunes around so decisively! Thank you, committee members, for caring enough to come up with a plan to get us on a sustainable path again. And thank you, board members, for your determination to see this chorus continue to grow and thrive, so that others can have the same wonderful opportunity to sing and be moved by this music that we have had.

Finally, we hope you can come help us celebrate and say thank you at our special Slavyanka 27th Anniversary concert and party on June 9th! (See schedule above)

Gregory A. Smirnov
Our Maestro

by Jeff Jones

Since July 1997, Gregory Smirnov has been the Music Director for Slavyanka Men's Russian Chorus. He was born and raised in Pskov, Russia, where he earned his music degrees, directed and conducted the Pskov County Annual Choir Festival from 1984-1992 and founded and conducted the Pskov Chamber Choir, which performed throughout Russia. The Chamber won second prize at the Festival of Russian Choirs in Petrozavodsk in 1992.

He emigrated to the U.S. in 1992, continuing his musical career as a piano and voice instructor and choir director/conductor at Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in Menlo Park. His expertise and experience with Russian liturgical and folk traditions and his love for them is reflected in our repertoire.

As the group's music director, he serves multiple functions. As the conductor, he is demanding in his effort to improve the quality of Slavyanka's performances. His rehearsals reflect a relentless attention to the details that ultimately result in performances that are masterful. Yet he is also an instructor of both voice and music, who is able to teach musical fundamentals, while also being able to meld disparate voices and talents into a sound that is powerful and evocative. And finally, he serves as a cultural ambassador to American audiences, allowing them to experience the depth and beauty of Russian choral music. In that regard, he represents Slavyanka's noblest aspiration.

Despite his ample talent and extensive musical knowledge, Maestro Smirnov remains ever humble, even in the face of Slavyanka's many musical triumphs. In many ways, he epitomizes the Russian people. He is soulful, playful, and sometimes tempestuous. But above all, he is artistically excellent. His addition to Slavyanka has enhanced the group in countless ways.

Many Ways to Help

Since December, many individual active singers, alumni, and friends of Slavyanka have stepped up to volunteer their time, talents, and money to help our Chorus not only continue its existence, but use this opportunity to re-invigorate a wider range of Chorus activities in order to build a solid foundation for its future.

Slavyanka's Board and Planning Committee have identified a number of ongoing jobs and specific tasks, and we hope we can get additional volunteers from inside and outside the current group of singers to help carry those out. Below is a list of jobs and tasks that have been identified to date. Suggestions for others are welcome as well. Tasks range from a one-time commitment of just a few hours, to ongoing commitments of up to several hours per week, with many that fall somewhere in between. Please send an email to Slavyanka President or call him to let us know how YOU can help.

Publicity and Public Relations: Assist Ann Wilkes with developing databases and media contacts, duplicating and delivering/distributing fliers/posters, creating other PR materials and helping with and proofing semi-annual newsletter.

Web Site/SlavyankaLive Pages: Help manage and edit individual private and public pages on our web sites (Slavyanka History, music library, etc.)

Concert Programs: Assist editor, Jay Kuhlman, with content and production.

Individual Fund-raising: Assist with periodic appeals to Slavyanka singers, alumni and friends (e.g., write solicitation letters, stuff envelopes, make follow-up calls, etc.).

Institutional Fund-raising: Identify and approach potential institutional sponsors for Slavyanka (e.g., help find corporations that do business with Russia and Eastern Europe who might want to help sponsor Slavyanka).

Grant-writing: Locate potential institutional donors and write grant proposals.

Legal Assistance: Assist with legal issues that may arise (e.g., amending Bylaws, revising employment contract, negotiating copyright issues).

Tickets and Goods Sales: Set up, man and take down table at concerts. Help manage inventory as needed.

Recruitment: Help devise and implement strategies to locate and recruit potential singers.

Contact Us

, President
415-883-4433

, Program Editor & Communications
415-897-6578

, Newsletter Editor & Publicist
707-792-1704

Publicity Has a New Face

I'm excited about bringing Slavyanka to the forefront. It is my wish that everyone in the Bay Area and multitudes beyond our neighborhood know us. Russia has such a rich tradition of music and culture that cannot be denied and must not be buried. If you haven't gone to a concert yet, you're cheating yourself. If you haven't brought a friend, then please do so.

I'm not bashful and I'll take all the help I can get. If anyone knows of a great place to publicize the chorus or a specific concert, please, let me know. Or if you would like to help with publicity in any way, it would be most appreciated. Contact me at publicity@slavyanka.org or call me at 707-792-1704.

One small thing that everyone with email can do right now is provide us with your email address so that we can reduce postage costs. Sign in to slavyankalive.net to give us your email.

Featured Singer

Son of a mining engineer, Andy grew up in mining camps in Chile, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming, where he sang with church choirs and school groups. As a chemical engineering student at UC Berkeley during the early 1960's, he sang with UC Choruses, but music temporarily took a back seat to raising children, divorce, and then going back to school to become a lawyer with his new wife Norlen.

In 1981, they went camping at Salt Point State Park with two other families because one of them, John McCarthy, was singing at Fort Ross with Slavyanka that weekend. Andy attended the concert and discovered a mutual friend, David Chaika, with whom he had worked at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, also sang with the Chorus.

Andy says that hearing Slavyanka at Fort Ross and then a few months later back in Berkeley brought back fond memories of listening to his parents' old 78 Don Cossack records growing up, and he joined Slavyanka in early 1982. He rode with Slavyanka singers John McCarthy, Peter Gleick and Deane Merrill in the infamous Berkeley carpool, which met with others before rehearsals to plan concerts, recordings, trips, and other chorus business. Andy recalls how the business committee met over dinner at the Sacred Grounds Cafe on Cole Street, and later at the Twilight Café, before climbing up three floors to rehearse in the St. Ignatius choir room -- which the Chorus used rent-free in exchange for singing at an occasional service and remodeling their choir room.

Andy and Norlen's daughter, Signe, joined us at many Slavyanka concerts and parties -- and later became a soprano soloist herself. Andy became not only a strong anchor in the bass section (where he still sings some of the lowest notes) but played a key role in building Slavyanka as an institution by incorporating the chorus as a non-profit group in 1984, organizing Slavyanka's first major tour to the Soviet Union in 1986 and again in 1989, serving as Treasurer for a number of years, and finally leading Slavyanka as President from 1996 to 2006.

In early 2003, Andy lost his wife, Norlen, to cancer. Slavyanka sang at her memorial. Later that year, Donna Stoering, an accomplished concert pianist, vocalist, and choir director attended a Slavyanka concert and loved the music. She thought it would be good for Slavyanka to become one the of the groups to be featured in her global music project, Listen for Life (www.listenforlife.org), which is a global venture that promotes underserved genres of music from all over the world. She sought out a Slavyanka member to discuss her idea, and the short version of the story is that Slavyanka sang at Donna and Andy's wedding in 2004. Further, Andy is now making the transition from tax attorney to executive director of Listen for Life. In return, Donna (and Signe from time to time) sings solos at Slavyanka concerts.

Andy has been an active singer in the Christmas Revels (from September to December), has sung with the UC Alumni Chorus for several years, and in various other choruses in the Bay Area. On Sundays, he sings with Donna's choir at St. Paschal Baylon Church in Oakland.

Andy and Donna have volunteered to organize special events and tours for Slavyanka, both in the United States and abroad, and they look forward to Mnogaya Lyeta ("many years") with Slavyanka.

Slavyankalive.net
Slavyanka Chorus reaches out through the web to support its mission.

If you're not already reading this on our new web site, we welcome you to slavyankalive.net, the home of Slavyankees worldwide who have an interest in Russian and Eastern European choral music. Jay Kuhlman has established this site for more efficient communication. There are also private areas for administration which will serve a our virtual office. It's still in its infancy but Jay and Ann (Wilkes) have some exciting additions on their way.

Interested persons and Slavyankees can join, participate and communicate among our community of singers and Friends of Slavyanka who graciously support the chorus with financial and hands-on support. Please visit slavyankalive.net at your convenience and let us hear your comments, inquiries and suggestions. Just click on the Contact Us button and type in your info.

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