Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (chaw) Presents 35th Anniversary Musical Celebration October 28, 2007

As part of its 35th Anniversary celebration, CHAW will present “Where Every Voice Is Heard,” at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SE, Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 6:00 PM. The program features a performance of Where Every Voice Is Heard, under the direction of Dr. Jeffery Watson, the composer. Dr. Watson’s four-part suite, which premiered during CHAW’s 30th Anniversary Year, combines adult and children voices in a powerful and charming affirmation of building community through the arts. Chorus members hail from the Capitol Hill and the greater DC community. Capitol Hill Youth Chorus, part of the CHAW Youth Arts Program, will offer the voices of the children.

This family-friendly, community performance will include additional sets by the Capitol Hill Youth Chorus – under the direction of Dr. Thea Kano, Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C. – under the direction of C.Paul Heins, a cappella group Not What You Think, and others from the CHAW community. A free-will donation is requested. The church is accessible.

“We are thrilled to have this chance to present Jeffery Watson’s moving and beautiful piece as part of our joyful 35th Anniversary,” said CHAW’s Executive Director Jill Strachan. “It is wonderful to put music to the words that give us inspiration every day in our work.”

“Where Every Voice Is Heard” is part of a musical celebration of CHAW’s 35th Anniversary Year. On Saturday, October 27th, CHAW’s Board will debut the first in a series of lectures on the arts, Music and the Historical Imagination, presented by composer Robert Convery, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM at CHAW, 545 7th Street SE. Admission is $10 and reservations can be made by calling 202-547-6839. Space is limited for the lecture. CHAW will wrap up the celebration of its 35th Anniversary Year with the 2007 Arts Ball, Friday, November 2, 2007, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 3rd and A Streets SE.

Dr. Watson is an accomplished pianist who has appeared as soloist with the Honduran National Symphony, the Pan American Symphony, the Rosario (Argentina) Chamber Orchestra, and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra with the Kirov Ballet. Dr. Watson was Associate Professor of piano at DePauw University, a teaching fellow at the University of Maryland and on the faculty of the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. He was pianist with the internationally acclaimed tango quintet, QuinTango, including performances with the Wichita Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de las Artes (Mexico), as well as at Lincoln Center, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Buenos Aires and at the International Tango Festival in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Dr. Watson was associate
conductor for the Kennedy Center’s award-winning production of Sunday in the Park with George as part of the Center's 2002 Sondheim Festival. Currently a faculty member of the Washington Conservatory of Music, he also is a music director and coach for the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland where he has directed productions of Fatal Song, Tale of Two Cities and Noel & Cole. He holds degrees in piano performance from DePauw University, the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland. Dr. Watson also served as CHAW’s Executive Director.

For more information about CHAW’s programs and its 35th Anniversary, please visit: www.chaw.org. The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts educational facility whose mission is building community through the arts. CHAW offers a tuition assistance program. CHAW was recognized as a featured charity in the 2006-2007 Catalogue for Philanthropy. For more information, visit: www.chaw.org.

Official Website: http://www.chaw.org