SWC & SMC Set Dennis Coleman's Farewell Season

This October, Seattle Women's Chorus (SWC) will kick off a milestone season with Hallows in the Cathedral: Spirits Rising, the first of five concerts in Dennis Coleman's final season as artistic director for Seattle Men's Chorus (SMC) and Seattle Women's Chorus.

Each concert in the 2015-2016 season has special meaning to Dennis and the selected songs spotlight the artistry and societal impact of these two world-renowned ensembles. Throughout the season the Choruses will celebrate and honor Dennis' role as an artistic visionary, friend, and proponent for social change in the LGBTQ community and beyond.

June 24 and 25, 2016 brings Encore! to the McCaw Hall stage. This also marks Dennis' farewell production after 35 years as artistic director, the longest tenure of any artistic director in the Pacific Northwest. For that one weekend over 500 performers from both Choruses, the largest chorus ever to perform on McCaw Hall's stage, will join together in song and take a look at their collective past, present, and future. Members and supporters from the past 35 years are expected to travel from far and wide to send Dennis off with a rousing ovation in what will be a landmark choral event.

Details on all concerts in the 2015-2016 season are listed below.

Dennis Coleman has led SMC and SWC to a position of artistic and administrative excellence with a combined singing membership that exceeds that of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Dennis is active as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the U.S. and Canada. He served for six years on the national Board of Directors for Chorus America and was on the founding Board of Directors for GALA Choruses. As a UCC church musician, Dennis has conducted the choir of First Congregational Church of Bellevue since 1981. DennisColeman has commissioned and premiered choral works from many leading composers including Gian Carlo Menotti, Ned Rorem, Robert Moran, Conrad Susa, David Diamond, Robert Seeley, British composer Paul Patterson, and Canadian Stephen Hatfield. Of Rage and Remembrance, a 15-minute work for male chorus, mezzo soprano, speakers and orchestra by composer John Corigliano, was premiered by SMC in Seattle in 1991. A recording of this work and the companion Symphony 1, also called Of Rage and Remembrance, by the National Symphony under Leonard Slatkin was awarded the 1998 Grammy for Best Classical Album.

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SEATTLE WOMEN'S CHORUS

Hallows in the Cathedral: Spirits Rising

As the late autumn sun slips below the horizon, Saint Mark's Cathedral will resonate once again with ethereal harmonies enchantingly sung by Seattle Women's Chorus. From the Romantic to the contemporary, the spooky to the soothing, this diverse concert features an entertaining collection of classical and pop songs and tales that will stir your soul and raise your spirits. Bring your Boo! There will be choral tricks and melodious treats for everyone!

Dates: 10/23/15 - 10/31/15

10/23, 10/24, 10/30, 10/31 - 8:00pm;

10/31/15 - 2:00pm *family performance. $15 tickets for kids under age 12

Seattle, Saint Mark's Cathedral

SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS

Home for the Holidays

Come home for the holidays to Seattle's most welcoming celebration of the season. For his final Yuletide concert, Dennis Coleman unwraps audience favorites -both naughty and nice. The proud voices of Seattle Men's Chorus create an evening of harmony and heartfelt holiday magic. With a festive sprinkling of fairy dust, musical gifts abound. Expect beloved carols, soaring holiday classics, an inspiring tribute to mothers and their sons, and loads of charming, cheeky antics.

Dates: 11/28/15 - 12/21/15

11/28*, 12/4: 8:00pm; 11/29 2:00pm*; 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/21: 7:30pm

Seattle, Benaroya Hall

*family performance. Select seats only $15 for kids under age 12

SEATTLE WOMEN'S CHORUS

CAMP

Experience a hilarious romp through the trials and trails from your favorite outdoor adventures. Summer camp memories: bonfires, new friendships, the first taste of freedom ... and the mosquitos, fighting, and awkward bathroom showers. Relive it all - from a safe distance - with the songs and stories of more innocent days. Whether it was scoring the winning point or the heartbreak of you and your bunk-mate crush, CAMP tells the tall tales of growing up, getting lost, and finding ourselves.

Dates: 2/26/16 - 2/28/16

2/26 & 2/27/16 - 8:00 pm; 2/27 & 2/28/15 - 2:00 pm

Seattle, Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center

SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS

Everything Broadway

A stage full of 250 fabulous men, gaily singing showtunes? It's the concert they were born to sing! Let SMC be your colorful guide down the Great White Way for a show-stopping concert packed with songs from Broadway's biggest hits and hidden gems. From classics of the Golden Age to today's Tony award-winners, experience the dazzle, flair, and savoir faire that comes naturally to the boys of the Chorus. Celebrate Broadway with SMC's definitive guide to showtunes.

Dates: 4/2/16 & 4/3/16

4/2/16, 8:00pm; 4/3/16, 2:00pm

Seattle, McCaw Hall

SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS & SEATTLE WOMEN'S CHORUS

Encore! Celebrating 35 Years with Dennis Coleman

Celebrate the end of an era - the final concert under the baton of the incomparable Dennis Coleman. Together over 500 chorus members honor their shared past, present, and future with a legend. They take a look back with a poignant sampler of Dennis' favorite songs from the past 35 years. They sing of today with exciting new music written in Dennis's honor. And they look ahead with a fond choral farewell to a dear friend while also opening the door to an exciting new future.

Dates: 6/24/16 & 6/25/16; 8:00pm

Seattle, McCaw Hall

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Subscription Packages: On Sale Now: $49 - $300.40 | Individual Tickets: Tickets on sale to the General Public in the Fall of 2015: $25 - $75. Box Office: 206.388.1400 Mon-Fri, Noon-5:00PM.

About the Seattle Men's Chorus/Seattle Women's Chorus - The internationally renowned Seattle Men's Chorus (founded 1979) and Seattle Women's Chorus (founded 2002) comprise the largest community chorus organization in North America. Both choruses stand out as the largest LGBT-identified men's and women's choruses in the world. Flying House Productions, the home of SWC and SMC, is among the Pacific Northwest's largest, most vibrant and successful music organizations, with an annual audience of more than 30,000 patrons in Seattle's most prestigious venues.

Each Chorus currently has a small ensemble of 9 to 11 members each (Captain Smartypants and Sensible Shoes), which furthers the FHP mission by performing throughout the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the 600+ singing members, Flying House Productions has a base of over 50 volunteers and associate members who support both Choruses. A leading voice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, FHP offers 30 outreach events and 20 main stage concert performances annually. Concerts, often including nationally-known guest artists along with our region's professional talents, receive critical acclaim for their combination of high musical quality, wit, and celebration of people of all sexual orientations and identities. FHP cannot be considered simply a local arts organization; thousands more experience each Chorus at other performances throughout Washington and the world each year.

Our Mission is to entertain, enlighten, unify and heal our audience and members, using the power of words and music to recognize the value of gay and straight people and their relationships.

Our Vision: A world that accepts and values its gay and lesbian citizens.

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