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Our Mission
Rainbow Women’s Chorus works together to develop musical excellence in an atmosphere of mutual support and respect. We perform publicly for the entertainment, education and cultural enrichment of our audiences and community. We sing to enhance the esteem of all women, to celebrate diversity, to promote peace and freedom, and to touch people’s hearts and lives.
Our Story
In 1996 Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus (SVGMC) returned from the GALA (Gay And Lesbian Association) choral festival in Tampa so inspired that they wanted to host a GALA Festival here in San Jose. However, GALA required that both men and women needed choral representation, so Len Chandler, singer with SVGMC, asked their former music director, Lynne McLaughlin, if she would be interested in starting a “Sister Choir.” In agreeing to do so, Lynne became the music director of what the original singing members voted to name Rainbow Women’s Chorus. Our logo was designed by Lynne’s son, Tom McDonald.
Rainbow Women’s Chorus is a nonprofit corporation governed by the Action Circle, a group which is dedicated to realizing the organization’s mission. RWC is available to perform at church services, diversity celebrations, awards ceremonies, community meetings and private events. Visit our website at www.rainbowwomen.org.
Rainbow Women’s Chorus is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA). In 2000, RWC co-hosted, along with Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, the GALA Festival in San Jose —10 days and over 5000 singers! Since then, RWC has participated in GALA Festivals in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016: Montreal, Miami and twice in Denver. We look forward to attending GALA Festival in Minneapolis in 2024 (Covid cancelled Festival 2020). In 2006, members of RWC sang with a dozen other choruses at Carnegie Hall in a concert benefiting breast cancer and HIV research, and in 2010 we attended the Sister Singers Festival in Chicago. But we like it best when we are here at home, singing for you!
The members of Rainbow Women’s Chorus encourage you to join us and share in our joy of singing and entertaining. We welcome singers and volunteers. For more information visit our website, www.rainbowwomen.org, or call (408) 603-9367.
the Chorus!
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Rainbow Women’s Chorus Staff
Ruth Huber, Co-Artistic Director, Composer-in-Residence
Ruth Huber was instrumental in founding both RWC and Tapestry Singers (the Austin Women’s Chorus). She holds three music degrees, including a Master of Music in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory, and has studied conducting at San Jose State University. An award-winning composer, she enjoys writing for RWC, and her latest commissioned work, “In the Forest,” will be premiered by Orange County Women’s Chorus on June 4th. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, serves as Music Director for Campbell United Congregational Church, and resides in San Jose with her wife, Brenda Meng, and an assortment of adorable, high-maintenance cats.
Betsy Wagner, Co-Artistic Director, Choralographer
Betsy Wagner has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a dual major in voice and piano. In 2017, she retired after 35 years of teaching music to K - 12 students, with the past 27 years leading the awardwinning choir program at Morrill Middle School. Betsy has been singing with Rainbow Women’s Chorus since 1997 and has been co-director since 2000. She creates the choralography for RWC performances. According to her mom, her natural musical ability showed up at the early age of two, when she played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” by ear on her toy piano. In her spare time she has discovered a love for the card game of bridge, and spends several days a week playing.
Doug Forsyth, Accompanist
Doug Forsyth joined RWC as accompanist in 1998, left the Chorus in 2009 to pursue other opportunities and is now back with us again. He graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, concentrating on piano performance. He has performed as a singer and an instrumentalist with the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, and accompanies numerous other performers, theatrical productions and choruses. With his characteristic good humor, Doug says, “Rainbow Women’s Chorus has offered me many musical challenges with these concerts.” He is appreciated by both singers and directors for his unfailing musicianship and his ability to read our minds.
h Singers g
Artistic Directors
Ruth Huber
Betsy Wagner
Accompanist
Doug Forsyth
Sopranos
Amanda McClure
Beatrice Fanning
Clio Mykland
Deirdre McNamara
Eleanor Grant-Strong
Jan Blossom
Jessica Ganz
Karen Parker
Lizzie Anastasiu
Maria Rojas
Marjorie Pearson
Roxie Arnold
Sheila Kamp
Staci Dayley
Taetem Sims
Zandria Ebert
Altos
Alyssa Anne Weatherston
Alyssa Kate Haroldsen
Angie Hexum
Aurora Olivares
Deva Luna
Eileen Hamper
Jalayne Forrester
Kathy Wasowski
Kelly Lam
Kim Wallace
Laurie Pepin
Laurie Willis
Lily Kuo
Liz Vogel
Meg Sanders
Nancy Arvold
Soprano/Alto
Lindarae Polaha
Marion Steeg
Patty McIntyre
Sally Cooperrider
Production Volunteers
Stage Manager: Brian Singer
Slides: Clio Mykland
Graphic Design: Maria Rojas
Concert Program: Eileen Hamper
Concert Production:
Laurie Pepin and Maria Rojas
Wardrobe: Jan Blossom
Volunteer Coordinator:
Larry Edson/Mary Edson
Piano tuning: Brenda Meng
Ushers/Lobby Volunteers: Bettie Owen, Eileen Soeder, Erika Grant, Françoise Vincent, Kim Daniel, Marnie Singer, Suz Floethe, Tanya Kamp -- and friends, family and our singers.
Production:
Sound: Charles Ryan
Live Streaming: Luis Pedro Castillo Pictures
Rainbow Women’s Chorus is supported in part by grants from Horizons Foundation, and Silicon Valley Creates in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
Action Circle.....
President: Kathleen Stensrud
Vice President: Eleanor Strong
Treasurer: Kim Wallace
Secretary: Liz Vogel
Members at Large:
Kathy Wasowski
Eileen Hamper
Laurie Pepin
Maria Rojas
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h
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First Half —
Sail Away, Ladies!
Traditional song. Arranged by Judith Herrington, J. Herrington, © 2009 by Pavane Publishing. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Suo Gân
Welsh lullaby, arranged by Jude Roldan, © 2015 by Hal Leonard Corporation International. Copyright secured. All rights reserved.
Soloists: Clio Mykland and Roxie Arnold
El Coqui
Hispanic folksong. Arranged by Judith Herrington and Sara Glick. © 1995 by Pavane Publishing. All rights reserved
Farewell to Tarwathie
Traditional Scottish song, arranged by Mark Sirett. © 2014, Cypress Choral Music Publishing. All rights reserved. Soloist: Eleanor Strong
Shosholoza
Traditional South African work song, arranged by Albert Pinsonneault, www.earthsongschoralmusic.com. All rights reserved.
J'entends Le Moulin
French-Canadian Folk song, arranged by Emily Crocker. Published by Hal Leonard. All rights reserved.
Song of the Refugees
Words and music by Ruth Huber. © 2015 Nobody’s Fool Publishing, BMI
All Rights Reserved.
Sisi Ni Moja
Words and music by Jacob Narverud, © Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Plena
Second Half —
Words and music by Diane V. Saez, Roger Dean Publishing. All rights reserved.
Prayer of the Children
Words and music by Kurt Bestor, arranged by Andrea S. Klouse. All rights reserved.
Loch Lomond
Traditional, arranged by Jonathan Quick, voiced for treble voices by Larry Nickel.
© 2000 by Cypress Choral Music. All rights reserved.
Soloists: Karen Parker and Alyssa Anne Weatherston
Ikan Kekek
Traditional Maylay song. Arranged by Yu Hang Tan for USC Thornton Oriana Choir.
© 2022 by Walton Music Corporation. All rights reserved.
Soloists: Taetem Simms and Jan Blossom
The Moon Represents My Heart
Words by Sun Yi and music by Weng Ching-Hsi, classical version arranged by Luo Maishuo, made famous by Teresa Teng’s version 1977. © by Li Ge Record Company. All rights reserved.
Dynamite
Words and music by Jessica Agombar and David Stewart, arranged by Audrey Snyder.
© 2021 by Stellar Songs Limited. All rights reserved.
Soloists: Clio Mykland and Kelly Lam or Jessica Ganz
Arirang
Traditional Korean song, arranged by Hyo-Won Woo. © 2018 by Walton Music Corporation. All rights reserved.
h Musicians g
Piano:
Percussion:
Doug Forsyth
Kim Wallace and Sequoya Reader
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Program Notes
Sail Away Ladies
It is one of the quintessential American fiddle tunes. Like many, it clearly has its origins in Irish or Scottish folk music and was probably brought across by immigrants in the early 19th century. It is most associated with the Appalachian mountains and the string band traditions. Betsy
Suo Gan
Wales is fondly known as “The Land of Song” and just like Ireland has St. Patrick, so Wales has St. David, whose patron saint day is celebrated on March 1st every year. In school, this day is celebrated with an Eisteddfod (Eye-steth-vod) - a festival and competition of cultural arts, music, dancing, poetry and prose. It would be near impossible to have an Eisteddfod without hearing Suo Gân, (See-oh Can), the beautiful Welsh Lullaby, in some musical form whether it be a solo, a duet, a choral or ensemble piece or in any orchestral or instrumental version. The song is over 200 years old and just like it transcends the yearning of a mother’s love for her baby, hearing Suo Gân, will bring back “Hireath”, (heareyeth), to any Welsh person who hears it. Hireath has no real translation but simply means a nostalgia or longing for the Welsh homeland. Sheila
El Coqui is about the tree frog, called a coqui, that lives on the island of Puerto Rico. The coqui frog comes out at night and sings a song that sounds like, “coqui, coqui.” The lyrics mean, “El Coqui sings
a sweet song at sunset. He is singing as sleep comes to me. When I wake all alone in the moonlight, El Coqui sings goodnight from the tree.” Betsy
Farewell to Tarwathie is a traditional early 1850s Scottish folksong written by George Scroggie, a miller from Federate, near Aberdeen, Scotland. The. Tarwathie is also in Aberdeenshire, northwest of the whaling port of Peterhead. Whaling in the 1800s was a challenging trade which required a tough breed of fishermen. Yet a song like Farewell to Tarwathie reminds us that even the toughest of people might be touched by gentleness especially when separated from loved ones.
Betsy
Shosholoza is a Nguni call-and-response song originally sung by mine workers to express the challenges of working in the mines in South Africa. The word shosholoza means go forward. It is used as a term of encouragement and hope for the workers as a sign of solidarity. The sound “sho sho” is an imitation of the sound made by the steam train. “Stimela” is a Nguni word for steam train. In contemporary times, it is sung to show support for any struggle. The meaning of the words are “Go forward from those mountains on this train from South Africa.”
Betsy
J’entends Le Moulin is a French Canadian folksong from Quebec. In Canada, English and French are both official languages. Quebec is primarily French speaking. Windmills have been used for centuries
to grind corn and wheat. Windmills are also used to produce electric power by pumping water. In this song the words, “tique, tique, taque” imitate the sound of the windmill when the wind blows. The meaning of the lyrics are, “I hear the windmill, tique, tique, taque. My father had a fine house built.”
Betsy
Song of the Refugees
In September, 2015, the world was shocked by the image of a small boy’s lifeless body washed up on a beach in Turkey. As thousands of desperate refugees, fleeing war and devastation, poured into Europe from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, the global community was challenged to respond, sometimes with open arms, sometimes with vitriol and rejection. Now, more than ever, the Buddhist adage seems relevant: “hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.”
Ruth Huber, December, 2015
Sisi ni Moja
Ever clever, composer Jacob Narverud came up with a highly rhythmic celebratory composition. The title translates “We are one,” the theme being that all human beings have much in common. The energetic djembe sets the tone, the piano adds its own rhythmic design, and the singers deliver the message, at times sounding as though there should be a campfire at the center of their circle. Great fun, a profound message, and an intriguing piece, this is a winner! Betsy
Plena
The plena is an early 20th century Afro-Puerto Rican rhythm from the southern
part of the island. The Plena was a “sung newspaper,” communicating significant community events. It became popular among sugarcane workers at plantations in the coastal regions. Our “Plena” is a fun song celebrating contagious rhythm and dance. The words mean “Plena, let’s dance. Plena, Puerto Rican, with lots of flavor. It’s played with hand drum, guiro, and drum. Let’s dance the plena, with lots of flavor.” Betsy
Prayer of the Children
This touching, heartbreaking song was written by composer Kurt Bestor, who had been a missionary in Serbia in the 1970s. He describes it as having been “channeled”— both the melody and lyrics — as he thought about how the children on all sides of the conflict suffered as a result of the Bosnian war. The words near the end of the song are in Croatian. Arranged by Andrea Klouse especially for children’s choirs, it is even more relevant today because of the hundreds of thousands of refugee children throughout the world. We dedicate the song to them. Nancy Loch Lomond is a traditional Scottish folksong first published in 1841. It is thought that the subject of the song was a captured Scottish rebel Highlander who knows that it is unlikely that he will again spend any time with his true love by the shores of Loch Lomond, the setting for this song. Loch Lomond is the largest Scottish freshwater lake, which is overlooked by the mountain, Ben Lomond. Listen for the sound of bagpipes!
Betsy
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Ikan Kekek is a Malay folksong about pony fish. The message of the song is to remind us to keep searching for beauty and magic in everyday life. The meaning of the lyrics are, “The pony fish, the croaker fish, wait a second, my dear younger ones. Let’s go home together. There is a herring, its body long and striped, with more bones than flesh. It will taste good if cooked in a sour, spicy broth.” “Mak iloi, iloi” and “mak ilai-ilai” are nonsense syllables. Betsy
The Moon Represents My Heart
Songwriter Weng Ching-Hsi wrote the melody of “The Moon Represents My Heart” while he was studying at Berklee College of Music in Arizona in 1973. After returning to Taiwan, he picked the songs that he thought were good and gave them to his friend Sun Yi to write the lyrics while the bad songs (such as this one) were to be thrown into the trash can. Sun, however, discovered this song among Weng’s discarded works and within one hour, completed the lyrics. It wasn’t made famous though until 1977 by the Taiwanese singer, Teresa Teng. At that time, such romantic songs had been nonexistent in mainland China as they were considered bourgeois and decadent.
“The Moon Represents My Heart”
is considered to be one of the most famous and beloved Mandarin classic pop songs, and Chinese people everywhere are familiar with it. This song is particularly special to me because my husband (who isn’t Chinese and doesn’t speak Mandarin) and I sang it together at our wedding many, many moons ago. Lily
Dynamite is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BTS in 2020. It is an upbeat disco-pop song with 1970’s elements of funk, soul, and bubblegum pop. It was written with the intent to soothe listeners during the Covid-19 pandemic, talking about joy and appreciation for the little things that make life valuable. Betsy
Arirang is a well-known Korean folksong. The exact origin of the song is unknown but “Arirang” is said to be the name of a mountain pass in Korea. It is believed that the song originated over 600 years ago in Jeongseon, where boatmen, crossing the river while fighting against tough currents sang Jeongseon Arirang. The song was inspired by the story of a woman’s unrequited love. There are many interpretations, translations, and versions of this song, but the basic meaning of this song is about the love between two people and how they are longing for each other. The song is about deep sorrow and longing for someone or something, which doesn’t have to be related to love between two people. Betsy
Thank You to Flo Galvez and Ken True, on the staff at UCC Campbell, for their assistance in providing the space and equipment to rehearse and bring you this concert.
