35th Sequim Community Christmas Chorus
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6; 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8
Where: Sequim Seventh-day Adventist Church, 30 Sanford Lane, Sequim
Tickets: $5 suggested donation, available at Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, Bauer Interior Design and at door; free to children 12 and younger
Note: Portion of proceeds support Sequim Community Orchestra’s String Kids Program
Songs of the holiday season come to Sequim this weekend care of more than five dozen festive singers.
The Sequim Community Christmas Chorus returns for its 35th program at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8, at the Sequim Seventh-day Adventist Church, 30 Sanford Lane.
Tickets are $5 in advance at the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce and Bauer Interior Design, or at the show’s door; children 12 and younger are free.
Award-winning singer/conductor Louise Pluymen leads the group for the second year, and she welcomes her husband Rob Pluymen, a retired professional singer.
Louise lives in Sequim full-time while Rob visits in three-month intervals or stays home in Heerlen, Netherlands.
Rob made a career singing, mostly in Germany, and Louise was a professional soloist for years, too, until surgery led her to pursue conducting in the Netherlands. The couple has performed across the U.S., and Rob wanted to participate this year in the Sequim chorus.
“I love singing,” he said.
Rob will sing solos of “Ave Maria” and “Panis Angelicus” at Friday and Saturday’s shows before flying to the Netherlands that Sunday.
Kyra Humphrey, an old college friend of Louise’s who happens to live in Sequim too, will sing “Panis Angelicus” on Sunday, and Patty Shoop will sing “Ave Maria.”
The Pluymens have been married for 41 years, and Rob said his favorite part of rehearsals has been working with his wife again.
“In the early days, we performed a lot together,” he said. “It’s always fun. It’s how we got to know each other in Salisbury (Germany).”
Community members from a variety of backgrounds come together for the non-denominational chorus, ranging from newcomers to professionals to seasoned members who come year after year.
Some of the many Christmas songs featured include favorites “Hallelujah Chorus,” and “Peace, Peace.” Pianist Kayla Layer returns to accompany the chorus while oboist John Zuerner plays on several songs.
The chorus continues its tradition of making a donation of its proceeds to the Sequim Community Orchestra’s Kids’ Strings Program. Last year, the chorus provided $1,200 to help introduce elementary-aged children to string instruments.
For more information about Sequim Community Christmas Chorus, email gail@gailsumpter.com or visit www.facebook.com/SequimCommunityChristmasChorus.
Some of this year’s songs include “Peace, Peace” and “Hallelujah Chorus” at the Sequim Community Christmas Chorus Dec. 6-8. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Above, Director Louise Pluymen returns to lead the Sequim Community Christmas Chorus Dec. 6-8 in the Sequim Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her husband Rob is one of 70 singers to participate in the non-denominational group. Right, Rob Pluymen, a retired professional singer in Europe, sings two solos of “Ave Maria” and “Panis Angelicus.”
