Dear Friends,

As many of you know, The Michael O'Neal Singers, unlike most community choruses, is a year-round operation. While the regular MOS chorus takes a break during June, July, and August, the MOS organization is busy with The Michael O'Neal Summer Singers , now in its fourteenth year of existence. While this chorus includes a number of regular season MOS members, the vast majority of our Summer Singers are persons who do not regularly sing in a chorus or who may participate in another community chorus or church choir during the regular season. The result is an extremely diverse mix of people, including ages spanning eight decades and musical backgrounds ranging from little or no musical study to advanced degrees in music. The one common characteristic all these people share is the desire to come together to sing beautiful music. I told the 165 singers at our first rehearsal this summer that it was my goal for us to accomplish several important things at each rehearsal. I call them the 5 Ls and, as you know if you've worked with me or read past letters from me, I always strive for us to do these each Monday night. They are listen , labor (work), learn, laugh and love.

This summer we have been doing the 5 Ls through the music of Dan Forrest, one of America's finest young choral composers. Our performance on Sunday, August 5 at Roswell UMC is entitled The Music of Dan Forrest and features Requiem for the Living , one of Forrest's major works for chorus, soloists and instrumental chamber ensemble. Requiem for the Living follows the model set by Johannes Brahms in his A Ger man Requiem , which was to offer comfort for the bereaved, rather than serve as a prayer for the dead. Dan Forrest takes this concept even further, intending for his work to provide solace and support for the loss of a loved one, but also to ease the grief that is experienced in myriad other ways, such as the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the news of a terminal illness.

In addition to Requiem for the Living the concert will include three shorter Forrest compositions: You Are the Music ; Long, Long Ago ; and Good Night, Dear Heart . The Michael O'Neal Summer Singers have been rehearsing diligently and are ready to provide a memorable afternoon of exquisitely beautiful music on Sunday, August 5 at 3 PM. I hope you will come and join us in the experience.

Sincerely,

Michael