Photograph by George Sakkestad
Los Gatan Lynn Shurtleff, conductor of the Santa Clara Chorale, demands high standards from members during rehearsal.
By Sue Fagalde Lick
'The problem we're having with this piece is that it was written for angels," Lynn Shurtleff tells the Santa Clara Chorale after an hour of struggling with the long runs in the "Gloria" of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. The singers chuckle as the tension melts away. But by the end of rehearsal, even an angel would have to nod and say, "Not bad."
The burly conductor from Los Gatos knows the group has only six weeks to rehearse one of the most difficult works it has ever attempted. The chorale will join the San Jose Symphonic Choir and the Santa Clara University Orchestra to perform the Missa on June 7 at the Santa Clara Mission. Saratogan Henry Mollicone directs the orchestra.
Although the 130 singers received practice tapes months ago, Shurtleff knows not everyone has mastered the notes, particularly those runs that go on for pages, but he challenges them to rise to the occasion.
That's what he likes about Shurtleff and the Santa Clara Chorale, says Merle Tenney, who has been singing bass with the group for the last two years. Members represent many different occupations and skill levels, Tenney says, but Shurtleff "doesn't lower his standards. He says, 'Here's what you have to do; get yourself up to it.'"
Ed Strickland of Los Gatos says he is proud of the standard set by the chorale. "It does push you beyond where your comfort zone is," he says. For him, the more challenging, the better.
The conductor commands respect without resorting to putdowns or tantrums. In fact, his temperament is surprisingly calm for a musician, Tenney says. Singers also praise his knowledge of the music. He knows exactly where he wants each breath; where the voices should get loud and soft; on which beat they should put the "s" at the end of the word.
Shurtleff shares lots of information about the composer and the story behind the composition of the music. "You know why you're singing what you're singing," says Alicia Swanson of Saratoga. "It's not just notes on a page." Most of what she knows about music she has learned in the chorale, she says.
Strickland, a member since 1970, agrees. "We're getting an education in more than just producing a musical work."
When it comes to the Tuesday-night rehearsals at Santa Clara University, the group concentrates hard on meeting Shurtleff's standards. There is no chatter among the members. All eyes are on the director. No matter how many times he demands they repeat a section, they do it without complaint.
Then Shurtleff suddenly raises a laugh as he points out a singer who can't seem to conquer the passage they're singing. "I wouldn't have noticed except your face was all red," he says.
Shurtleff doesn't see himself as a strict leader. "I look at some conductors and I envy that they're more disciplined than I am." The chorale members take time to laugh and enjoy each other's company, he says, but "we work hard and get it done.
"You've got to get some toenail juice going down there. Squeeze it out," he tells the basses as they go for a high note.
"Every one of these notes is a jewel," he adds, urging the singers on.
The piece is challenging and full of measure after measure of throat-breaking high notes. It's 9:15, and they've been working on it since 7 p.m. without a break, but Shurtleff demands energy and precision. Shake the room, he urges. But, he adds, "Loud is not good enough. It has to be beautiful," he says.
This will probably be their only rehearsal of this movement before the dress rehearsal, he warns. "I want it great. Not next month. Now."
At last, they leave the "Gloria" and rest with the quieter "Agnus Dei" movement, but first Shurtleff stops to talk about Beethoven and the feelings behind the words. When the chorale sings it, the movement comes out sweet and peaceful, with pianist James Welch filling in the parts that will be put in later by paid soloists.
After practice, everyone is weary, but proud. Shurtleff is pleased with how well the singers prepared. Although he has conducted the Missa Solemnis before, he started working on it last summer. At Christmas, he presented the singers with tapes for each vocal section, made with his keyboard and computer.
Most of the singers have been diligently working with the tapes, putting in at least an hour a week of their own time. They also vocalize at home so they can be ready for the rigors of rehearsal. "It's an integral part of my life," says Marilyn Metz, an alto from Saratoga who has been a member for 13 years.
Usually the group has more time between concerts, Shurtleff says, but the arrival of the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir from Wales and the opportunity to perform with them in April was too good to pass up. There was also the inaugural concert in February of the chorale's new 31-voice Chamber Singers group.
The 1995-96 season also included "Great Hymns and Anthems" in October and "Christmas Around the World" in December.
While most of the chorale's concerts are presented at Mission Santa Clara, they also take their show on the road, including concert tours of Eastern and Western Europe. They have sung at Carnegie Hall and in concert halls in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vienna and Prague. Last year, they joined the Boston Pops Orchestra for a concert at the San Jose Arena. They have also collaborated with great musicians, from Vince Guaraldi to Dave Brubeck to choral master Jester Hairston.
Founded in 1966, the chorale includes a half-dozen singers who have been with the group since the beginning. Members include university students, professors, doctors, lawyers, engineers, homemakers and retirees. They come from all over Santa Clara Valley, including many from Los Gatos, Saratoga and Cupertino.
Among the members are Shurtleff's wife Alma Don, who sings alto, and one of their sons, the oldest of five. With their busy schedules, they can at least count on spending Tuesday evenings together, he says. All of the kids had piano lessons and all but one son sings, he adds.
Longtime members are devoted to the group and their conductor. "I look forward to rehearsals as much as the concerts," Metz says.
"The chorale has changed my life," raves Swanson, a professional publicist who volunteers her services for the chorale. "I try to do as much as I can for the group," she says.
Peggy Grettum of Cupertino has been a member since 1970. Members stay so long because of Shurtleff, she says. "I think it speaks well of Lynn. He is an inspiration."
Surprisingly, Shurtleff does not consider himself a singer, although he carries a tune quite well. He played accordion as a boy, switched to cello in high school and later took up jazz piano. "I'm equally bad on cello and piano," he says with typical modesty.
Unlike most of the chorale members, Shurtleff didn't grow up singing in school choirs and only become involved in choral music because that's where the openings for teaching assistants were when he was working on his master's degree at Brigham Young University.
"I sort of got into choral music through the back door," he says, but adds that once he began working with singers, he grew to love it. The fact that he was an instrumentalist and has played in orchestras helps him understand instrumentalists and how to work with them, he says.
From BYU, he went on to study conducting under Gunther Theuring in Vienna and was an assistant conductor for the Vienna Boys Choir. He also did postgraduate work at Indiana University. He taught high school in Nevada for a year before coming to teach at Santa Clara University in 1963.
The original Santa Clara Chorale director, David Wilson, was preparing for a European tour when he asked Shurtleff to compose a piece for the group to perform. The result was "For the First Manned Moon Orbit." As payment, Shurtleff asked to go along. He played cello in the orchestra. His wife Alma Don auditioned and was accepted into the choir, so they toured Europe together. After the tour, Wilson decided to go back to school, and Shurtleff was chosen to conduct the chorale.
Over the years, the chorale has grown, now averaging between 130 and 150 singers. The annual budget has soared from $3,000 to $70,000, much of it going for professional soloists, orchestras and music. Once governed only by the conductor, the group is now run by a board of directors made up mostly of members.
Since 1969, the city of Santa Clara has been a sponsor of the chorale, which also receives funds from members' dues, the Santa Clara Music and Arts Association, ticket sales, grants and private benefactors. The Santa Clara University Chorus merged with the chorale in 1989.
The singers pay their own way when they travel out of town, and not everyone can go because of work and other commitments, but they generally make the chorale a priority in their lives. Turnover is light, with only about 10 leaving the group each year. New members must audition, and Shurtleff admits he tries to make the auditions a little tougher each year, in the hope of gradually making the chorale even better over the long run.
While the chorale has done the works of Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Haydn and the like, its repertoire varies. Shurtleff grew up with jazz and is proud of his collaborations with Dave Brubeck and Vince Guaraldi. The chorale has done folk songs and Broadway tunes, as well as music from the 11th and 12th centuries.
In choosing music, Shurtleff says he looks for works that will draw an audience and that will also be fun and challenging for the choir. He offers a blend of the "old warhorses" people recognize and less familiar pieces. "I feel I have an obligation sometimes to push everybody."
"My favorite is whatever we're working on," Shurtleff adds.
Over the years, the chorale has done many of Shurtleff's own works. Among his compositions are the "Charlie Brown Suite," which was based on Vince Guaraldi's melodies; "Spectrum," written for the 25th anniversary of the San Jose Symphony Youth Orchestra, and "Crossing the River," performed recently by San Francisco's Russian Chamber Orchestra.
These days, Shurtleff composes on a computer, which has required a complete change in technique. In the old days, he says, he would play a little, then write it down. Because the computer records the parts as he plays them, he says, "I write in a more sweeping way, with broader strokes, layering voices."
Shurtleff, who notes with a chuckle that because of the name "Lynn" he is listed in both the International Who's Who in Music and the International Who's Who of Women, has been a professor at SCU for 30 years. He served as music department chairman from 1977 to 1992 and has taught musicianship, composition, orchestration, conducting and many other classes, including the history of rock music and the life and music of Beethoven.
He frequently participates in music programs for youth. He has helped to organize a youth choir in East Palo Alto, presented concerts for elementary and high school students, judged high school music festivals, and conducted joint concerts with the Santa Clara Chorale and local high school choirs.
He has also conducted various religious music programs and has directed the Amici Della Musica Orchestra and the Prune Hollow Choral Society. In 1988, he was music director of San Jose Civic Light Opera's production of Peter Pan. He also directed the Santa Clara Chorale in a performance featuring Dave Brubeck as part of the inauguration ceremonies of St. Joseph's Cathedral.
Looking ahead, Shurtleff hopes to have an assistant conductor in place by next year. Especially with the new chamber choir, he could use another pair of hands. This year, while they rehearsed, he brought in guest conductors to work with the larger choir on sightreading and vocal technique. He also would like to hire a vocal coach to work with singers individually and in small groups, he says.
Outside of music, Shurtleff enjoys cooking and loves to travel. He has been to Europe 15 times, he says, and can converse in most European languages.
He is active in his church, serving as president of the San Jose California South Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since 1991, and has been a Boy Scout leader and counselor.
But music is both his work and his first love. As concert time approaches, what does he do to relax? He sits down at the piano and plays some jazz, say the singers. Then he walks on stage, raises his hands and conducts his own angel choir.
For information about the Santa Clara Chorale, call 236-2241. The chorale also has its own Web page, http://www.scc.org/ and posts information under the arts conference of the Virtual Valley Community Network online service operated by the Los Gatos Weekly-Times.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 29, 1996.
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