With a membership of over 70 singers, a celebration of their 15th season, and with a diverse repertoire, from Beethoven to Brahms, Schubert to Williams, Dr. Glenn Gregg, Music Director and Conductor of Kirkland Choral Society, has much to do and not much time to sing the praises of the group.

Kirkland Choral Society began in 1988 in the living room of one of its founding members, Jeffrey Waters. Under the direction of Jerry Mader, and practicing in a basement, they began to grow. Waters says, “We were eight voices strong and sand with great enthusiasm if not great artistry.” Focusing on the classics, while still continuing to offer a wide breadth of songs for audiences on the Eastside, KCS continues to reinvent itself, thanks in part to Dr. Gregg, who began his relationship with KCS in 1997.

Luckily, busy as he is, he had just enough time to sit down with Encore and discuss his role, the future of the group, and Puff Daddy tunes.

EMG: Why did you want to be a part of Kirkland Choral Society? What did you hope to bring to the group?

GG: I agreed to be the music director of the Kirkland Choral Society because I believe in the vision of an excellent large choral ensemble on the Eastside whose main focus is to perform the great repertoire for chorus and orchestra. I think that composers often produce their finest masterworks in this medium, and I know there is a great desire in our community to learn about and hear performances of this type of music.

EMG: What are you most looking forward to in the coming year? What are your hopes for the future?

GG: I am most looking forward to doing Brahms’ beautiful “Ein Deutsches Requiem,” which has long been a favorite work of mine (and many other people). The chorus will be performing it along with an excellent group of orchestral musicians at the Kirkland Performance Center on June 7th.

EMG: What song do you like to sing most in the shower?

GG: I don’t do much singing in the shower. I do a lot of singing to prepare for rehearsals though, i.e. to learn all of the singers’ parts.

EMG: Given the opportunity, what choral piece would you like to attempt that you have yet to do?

GG: The choral works that I am most enthusiastic to conduct that I have not yet done are probably the Verdi Requiem and Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” We will be doing “Elijah” next season, so I am looking forward to that very much.

EMG: Are you planning on performing any Ozzy Osbourne or Puff Daddy tunes in upcoming concerts?

GG: No, I’m afraid that Ozzy Osbourne and Puff Daddy have not composed any great choral music. I do enjoy a lot of different styles of music though. In addition to classical music, I also enjoy some pop, rock, jazz and country music. I like to use the analogy of “gourmet food” and “fast food” when discussing “art music” and “popular music.” I love gourmet food, and also enjoy a good burger once in a while.

EMG: Why is it important that Kirkland (and the Eastside as a whole) have its own arts groups rather than traveling to Seattle?

GG: It is important for the Eastside to have its own arts groups because the demand is there for it and because music should not be a “spectator sport” where only a small group of high-profile professionals do everything. Our society is greatly enriched by an intimate knowledge of great works of art, and by supporting local artists and musicians in their efforts.

EMG: What is the most rewarding part of your association with KCS? Most challenging?

GG: Most rewarding is seeing what I call the “great synergy” of choral music. Even though many members of a chorus are not great soloists, the sound that can be produced when they all sing together well can be a beautiful choral tone, similar in quality to a group of professional singers. This is the greatest challenge as well.

EMG: Do you think the castrati will ever make a rousing comeback in musical groups?

GG: No, I don’t think that there will be any more castrati. Though their sound was apparently quite unique, (I have heard a recording of the so-called “last castrato”) people have come to prefer female voices singing in the higher ranges. And then there is the obvious downside to actually being a castrato.

EMG: Why is a 64th note called a hemidemisemiquaver?

GG: The British system is “quaver” = 8th note, “semiquaver” = 16th note, “demisemiquaver” = 32nd note, and most fun of all, the “hemidemisemiquaver” a.k.a. the 64th note.

EMG: What else about the KCS would you like people to know about?

GG: The other thing about KCS that I’d like people to know is that our concerts are of a very high quality. Come and see for yourself.