Spiritsong has been invited to perform together with other choirs for a large festival in Athens. This will be Spiritsong's fifth international tour. On past tours, the ensemble has performed in China for a choir festival in Beijing, on the west coast of Ireland, in southern Tanzania where they raised funds for a school, and throughout Costa Rica.
Rehearsals will begin in late February for singers and dancers who come from northern Idaho and southern British Columbia. There will be weekly Monday evening rehearsals for singers who live within commuting distance. Others learn their music from a parts CD, and come a few days early to Bonners Ferry for final rehearsals. Dancers must be willing to commute to Bonners Ferry. Rehearsals will be organized at a separate time for dancers. The program for this tour features dance music from around the globe. One can participate as a singer only, dancer only, or singer/dancer. Accompanist for the tour is Barb Nelson. "Spiritsong to Greece" will consist of 25-35 singers, dancers, and instrumentalists.
Spiritsong accepts members of all ages. Youth under 18 must travel with a parent or designated responsible party. All performers are volunteer and provide funds for their own journey. Limited numbers of non-performing travelers are accepted. For more information and to set up an audition/interview contact director Vicki Blake Thompson at 208-267-0854 or by e-mail at vickiblake1@me.com. Auditions will be held by appointment in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, as well as in Creston, British Columbia.
Vicki Blake Thompson has conducted regional choirs in northern Idaho since 1996. Her choirs have won numerous superior ratings at choral festivals and have been chosen to perform for state and regional music educators, and international festivals. She has traveled with choirs, singing, dancing, or conducting, on every continent except Antarctica. "I believe one of the best means to the building of peace and tolerance is through face to face, person to person contact with peoples of different cultures and perspectives," said Blake Thompson. "Music is most definitely one of the many bridges which connect us even through language and cultural barriers. The connections we make as a choir may be but drops in the bucket, yet every drop contributes to the whole."