Ryan Smit, who grew up in rural farming community of Churchill, Mont., is in his first season as artistic director of the Bellingham Chamber Chorale, which performs its first concert of the season (twice) at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. For more on the chorale, go to bellinghamchamberchorale.org.
Question: Have you always enjoyed singing?
Answer: I loved singing from an early age and sang in all of our school choirs and our church choir. I also got a little taste of conducting in high school with our school concert choir and with a local community group, the Gallatin Valley Male Chorus.
Q: Who were some of your mentors?
A: My inspiration in high school was my high school choir teacher, the late Mark Tyers. His passion and love for music was contagious. He also helped me audition for and gain acceptance into all-state and all-Northwest regional honor choirs, and these experiences opened my eyes to what was truly possible in choral singing artistically and emotionally. Another mentor of mine is Benjamin Kornelis, director of choral activities at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa (where I earned my bachelor's degree in choral and instrumental music education). He continued to fan the flame of my own passion for choral music and exposed me to a wealth of great choral literature. He was also instrumental in providing me with my basic choral conducting and rehearsal skills. I also learned an immense amount about musicianship and excellence in choral singing during my time living in Phoenix and singing tenor for Charles Bruffy in the Phoenix Chorale. I was fortunate to be a part of four recording projects with the Phoenix Chorale, two of which later earned Grammy Awards in 2008 and 2009.
Q: What kinds of music do you enjoy singing and what do you listen to?
A: I have a real love for music of the Renaissance - the polyphonic tapestries of Palestrina, Tallis, Byrd, Gabrieli, and the like are pure joy for me to sing. I listen to all sorts of choral music from all periods and artists, though I have a special place in my listening collection for Chanticleer, The King's Singers, the Phoenix Chorale, and the Kansas City Chorale. When I need to relax and not analyze, I will listen to a lot of jazz and big band.
Q: What are some of the other musical groups you are participate in?
A: My contribution to Skagit Opera was for one show, "Madame Butterfly," as the chorus master - I helped the chorus prepare their singing parts.
Since August of 2010 I have been an active singer and clinician with Male Ensemble Northwest, a 14-member group of choral teachers and professors from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. We put on choral workshops throughout the Northwest (this year in the Tri-Cities, Puyallup, Boise and Portland) for middle and high school boys. Our goal is to promote and encourage singing among young men as well as perform together with a high level of artistry. We are also this year scheduled to perform a feature concert at the American Choral Directors Association Northwest Conference in Seattle, March 15-18.
Since August of 2005 I have been the choir director at Third Christian Reformed Church in Lynden, where we contribute regularly in worship services and also put on a large scale Christmas cantata every December with full orchestra. I have also directed our handbell choir intermittently since 2006.
Q: What's your "day job"?
A: At Lynden Christian I conduct the grades 7-8 boys choir, grades 7-8 girls choir, mixed chorus (primarily 9th and 10th grades), concert choir (primarily 11th and 12th grades) and chamber choir (a select 22-voice ensemble that rehearses before school). We perform regularly at the Lynden Christian High School Worship and Fine Arts Center and in the community. In 2010, the Concert Choir sang Beethoven's Mass in C Major in Carnegie Hall with John Rutter conducting. Last fall they also performed a concert with the Western Washington University Concert Choir. This coming spring the Concert Choir will be heading to Phoenix, Ariz., and Rehoboth, N.M.
As a private teacher, I give voice lessons to approximately 15-20 students every summer. Unfortunately my schedule is too full during the school year to do much private vocal instruction.
Q: What's your involvement with the Bellingham Chamber Chorale?
A: I came to the Bellingham Chamber Chorale first as a singer for the 2008-2009 season, then as an assistant conductor/singer in 2009-2010. Last season, I served as guest artistic director while Tim Fitzpatrick was on a sabbatical. Ultimately he decided to retire, and last spring the board officially offered me the position of artistic director. This position I accepted with gratitude and excitement, because Tim has built a wonderful ensemble with many excellent performances and achievements in its short history. I am enjoying every moment of leading this group, and I feel humbled and privileged to stand in front of them.
Q: What can people expect at the Dec. 3 concert?
A: This first concert will feature a rare opportunity to hear the not-often-performed "Lauda Per La Nativita del Signore" (Laud to the Nativity) by Ottorino Respighi. This performance will feature local soloists Amber Sudduth Bone, Katie Weld, and Ryan Allen, an all-star woodwind ensemble accompanying the choir, and live supertitle translations of the Italian projected above the stage (much like what you might see at an opera). Other works on this concert include Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria," Mendelssohn's "There Shall a Star Come Out of Jacob," John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music," three separate settings of the ancient Latin Christmas text "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" ("Today, Christ is born!"), and more.
Q: What do you enjoy in your leisure time?
A: I love hiking and camping around the Northwest and spending as much time as I possibly can with my lovely wife, Amie (grades 5-12 orchestra instructor at Lynden Christian School, private violin teacher, violinist in the Whatcom Symphony) and my two incredible children, Caleb and Emilyn.
