The Corvallis Repertory Singers have been waiting for the perfect moment to present "Annelies," the choral version of the Anne Frank story. The October 13 debut of CRS’ first season in Oregon State University’s PRAx offered the perfect opportunity.
“Your heart will be touched if you join us for this concert,” promised CRS Artistic Director Steven Zielke, who chose to save this choral work for Detrick Hall in PRAx. “It will remind you of the things that matter and many will likely be moved to some tears.”
"Annelies," an adaptation of the “Anne Frank Story,” is a large-scale choral arrangement that brings to life the diary written by Annelies Marie Frank between 1942 and 1944 when she and her family hid from the Natzis in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse. Composed by James Whitbourne in 2015 for soprano, choir, and chamber instruments, it has been described as “woundingly beautiful."
Zielke further defined the piece as “haunting and soulful,” perfect for the beauty and intimacy of the Detrick Concert Hall in PRAx. “I think Whitbourne’s composition is just transfixing,” he said.
Furthermore, Zielke’s goal was to accentuate the full experience of lighting and acoustics that PRAx provides: “In my eyes and ears as we were designing the new hall, I could see it. The quietness of the room, the beauty of the room, and the clarity of the acoustics. The importance of the words, the immediacy of the physical space, putting the audience around the singers. It is just such a dramatic and personal work.”
In the infamous “Diary of Anne Frank” story, audiences experience the lives of eight individuals living in a small space. “They are living together amidst a terrible world around them and the immediacy of the threat against their very existence,” Zielke said.
CRS has elected to perform the chamber version of "Annelies," featuring violin, cello, piano, and clarinet, “because it has the best blend bringing together the colors of the voices with instruments,” detailed Zielke.
Soprano Soloist, Taylor Hulett, sings the part of Anne. Hulett, who sang the soprano solo role in "Carmina Burana," will be joined by chamber musicians Lauren Servias on piano, Ann Ridlington on cello, Carol Robe on clarinet, and So Yun Kim on violin. Robe and Kim are new members of the OSU music faculty.
Tickets for the October 13 concert, as well as for the entire CRS season, are available through the PRAx Ticket Office.
The season also includes Handel’s "Messiah" on December 15, Robert Cohen’s 2009 work, "Alzheimer's Stories" and Robert Ray’s "Gospel Mass" on February 23, 2025. For full details, visit RepSing.org.