Voices unite in Snohomish to keep scholarships alive

Published 6:02 pm Wednesday, June 1, 2016

SNOHOMISH — Sacred, secular, doo-wop and cowboy songs. That’s among the work of the vocal quintet Common Ground.

The group, directed by Patrick Castro, will perform Sunday at a fundraiser for the Snohomish Education Foundation’s Excellence in Vocal Music Scholarship.

Castro, a retired Snohomish High School choral director, continues to raise money for the scholarship, which is available to Glacier Peak and Snohomish high school seniors.

“We have been able to assist eight very fine singers with their college educations,” said Castro, who wants to help young people as he was helped on his way to a music education career.

Castro graduated in 1969 from Mountlake Terrace High School, attended Everett Community College, graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in music education and later earned a master’s degree in voice from Central Washington University. Castro served as a music teacher at Snohomish High for nearly 25 years. He retired in 2005.

This year’s scholarship concert, titled “… And We All Sing,” features Castro’s quintet and a performance by Alexandra Dreher, one of the scholarship’s recipients and now a junior at Pacific Lutheran University.

Donations of any size will be accepted at the concert.

“It is certainly not easy to pay for college nowadays,” Castro said. “It is even harder to find scholarship money for hard-working, dedicated students. We are offering a concert worth attending and a cause worth donating to.”

Past concerts have featured operatic tenor Robert McPherson, who is on the performing roster of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; baritone John Cooper, who has performed with actor Liam Neeson, as well as with the Tacoma and Skagit opera companies; Snohomish alumna Billie Wildrick, who has sung on Broadway and is a star with all the regional musical theater companies; and soprano Megan Chenovick, well-known Northwest opera and musical theater performer.

Common Ground, which is taking the lead role this year, includes baritone Jeff Thoreson, tenor Jon Cummings, tenor Joel Cummings and bass Tom Lafferty, accompanied on piano by Jeremy Young.

“Over the past two years, we have developed a repertoire and style all our own,” Castro said. “All musical tastes will be satisfied.”

Also on the program will be the “Once-In-Awhile” Chamber Singers, a group that includes music educators, former students and longtime friends of director Pat Castro. Their program will include works by David Dickau, Ennio Morricone, Craig Hella Johnson and Mitch Leigh.

Aaron Crawford, a 1996 Snohomish High School alumnus and a country music artist, will be sharing a couple of his latest hits, before heading to Nashville for the next chapter in his singing career, Castro said.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.

If you go

“… And We All Sing,” 2 p.m. June 5 at Snohomish United Methodist Church, 2400 Lake Ave., Snohomish. Admission by donation to the Patrick Castro Excellence in Vocal Music Scholarship.