Weekend concerts feature RainShadow, ‘The Moanin’ Frogs’

By Kirk Boxleitner
Posted 10/29/25

This weekend offers two concert opportunities whether you go for historic singers or eclectic instrumentalists.

On Nov. 1 and 2, the RainShadow Chorale will present its fall concert program, …

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Weekend concerts feature RainShadow, ‘The Moanin’ Frogs’

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This weekend offers two concert opportunities whether you go for historic singers or eclectic instrumentalists.

On Nov. 1 and 2, the RainShadow Chorale will present its fall concert program, “England’s Green and Pleasant Land: Crown Jewels with Organ,” at the First Presbyterian Church in Port Townsend.

And on Nov. 2, the Port Ludlow Bay Club will host “The Moanin’ Frogs,” a saxophone sextet.

According to Bev Schaaf, spokesperson for the Concerts at the Church, the RainShadow Chorale’s program spans classical repertoire and employs Pacific Lutheran University music faculty member Justin Murphy-Mancini to play the organ at the First Presbyterian Church.

“I was inspired to select music for this concert that will highlight the beauty and versatility of the pipe organ,” RainShadow Chorale Artistic Director Laurie de Leonne said.

The organ was built in 1892 by Whalley and Genung in Oakland, California, and is one of the few remaining instruments built by this firm.

It has 662 pipes, ranging from 2 inches to 16 feet, and is the oldest organ in Washington state that’s still in its original home.

The program’s English choral music will be anchored by Benjamin Britten’s “Rejoice in the Lamb,” but other favorites are set to include Vaughan Williams’ “O Clap Your Hands,” Rutter’s “For the Beauty of the Earth,” Parry’s “Jerusalem” and Howells’ “Hymn for St. Cecilia.”

Schaaf noted that “Geistliches Lied” and “Wachet Auf” also lend the concert “richness and cross-cultural resonance.”

As usual for RainShadow Chorale concerts, the audience will be invited to join the choir in singing a couple of the more familiar pieces.

“It’s a first for us to center a whole program around accompaniment on the beautiful old pipe organ, with an organist of Dr. Murphy-Mancini’s caliber,” RainShadow Chorale Board President Rebecca Nerison said. “Some of the music is highly stirring and emotional, while other pieces are quiet and contemplative. I personally love some of the more bombastic pieces that tug at my emotions and increase my adrenaline, causing me to choke up at times, making it very difficult to keep singing. The music makes me feel alive in every fiber of my being. And that’s really what art is for, isn’t it?”

RainShadowChorale performances on Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2, start at 3 p.m. at 1111 Franklin St.

Admission is by suggested donation, and tickets are available at the door.

And in Port Ludlow, the Moanin’ Frogs promise to bring “a captivating blend” of jazz, classical, pop, a cappella singing and comedy from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 120 Spinnaker Place, courtesy of Port Ludlow Performing Arts.

The Moanin’ Frogs — including soprano saxophone Edward Goodman, alto saxophone Gabriel Piqué, tenor saxophone Jeff Siegfried, tenor and soprano saxophone Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, baritone saxophone Jeffrey Leung and bass saxophone Lucas Hopkins — released their album, “One Giant Leap,” on Oct. 3, inspired by “the optimism and imagination” of the “Golden Records” in the 1977 Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.

“The two ‘Golden Records’ each carried a representation of life and culture on Earth into deep space,” said Chelsea Olaniran of Parma Recordings. “The records included the sounds of nature, greetings in 50 languages, and an assortment of music from around the world.”

“One Giant Leap” includes five selections from the Voyager Golden Records, alongside other works they believe deserve a place in the cosmos.