The Chorale is an inclusive and diverse organization which exists to enrich the lives of all interested singers and concert audiences in the Skagit Valley.
Dr. Yvette Burdick
Conductor
Celebrating Our
41st Season
Sing with Dr. Yvette Burdick
and the Skagit Valley Chorale
at Carnegie Hall
June 14, 2026
For MidAmerica Productions.
Join us for an unforgettable musical journey with Dr. Burdick and Skagit Valley Chorale. Experience the magic of choral music as we bring to life the timeless melodies of Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians from the 1930s-1950s. Our ensemble comprises a talented choir, professional soloists, and a dynamic 11-piece big band. Rehearse with us in Midtown Manhattan and showcase your talent at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in the concert on Sunday, June 14, 2026, coinciding with Flag Day.
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When: Four days leading to a Concert on Sunday, June 14, 2026 (Flag Day)
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Where: Midtown Manhattan rehearsals, performance at Carnegie Hall
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Repertoire: The Music of Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, 1930s-1950s
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Ensemble: Choir, professional soloists, and 16-piece big band
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Registration Deadline has passed, but it can still be possible to join.
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Package Options
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Full Concert Residency (includes housing and land transportation in Manhattan)
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Concert-Only Residency (Participant arranges own housing on Manhattan and own transportation)
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Participants are responsible for their own air transportation costs.
Though the registration deadline has passed, it is still possible to sign up.
Reach out to Dr. Burdick to express your interest.
A Message of Invitation and Inspiration from Yvette
I’m thrilled and honored to have been selected by MidAmerica Productions to conduct for them at Carnegie Hall, to be joined by the Skagit Valley Chorale as they come in force to sing for me there – and to invite you to come, too! Though the era when Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians were among the most popular entertainers in America ended long before I was born, I’ve been a fan of their music since I was a child, and as a conductor I’ve been able to lead concerts recreating their unique sound on several memorable occasions. This has only been possible with the assistance of the staff of Fred Waring’s America, the archive at Pennsylvania State University where Fred Waring donated all materials related to his seven-decade career, including over 6,000 original arrangements created for and performed by the Pennsylvanians.
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The repertoire includes “Begin the Beguine,” “Swingin’ on a Star,” “Loch Lomond,” “Santa Lucia,” and “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake” in arrangements mostly by Roy Ringwald, Hawley Ades, and Harry Simeone. The varied styles of these Pennsylvanians arrangers keep things interesting for singers, from close-harmony, swinging jazz to towering 10-part choral edifices – not to mention the 11-piece big band that provides sizzle and pop that you’ll feel in your body. The Chorale and I performed these arrangements in our home venue of McIntyre Hall, Mount Vernon, Washington State – and now we get to do it again in one of the most famous performance halls in the country, in the city where the Pennsylvanians performed nightly nearly a century ago. It’s not just musically that this will be rewarding: students of history will find that photographs, oral history recordings, and other materials from the Fred Waring Archive at Penn State convey context in a rich slice of Americana.
I’m very happy to hear from singers who are interested in participating, so please send me an email and let’s have a conversation. We have many singers signed up already, but are still welcoming more, so please feel free to pass this along to other singing friends. My hope is that we’ll create a diverse choir from all around the country!
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One conductor I shared this invitation with passed it on to her singers saying, “this might be a lifetime experience.” I hope and believe it will be so, and that you’ll be part of it!
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Yvette
What is this music like for the singers?
Tenor and Bass singers will enjoy re-creating the rich TTBB harmonies of the Pennsylvanians’ Glee Club, created and perfected by a young Robert Shaw, straight out of Pomona College but already shaping the sound of choral music heard across America. Sopranos and Alto singers will embody the versatile and skilled women who completed the Pennsylvanians’ choral sound with everything from angelic background vocals for the Glee Club, to traditional choral SATB, to the brassy, vivacious “Swingerettes.”
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Dr. Burdick’s Interest Sessions about Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and the music we’ll be performing can be watched here on the Skagit Valley Chorale’s YouTube Channel.
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