The Elegant RCMQ!

Sunday, July 31^st! It sounded so far in the future way last February when Carol Wachsmuth, coordinator/scheduler of Oysterville Vespers, booked the Rose City Mixed Quartet.  And here they come!  They arrive at our house on Saturday and, as always, I feel like my family is coming for a visit!  That they are performing on Sunday seems almost incidental. (But don’t tell Carol!)

We first met these four remarkable people back in 2008 or 2009 when I surprised myself by walking up to a good looking man in Astoria and asking if he and his friends might consider coming to Oysterville someday to sing.  It was probably a surprise to him, too.

The Traveling RCMQ!

He turned out to be Mark Petersen and the reason I was so cheeky in talking to him was that he and his three companions had just serenaded a bunch of us who were waiting in wind and drizzle for the Liberty Theater to open.  The four of them, Mark (bass), Cameron Herbert (soprano), Dale Webber (tenor), and Helen Dietz (alto), are the Rose City Mixed Quartet from Portland.  Like the rest of the crowd on that blustery day, they were waiting for the theater doors to open and spontaneously decided that a little diversion was in order.  Their music was the beginning of a joyous association for Nyel and me.

Over the years they have performed at many of our Oysterville House Concerts and at Summer Music Vespers.  They surprised us a few year ago by singing at our 25^th anniversary party and, again, just last February at my 80^th birthday.  They even came to do the special music for our friend Carol Nordquist’s funeral service.  Always (unless our house is full), they stay here and our time together is full of laughter and conversation and sharing pictures of our travels and our families.

The RCMQ in Oysterville

It is really hard to express how some folks (these folks) are, in ‘real life,’ exactly as they present themselves on stage.  They are funny, caring, and intelligent with all the values and character traits you hope for in your own children.  We consider ourselves fortunate that they have adopted us as their Beach Family.  Do come to Vespers and meet them!  Sunday at 3:00 at the Oysterville Church!