Seattle Women's Chorus 'Making Spirits Bright' promises humor, grace

A tongue-in-cheek "Feminist Holiday Songbook." A visit from an all-female version of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

It must be time for the Seattle Women's Chorus' holiday show. Sister organization to the Seattle Men's Chorus, the 7-year-old SWC presents "Making Spirits Bright" on Saturday and Sunday at Meany Theater — a "real mix," says assistant conductor Rhonda Juliano, of music and comedy.

"It will be a wonderful concert," says Juliano, who has been with SWC since the beginning. A combination of the classic and irreverent, of self-effacing humor and deep feeling, "Making Spirits Bright" sounds like a typically graceful Women's Chorus stage show.

Juliano doesn't want to spoil too many surprises. But she does cite the musical-comedy imprint of Eric Lane Barnes — assistant artistic director of Seattle Men's Chorus and leader of the men's chorus ensemble Captain Smartypants — on some of the program.

Barnes wrote the "Feminist Holiday Songbook," consisting of such unorthodox, original holiday tunes as "Does Jesus Have a Baby Sister?" He also retooled lyrics to a number of radio-friendly, pop-rock songs for a medley Juliano says is especially funny.

Also in the program is an arrangement of Christmas-themed, secular songs by renowned female singer-songwriters, including Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Hot Buttered Rum" and Joni Mitchell's "River."

The chorus will turn its attention to Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" among other classic works. As for the distaff Chipmunks, well, they'll be hitting the stage with some surprise announcements.

Of SWC's approximately 250 members, 180 will be performing in "Making Spirits Bright." Seattle Women's Chorus shares its conductor and artistic director, Dennis Coleman, and administrative staff with Seattle Men's Chorus' nonprofit parent, Flying House Productions. Like the Men's Chorus, the SWC has been kept economically healthy in a recession period because of cutbacks and scaled-down productions.

In other respects, the Seattle Women's Chorus keeps on growing.

"I do all the auditioning," Juliano says, "and there are 70 women auditioning in January. Eventually we'll be the same size as the Men's Chorus."

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com.