Singing for Bob: Tales and Testimonials

Singing for Bob
Tales & Testimonials
on the occasion of the maestro's 75th birthday

This is one of my favorite Bob stories because it shows his
ability to immediately say just the right (and humorous) thing
when the moment demands it.
A few years ago, the chorus assembled at the National
Presbyterian Church for the first of two orchestra rehearsals of an
upcoming and challenging concert. Everyone had taken pains to
come on time, and after finding their places and warming up, the
choristers sat (fairly) quietly on the risers, expecting members of
the orchestra to arrive. But no one did. After about ten minutes,
Bob had the chorus run through some of the hard parts of one of
the concert pieces, assuming that by the time that was done, the
orchestra would be present. But they were not.
At that point, phone calls were made, and Bob soon learned that
the orchestra players had been given the wrong date for their first
rehearsal with the chorus—they had been told that it was the next
day. Bob turned to the singers and said, “I have just been told that
the orchestra got the wrong date and won’t be here tonight.” He
paused, and then said, in an ironic, slightly weary tone, “This is an
opportunity for growth.” Bob and the chorus then proceeded, with
some electronic piano accompaniment, to have a productive
rehearsal. The next day, the orchestra members did arrive, and the
chorus rehearsed with them at last. And despite having less time
with the orchestra, the concert was a complete success.
Happy Birthday, Bob!
–Al Bradford

The Phoenix that is Bob Shafer
A man of slight stature and heroic heart,
has so many talents that set him apart:
A conductor, composer and teacher of song
You'd not know to meet him of all that went wrong.
A job loss, a car wreck and pandemic too
would be more than sufficient to make the man blue,
but up from the ashes of every tough time
he rises again and again to reclimb.
Each trial so disruptive and soul-crushing too
still Bob finds a way of becoming anew.
His musical gifts are so easy to see
yet it's his resilience that just astounds me.
When life became gruesome, he wrote a new work
that transmutes the trouble to a higher mark.
Like the phoenix of legend, Bob rises up too
with newly found vigor to inspire you.
He never gives up or gives out or gives in
He just keeps on moving with force from within.
- Laura Bradford

Dear Bob,
Greetings and best wishes for a wonderful 75th birthday! I hope it is a day spent
with Sharon and your son and his family, and that each moment is filled with
laughter and special joys. I wish you the time to reflect on all your most precious
memories with them and with your choir family as well.
It has been a joy and such a wonderful experience to sing with you for 49 seasons,
and I was hoping this last year would have been my 50th. Thank you for all your
inspiration, your dedication, your education and your commitment to us and to the
music. Thank you for respecting the integrity of each composer’s works and for
sharing that with me over these years, for instilling a work ethic which values the
score and strives to bring to life what the composer envisioned, and for putting the
music above all else. There have been so many magical moments onstage from my
first concert at the Kennedy Center singing the War Requiem with Julius Rudel to
our Grammy winning performance with you conducting the Britten. The first
TCCW concert of Solomon was another of those concerts which will always be a
concert to remember, not just for its musical excellence but for the achievement of
so many which made it possible to form the City Choir and for you to continue
conducting this musical family.
So thank you for all these years, all these rehearsals, all these concerts and the great
happiness which I have had in singing with you and the members of the choirs.
I wish you many more years of good health, time to savor special moments with
your loved ones, and the many blessings which the good Lord will bestow on you.
With much affection,
Carol
Carol Edison & Bob with the TCCW Tenth Anniversary Quilt

Education via Bob began for me in the '70s when Bob
was conducting the Washington Opera Chorus and we
did productions of “The Return of Ulysses,”
“Manon,””The Rake’s Progress” and was it “Traviata?” At
any rate even though my memory may be inadequate, I
learned that Bob was a conductor with whom I could
learn valuable lessons. This was in the day when children
were still at home and getting to rehearsals with small
children at home was not easy. Time passed and I sang
with other choruses including Choral Arts, the McLean
Chorus, and the Arlington Chorus and then I wanted to
get back to where I could become a better musician so
I auditioned for Bob. Thanks to you Bob, I now can
claim 7 choir tours of Spain 1994, England and France
1996, Hungary, Austria, and Czech in 1998, and the list
continues. I think at last count with Bob I have been
able to sing in 10 European countries and have with him
sung in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Strathmore and
of course the Kennedy Center. It has been an
education from a very fine teacher and I treasure all
of these experiences. I even sang Alto when I joined
the choir one year when I was living in Germany and I
met the choir at Frankfurt airport and continued
traveling with them through marvelous locations including
Ottobeuren, Germany and St. Stephens in Vienna.
Thanks, Bob, I have learned a lot from you and you
have enriched my musical life in ways that I could
never have imagined. Happy 75th.
~ Glenda Finley

I’ve been singing with Bob for the Oratorio Society, Washington Chorus, and now the City
Choir of Washington since sometime in the late 1980s. Henning Sieverts, a friend from
Ithaca, New York, who had moved to DC and joined the Oratorio Society, told me about
Bob and the Oratorio Society, invited me to a concert of The Creation and I was hooked.
When Bob was looking for more Tenors and Basses for a multi-chorus concert of
Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, I eagerly auditioned. The music required a huge men’s chorus,
so it was a good chance to take part in a spectacular and rare event. (Sadly, I’ve never
heard it performed since…)
The first rehearsal was scary: everyone seemed to come in on pitch without hesitation. I
was awed. Later I realized the other singers had already been rehearsing for a few weeks
and were better acquainted with the intricacies of Stravinsky’s masterpiece.
Bob was an excellent teacher of the individual parts, then of the whole chorus. Yes, he was
demanding but the whole group responded with the excellence that I came to know Bob
expected of us. It was such a pleasure to sing the piece.
Now, many seasons later, I continue to thank Bob for his rigor, his cultural knowledge, the
precision of his conducting, and the way in which he brings the music together for each
performance. It’s been a delight to sing with Bob and learn so much about the classical
choral repertoire.
One of the best moments of the City Choir’s trip to England was the opportunity to have a
quiet breakfast with Bob in one of the hotels we stayed at. We have known each other a
long time now.
Thanks for the hard work, Bob! And I wish you many years of hard and joyous work in the
future.
~ Bill Gilcher

I have sung with Bob for almost 37 years now and have
been one of his biggest promotors. He has always been
submissive to the music and elevated it as the master. He
looks inward to it for its majesty, message, beauty and
mystery. He has been able to pull things out that others
cannot see or hear and shared those things with the full
choir. I have continued to learn about music, singing and
the wonder of it all since I began singing as a young child. I
am grateful to have had the pleasure of making music
nearly all of my life and these years with Bob have only
been enhanced for the better.
Happy 75th Birthday and may he continue on for years to
come.
~ James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Jr.

Dear Bob,
I hope your 75th year is as wonderful as you are! I hope you’re not tired of hearing your devoted singers and students
shower you with praise - because you certainly deserve it!
When I was a freshman at Shenandoah, I attended my first choral placement audition with you, Karen Keating, and
Lori Horne. I was at SU to major in Music Theatre. That, combined with coming from a small private high school with
a chorus that was run by a part-time private investigator who happened to play piano, I had NO idea what I was
doing. Needless to say, I didn’t sing very well and found myself in Shenandoah Chorus for the year. Later that fall, I
heard heard Conservatory Choir perform at the Parents’ Weekend concert. I was floored when I heard them perform.
I had no idea choral singing could sound like that (and I was so, so sad that I didn’t know more about choral music
when I showed up at SU.) That moment pretty much changed my mind about my entire career goals in music. It took
some time, but I switched my major to Music Education and channeled my passion into my music theory, sight
singing, and aural skills classes. I made it my goal my Freshman year to learn what it takes to make it into
Conservatory Choir, and although it took a few more tries, I finally did it!
My first year with Conservatory Choir was the year we performed the Verdi Requiem with TWC. We started the year
off by rehearsing the Kyrie and it was a baptism by fire in the best of ways. I was terrified of you; I was terrified of
being kicked out (you had one poor singer removed within the second or third rehearsal); however, I had never felt
more inspired or motivated by a piece of music. It was then I learned a lesson that is so important in one’s musical
journey - find a leader that pushes outside of your safety zone. I learned that I am not only capable in situations
where I’m uncomfortable and taking risks, but that I will grow and thrive there too.
Fast forward to 2021 and I have lost count of how many times I have found myself inspired to push outside of my
musical comfort zone by you. Sitting in the Armstrong Concert Hall in 2000, I knew I wanted to sing with
Conservatory Choir. I had no idea that would lead me to singing all over Italy with Conservatory and Chamber Choir,
teaching chorus and working with music every day of my life, singing with The Washington Chorus after
Shenandoah, then following you to TCCW, getting my masters degree in music, and finally - the greatest honor -
becoming a member of the TCCW staff and working for and with the person I have held in such great esteem and
admiration for 20 years. My whole journey has been the result of your influence, inspiration and passion. When I say
my life would have been so different without your mentorship, I mean it! (I would probably be an out-of-work music
theatre actor working temp jobs and catering jobs to get by.)
The best part about this little story of mine, is that I know I’m not the only one telling it. I know you have touched and
inspired so many other musicians like me - from high school student through adult. I know that you not only have an
amazing legacy of excellence on the podium, but off it too. You are not just passionate about your art, you also show
love and compassion for those you work with in order to create it. You see your singers and students. You understand
that they possess the tools to bring beautiful music to life and that process not only brings enrichment to each and
every one of us, it brings us joy, hope, and a sense of family that can never be replaced.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything!
Here’s to 75 more years!!
Fondly,
Katie
TCCW Assistant Conductor Katie Jagielski & Bob
following the City Singers performance at the Willard, Dec. 2019

Dear Bob,
Happy 75th Birthday! What an amazing milestone! We are all so blessed to have you in our lives, and as a
driving force of TCCW. What I would like to say is nothing you have not heard before, but still bears
repeating on this occasion.
We met in the fall of 1971. My family had just moved to Vienna from NJ. (yes I had a funny accent!). I had
been in the marching band in NJ, and went over to Madison with my mom one August afternoon to
audition. I don't even remember the band director's name, but he declared that my sight reading skills were
not good enough for his band, but thanks for coming. I was disappointed, but as we were leaving, we saw a
sign for the chorus room down the hall. We poked our heads in, and you happened to be there. You
welcomed us with your beautiful smile, and informally auditioned me, and invited me to join the Madison
Choir. My life has not ever been the same. From the very first strains of O Magnum Mysterium, to you
asking me to join Madrigals later that winter, I knew you were doing something very special.
When you talk about Mme. Boulanger being your musical mother, I could certainly say you were my
musical dad. None of us kids were particularly spectacular, but you instilled such marvelous work habits,
that the sum of our parts far exceeded any one individual, and that was a brilliant feeling. From premiers at
the National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection, the Kennedy Center (concert hall, not the Grand Foyer,
where all the other high schools performed), we worked diligently, but didn't know it was hard. It was just
what we did. Singing the B Minor Mass in the spring of '72 was certainly the highlight of my secondary
school career, and I have felt so fortunate to be able to perform it again with you. You have such a gift of
discovering some new gem regardless of how many times you have performed a piece.
My two personal favorite memories are at the Kennedy Center, after the '72 Munich Olympics where the
Israeli athletes were shot, we performed the War Requiem, where the Madrigal girls were the boys choir. I
forget if Dorati or Rostrapovich was conducting; but at the end, the audience leapt to their feet. Maestro
took a bow, then motioned to you to acknowledge us, and to bring us forward to the stage. I was on the
end, and you pushed me down the aisle first. I will never forget walking down that long aisle to the
cheering of the audience- we were just doing our jobs, nothing special. Except it was very special. You
have thereby ruined me for practically every other group I have sung with. But we won't belabor that here!
The second memory is when we sang at the funeral for Juan Peron at St. Matthew's. We were in the choir
loft, and there was a lot of security around for all of the international heads of state. One of the Secret
Service agents stationed in the loft area was actually smoking a cigar!! We girls were tittering about that, so I
went up to him and asked him to put it out, it was bothering our breathing. And he actually
did! Go figure.
All this to say is the gifts you have given all of us are simply inestimable, and I am forever in your debt!!
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, and many, many more!!
With love,
Kathy Lupinacci

This poster was plastered on billboards
throughout Italy (Lazio, Umbria, Tuscany,
and Veneto) as Bob Shafer led a group of 24
singers, including a chamber choir of 12
singers, in concerts in Rome, Florence, San
Gimignano, Orvieto, Venice, and Assisi. We
were all members of The Oratorio Society of
Washington, precursor of The City Choir. We
sang in many world-famous churches,
including St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and
St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. We also
crashed an ongoing wedding in Florence
and were invited to sing on the spot. This
was all part of Bob's 1982 tour, which long
preceded later City Choir tours to France,
Spain, England, and Central and Eastern
Europe, on which he took larger ensembles.
Bass I Dick Morrison satisfies a
lifelong desire to be in the Danube
River by sticking his hand in. (Taken in
Budapest during 1998 European tour)
Contributed by chamber singer bass Dick Morrison

Dear Bob,
Listening to the “Moments of Christmas” video, I was reminded
of one of the biggest blessings in my life - my City Choir
family!!
Here’s to our coming back together soon to make beautiful
music under your brilliant and inspired leadership Bob.
With love and gratitude,
Amy
XO
Amy Solomon presents Bob with the Choir's gift, an archival photo of Nadia Boulanger,
at the celebration of his 50 years of conducting in Washington, D.C. in May 2018

emember when I found out that I had made it into the
I
and Chamber Choirs at Shenandoah University.
Conservatory
in front of Bob was always terrifying. He had a
Auditioning
for being tough and you could never tell if he was pleased
reputation
not. I was going into my sophomore year at Shenandoah
or
and it was a tour year for the choirs. So, to say I was
University
would be an understatement. There was a group of us that
excited
it into the choirs together that year, and we were so pumped
made
we went out and bought slap bracelets. It’s silly, but they
that
this symbol of having “made it” and we all wore them to
became
I’ve always been a pretty sentimental person, so I
rehearsals.
through my jewelry box recently and I still have it! Almost
looked
years later, I’m still singing for Bob and treasure every
20
and moment of music I’ve gotten to make under his
opportunity
leadership.
~ Rachel Tester

Marv & Elaine Wunderlich with Bob and Grammy, February 2000
Thanks for all the happy memories over
the years. This birthday should be one
you don't forget! Let's hope we can all
sing together in person sometime soon.
~Elaine