Singing for Bob: Tales and Testimonials

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