The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA – New Orleans is a jazzy blur of music, rich color and French cuisine like no other. If it had a recipe it would be one-part "Sweet Georgia Brown," one part jambalaya, and two parts "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Walla Walla Choral Society Artistic Director and lively pianist Gary Hemenway have the recipe just right, bringing New Orleans to the Gesa Powerhouse Theatre with a live band accompanying roughly sixty vocalists taking on a variety of classic songs.

From the audience, the experience is immersive. House lights rise on drummer Joshua Gianola, bass guitarist Michael Simon and tuba player Patrick Dunphy as the ensemble enters alongside piping trumpet from Nate "the Kid" Miller.

Music of New Orleans is an immersive experience. It swells from every direction and takes to the stage, echoing up to the balcony seats and up still to the Electric Lounge on the top floor.

Their voices evoke visions of parade routes, the clatter of beaded necklaces and the powdered sugar in the air.

The performance which ran March 3-4 featured almost two hours of classic songs like 'What a Wonderful World' (Sarah Bergman) and 'When You're Smiling' (Keith Noel, soloist), offering a "small plate" of what New Orleans has to offer musically and historically.

The Walla Walla Choral Society is a group on a mission to make a positive sound in their community. Their next show honors the Blue Mountains in the Walla Walla Valley with an entire repertoire of music relating to the color, concept and perception of "blue."

"As singers in the Walla Walla Choral Society, we have an opportunity to participate in an activity that involves us artistically, builds community, enhances our skills, and results in a product of great beauty," said Board President Susan Greene.

Waitsburg's own Ken Taylor is member, but unfortunately, was ill the weekend of this show.

The Sound of Blue premieres at 7 p.m. May 13 at Cordiner Hall on the Whitman College Campus.