Linn-Benton Choir invited to Olympics

By Tyler Hansen

ALBANY — In retrospect, James Reddan should never have asked the
question.

The director of choral activities at Linn-Benton Community
College informed members of the school’s chamber choir that they
had been selected to perform in the ceremonies leading up to the
Summer Olympics in London in 2012.

Reddan wanted to know if his group, Re-Choired Element, was
interested in making the trip. One student gave the appropriate
response.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Um, why are we even having this
conversation?’ ” Reddan recalled last week.

In other words: “Duh. We’re going.”

And so they will, about 30 members — most of them current, some
LBCC alumni — to give three performances across the pond in
conjunction with the Olympics, which will run next July 27-August
12.

Re-Choired Element received the honor after one of Reddan’s
contacts asked if he had a group capable of performing on such an
illustrious stage. He submitted audition materials for Re-Choired,
and it was among a select few groups chosen.

It is the latest in a growing number of honors bestowed upon the
LBCC choir program during Reddan’s tenure, which began in 2008. And
it presents an opportunity to combine music with
once-in-a-lifetime, real-world experiences for members of
Re-Choired Element.