For four decades, the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers have been a cornerstone of choral music in the Rogue Valley.
As the ensemble marks its 40th anniversary, music director Paul French is bringing a beloved holiday tradition to Medford’s newly renovated Holly Theatre and reflecting on how choral music — and the community around it — continues to evolve.
Finding light in wartime carols
At the center of the holiday concert is Benjamin Britten’s "A Ceremony of Carols." Written during World War II, the piece pairs medieval English texts with harp and treble voices, creating, in French's view, a deeply hopeful contradiction: beauty born in a moment of global crisis.
“It’s charming, it’s uplifting. It’s so beautiful, and we need that in the world today,” French said.
He sees this music as a necessary counterbalance. “The news is relentlessly bad," he said. "The beautiful things in the world don’t get talked about enough, and this concert will be one of those things.”
French also finds resonance in Britten’s lifelong focus on innocence and children’s voices, themes that echo through the program. The result, he said, is a holiday concert that doesn’t ignore the hardships people carry into December, but instead offers something restorative — music that feels sincere, luminous and emotionally grounding.
Honoring 40 years while creating new music
As part of the 40th anniversary, French has intentionally woven the ensemble’s history with its present-day mission.
The holiday program includes works by Craig Kingsbury, the group’s first composer-in-residence, which French calls wonderful.
As the current composer-in-residence and Paul's wife, Jodi French’s arrangement of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" brings a contemporary voice to a familiar song, shaped by themes of separation and longing.
“When I get stuck programming, I say, ‘Jodi, would you write this for us?’" he said. "It's always a big hit." .
This balance, between legacy and new creation, has become central to the Repertory Singers’ identity, reinforcing the idea that choral music is a living art form, not a museum piece.
“Big heart music” and the art of programming
French describes himself as a gatekeeper of repertoire, a role he approaches with intensity. Selecting repertoire, he said, is less about assembling a list of strong pieces and more about shaping an emotional journey.
“People would be shocked at the amount of time I spend putting a program together," he said.
His process often begins with a single emotional anchor, a piece that feels like the heart of the concert, and then he arranges around it.
He compares it to building a meal: “You have a main course, so then you have accent courses to be contrast and to amplify that.”
In the years since the pandemic, French has been especially drawn to what he calls “big heart music," works that aim for transcendence, not just polish.
“It’s not unusual to see people in tears,” he said, recalling recent performances. Creating those moments of shared emotional release, he explains, is why he continues to do this work after decades on the podium.
Connecting generations through choral music
A defining feature of the Repertory Singers’ holiday concerts is the inclusion of student musicians. Grants Pass High School students join the program once again.
French said bringing young singers into the concert makes sense. Many of their music teachers also sing with the Repertory Singers, creating a natural connection between the classroom and the stage — and between generations of musicians.
The students will also take part in a gospel-style reworking of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” something French said he’s especially excited about.
“I love gospel music,” he said, adding that composer Jodi French has a real feel for the style. “The kids are going to join us for that ... they’ll be rockin’.”
The program also includes Eric Whitacre’s “The Seal Lullaby,” a quieter moment that gives the students space to blend with the ensemble before everyone comes together for the finale.
That mix of student and seasoned voices reflects how French sees choral music changing. He said today’s repertoire draws from a wider range of global styles and composers, including many more women than in the past.
“Women, for years, weren’t allowed to study and weren’t encouraged,” he says. “Now [there’s] a great slew of women composers… and that’s a joy."
Southern Oregon Repertory Singers presents "A Ceremony of Carols" at the Holly Theatre on Dec.19, as well as performances at Southern Oregon University's Recital Hall on Dec. 20 and 21. Details at repsingers.org.
