Review: ‘It is Happiness’ by Capital City Chorus of Olympia
Originally published on the JOLT News on January 21, 2026
Good news travels fast, and I imagine it is almost old news at this point that our beloved Capital City Chorus of Olympia (CCC) treble ensemble is heading to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall on May 24.
Indeed, the chorale received a once in a lifetime invitation to perform the national debut of Joan Szymko’s, “It is Happiness,” song cycle inspired by Mary Oliver’s poetry at the United Churches of Olympia on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Last weekend, local audiences had the opportunity to hear “It is Happiness” performed live by the chorale, enjoy commentary from Szymko, soak in selected works by Mary Oliver read aloud, and enjoy all the other activities involved during this grand fundraising event.
Throughout the afternoon spent with CCC, I found myself in awe of how genuine and kind the singers were, and was invigorated by their passion toward their craft. Normally events like these are exhausting for everyone involved, but from what I observed, I think everyone left the event with an extra pep in their step.
Dreams like this do not come true on their own, and I invite you to give as you are able.
‘It is Happiness’
‘‘Twas a divine inspiration indeed that brought CCC Director Vicki Jardine-Tobin to this composition. I love choral music, but I am particularly picky about music written for tremble ensembles because it can toddle between sounding extremely lovely or weak. This piece was unlike anything I have ever heard, entirely heavenly while carrying tunes of the earth.
In the midst of vocal and instrumental melodies, I heard the sounds of nature. Moments like the flapping of birds wings, the gentle glide of a caterpillar on a leaf, and the transcendent dances of waterfalls and winds. The chorus tapped into this fountain of music with ease, and their joyous energy only intensified the almost holy nature of this moment we all shared together.
Szymko got written permission by Mary Oliver to write a composition, and only a handful of composers have ever received that permission. According to Szymko, when Oliver received the recording of “It is Happiness,” she chose to listen to it often, including first thing in the morning. Having listened to the piece, I see why.
Poetry
The show first began with the following Mary Oliver poetry read aloud by local voices, including Corinna Luyken, Timothy Daniel Coley, Rev. Lara Crutsinger-Perry, and the chorale’s very own McKenzie Ervin, Patti Case and Connie Sowa. I love poetry, but have not given it as much attention lately. This was a fresh breath of air.
The following three poems were included in the song cycle, “It is Happiness.”
The culmination of the brief sunshine and these bright words made me feel that spring might come sooner than we think, and remember that there are flowers that are getting ready to sprout and bloom at this very moment.
Twist of fate
The event itself was listed at 3 p.m., but that was the beginning of the normal festivities — the concert itself did not start until 4 p.m. This was a relief to me because it meant that I could get a late lunch before the show, which was just what I needed.
Restaurants in our area do not typically get busy until about 4:30 p.m., but even so, I played it safe and just ordered an appetizer and told my server that I had to be back at work by 4 p.m., and they were prompt about putting my order in. With only a couple of other people in the restaurant, I thought I was safe. I was not.
I did not get back until 3:55 p.m., and every seat was taken. Somehow in the span of a couple minutes, a seat in the front row was opened, and I gratefully took it.
A friend of mine who is in the chorale saw me and pointed to the gal sitting next to me, and gave me a signal that I should talk to her. I trusted her, so I did: my seat partner was Szymko herself. She was very kind, and gave me a card with a QR code with the link to the song recording. With Szymko herself, I would not be able to share this with you: Click here to enjoy.
Crazy, often ironic, twists of fate can happen at shows, and that is one of the many reasons I love being in the audience.
https://thejoltnews.com/stories/review-capital-city-chorus-it-is-happiness,27893