Mastersingers to feature Tri-City teachers in Feb. 26-28 concert

Justin Raffa met Carri Rose not long after he moved to the Tri-Cities in summer 2008.

“She was so nice,” said Raffa, artistic director of the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers. “She and (her husband) Jason and I became good friends.”

Raffa and the Roses have a lot in common. They’re all around the same age, they’re all musicians and they’re all music educators.

And next week, they’ll put their musicianship — and their friendship — on display on stage

Raffa’s Mastersingers are presenting The Rose Concert, featuring Carri Rose on percussion and Jason Rose on clarinet.

With the show, “I wanted to celebrate who they are in the community, what they’ve done for (students) and the Tri-Cities as a whole, and also say, ‘They’re really amazing artists,’ ” Raffa told the Herald. “They’re the real deal. They are truly musicians all around.”

The Rose Concert is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 27-28 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1609 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick.

Carri Rose is the music teacher at Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Richland, and Jason Rose teaches instrumental music at Richland High.

They met at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Along with their teaching jobs, they also perform with the Mid-Columbia Symphony.

Carri Rose said the upcoming show will be special.

“To work so closely and to have the communication musically between Jason and I and the chorus — I’m really excited about that,” she told the Herald.

The Mastersingers and the Roses will perform one piece together, with Carri on vibraphone and Jason on clarinet. The work, A Litany for Courage and the Seasons, is by American composer David Maslanka.

It’s a challenging piece — one “that pushes the limits for all of us,” Raffa said.

The choir also will perform John Muehleisen’s Eat Your Vegetables, Set 1 with Jason Rose and Bob Chilcott’s Making of the Drum with Carri Rose.

A Behind the Music talk with Raffa and the Roses is planned a half-hour before each show. Art centered on the “rose” theme also will be on display.

And audience members are encouraged to bring donations of shoes in kids’ sizes and small adult sizes for students in need at Lewis & Clark. The school has a significant number of students living in poverty.

Carri Rose said she and her husband are happy for the chance to perform with the Mastersingers.

“Where we started was as performers. That’s where we fell in love with music. You become a music teacher to share that with your students,” she said.

Music “brings to (people) something that nothing else can,” she said. “It brings to us something more.”

Tickets are $20 in advance and $20 at the door. K-12 students are admitted for free. Advance tickets are available at www.midcolumbiamastersingers.org.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Mastersingers to feature Tri-City teachers in Feb. 26-28 concert."