‘Spirit of the Harbor’ set to premiere June 8
Story by Gail Greenwood Ayres
PHOTOS BY KATIE McGregor
Music and Harbor history combine in a unique way in “Spirit of the Harbor,” a film that premieres Sunday, June 8, with the Grays Harbor Symphony accompanying it live.
Cathryn Davis created the movie and wrote the film score, which will be performed at 7 p.m. at the Grays Harbor Symphony’s Spring Concert in the Bishop Center for Performing Arts.
“I’m a storyteller in film and in music,” Davis, 70, said of the best way to describe her work.
“Cathryn created a composition that helps tell the story of our area, along with a film showing historical footage of Grays Harbor,” said Bill Dyer, conductor.
The film shows Grays Harbor from 1850 to 1930, and Davis asked John Larson,
director of the Polson Museum in Hoquiam, to narrate before each section, providing context to the historical photos and film clips.
“It is a thoughtful, deliberate and creative production, which I’m sure audiences will enjoy for years to come,” said Dyer.
A woman of many talents with a background in music, modeling, acting and producing in Los Angeles, Davis attended Grays Harbor College from 2013 to 2016 and then went on to study film scoring at McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, Minn. (She had already earned a bachelor’s of fine arts and music theater from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth in 1976.)
As composer in residence for Grays Harbor College, she was commissioned to create the film and score and began working on it in June of 2023. The grant for the commission came from Grays Harbor College and the Karen Meikle Foundation. (Meikle was a beloved member of the orchestra for many years.)
“Cathryn spent countless hours working with Quinault tribal leaders, the Museum of the North Beach in Moclips and John Larson of the Polson Museum,” Dyer said.
Once the first two sections of the film were complete – “Pristine Country” and “Timber Train” –Davis said she “took them back and wrote the music for it and then orchestrated it.” Knowing the Grays Harbor Symphony intimately was helpful in writing music for it, she said.
The third section is called “Spirit of Quinault.” She was able to compose this section after hearing Guy Capoeman, Quinault president, drumming and singing on a YouTube video.
“I wrote a counter melody to him singing. … This is why I’m doing this section. (Guy’s singing) is so dark and beautiful and deep, and the images are absolutely gorgeous.”
“In this part, I edited some 300 black-and-white still photos and Quinault artwork to the music,” she said. “I wanted to show their success. What does success mean to the Quinault? It’s not money, it’s passing their traditions and language down,” Davis said.
The fourth section is entitled, “Why we love Grays Harbor,” and is a composite of what many different Harborites say they love about where they live, juxtaposed with stunning images.
Speaking of love, Davis is hard pressed to say whether she likes film making or composing better. “It’s almost like asking ‘Which of your children do you love more?’” she said, but then admitted, perhaps composing the music, she loves just a bit more.
Writing a film score is one thing when the composition is on software, she said, but it requires a bit of adjustment as the live orchestra plays the music. Dyer and the orchestra, along with Davis, have been rehearsing for weeks to get it just right.
The third section is called “Spirit of Quinault.” She was able to compose this section after hearing Guy Capoeman, Quinault president, drumming and singing on a YouTube video.
“I wrote a counter melody to him singing. … This is why I’m doing this section. (Guy’s singing) is so dark and beautiful and deep, and the images are absolutely gorgeous.”
“In this part, I edited some 300 black-and-white still photos and Quinault artwork to the music,” she said. “I wanted to show their success. What does success mean to the Quinault? It’s not money, it’s passing their traditions and language down,” Davis said.
The fourth section is entitled, “Why we love Grays Harbor,” and is a composite of what many different Harborites say they love about where they live, juxtaposed with stunning images.
Speaking of love, Davis is hard pressed to say whether she likes film making or composing better. “It’s almost like asking ‘Which of your children do you love more?’” she said, but then admitted, perhaps composing the music, she loves just a bit more.
Writing a film score is one thing when the composition is on software, she said, but it requires a bit of adjustment as the live orchestra plays the music. Dyer and the orchestra, along with Davis, have been rehearsing for weeks to get it just right.
“This film took a village to produce,” Davis said, adding that her assistant director, Clyde McDade, as well as Quinault tribal museum archivists Nicole Law and Aubrey Della, as well as Lee Marriot and Kelly Calhoun of the Museum of the North Beach and John Larson of the Polson Museum, were all a tremendous help.
“My husband (John Davidson) is a film colorist, so he did the color for this film and also helped me edit it and put it together,” Davis said. The couple has homes in Copalis Beach and Olympia.
In addition to “Spirit of the Harbor,” the June 8 concert will feature the winners of the annual Grays Harbor Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition – GHC students Sam Dorsch and Ben Jurasin – as well as Symphony No. 9, the New World Symphony, by Antonin Dvořák.
“My husband (John Davidson) is a film colorist, so he did the color for this film and also helped me edit it and put it together,” Davis said. The couple has homes in Copalis Beach and Olympia.
In addition to “Spirit of the Harbor,” the June 8 concert will feature the winners of the annual Grays Harbor Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition – GHC students Sam Dorsch and Ben Jurasin – as well as Symphony No. 9, the New World Symphony, by Antonin Dvořák.
