Palmer pursues her passion to Germany

SALISBURY — Rebecca Palmer, a member of the Salisbury Congregational Church who sang in the children’s and adult choir, will perform at the church Saturday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.Palmer, a resident of North Canaan and a 2006 graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, earned her undergraduate degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and her master’s degree at the Boston Conservatory.She spent last summer at Middlebury College in Vermont in a German-language immersion course, and will soon be traveling to Germany to continue her language studies as well as her musical career.The concert is a fundraiser to help with expenses.Asked why she needs all the German instruction, Palmer said that in the opera world, performers need a working knowledge of French, Italian and German in order to understand the stage directions.“And knowing a language speeds up learning music written in the language.”Palmer said the selection at Saturday’s concert — lieder, mélodies and opera arias — is technically challenging and “requires concert preparation.”Asked how she promotes her kind of music to her contemporaries, she said she thinks of herself as a storyteller.“And besides the story, opera is a larger-than-life art form. The costumes, the stage craft — it’s a very grand art.”She said opera is more accessible today than ever, with the high-definition simulcasts in movie theaters.She said the exposure “helps break down the stereotype of opera as boring.“It’s just as much about the characters as it is about the music,” she continued. “You have to sell the audience, bring them along on the journey.”She is excited to perform before she leaves for Germany.“Every time I perform, I realize there is someone in the crowd who hasn’t heard this kind of music before, and doesn’t know how beautiful and wonderful it is.”She exudes confidence in her own abilities. “I believe my sound can cut through the orchestra.”As for singers of non-classical music, she cited Edith Piaf and Ella Fitzgerald as favorites.Asked what’s playing in her car, she said she had been riding with siblings, hence contemporary music — some rap, some country.“I like reggae in the summer — it makes me happy.”And she is a Beatles fan. “Incredible songs,” she said. “I listen to that and feel different.”So what does the future hold?“You have to pursue your passion,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”