Poetry in music: Paula Sinclair to sing William Stafford poems Sunday

At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, she will perform with a 56-piece orchestra, Starlight Symphony, at the United Methodist Church in Tigard

By Kristen Forbes

The Times, Oct 2, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Portland singer Paula Sinclair will perform at the United Methodist Church in Tigard on Sunday. The songs she'll play integrate her own music with the poetry of William Stafford.

Submitted photo / Times

ADVERTISEMENTS

Kentucky-born Paula Sinclair started in a country duo at 14, singing at small venues while accompanied by her high school Spanish teacher. The 11th of 14 children (her twin was the 10th, barely), Sinclair knew she wanted to be a musician from a young age. Her late father, 85-year-old mother, and half her siblings were musical, but she was the only one who envisioned this as a career.

After spending time in the Southeast and Boston, Sinclair moved to Portland in 1998, needing a place to recuperate after a shoulder injury.

“The place, culture, politics, climate and people all felt like home,” says Sinclair, who lives in Sellwood. “It didn’t take long to decide to stay.”

Her duo days behind her, Sinclair is ready to front a much larger band. At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, Paula will perform with a 56-piece orchestra, Starlight Symphony, at the United Methodist Church in Tigard.

A country alt singer-songwriter, Sinclair’s latest style is a fusion of music and poetry. She draws on the works of established poets, melding them with her own music. This process came about after Sinclair moved to Portland and befriended poets, who introduced her to their works at readings in their homes.

“I was impressed with what I heard, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the power and music of this experience of spoken language,” Sinclair says. “Later, when I struggled with writer’s block and needed to find a way to express myself, I used the words of others to help me create new music. In a way, it was my first experience collaborating as a songwriter, accompanying the spoken music of other people’s poetry with my own sung music.”

1 | 2 Next Page >>