Frederick N. West has always loved and composed choral music since 1986 when he wrote the Christmas Cantata. He founded and directed the City Cantabile Choir for 43 years, began singing for the Orcas in the annual Orca Sing on San Juan Island 25 years ago and continues to do so. The singers had some extraordinary experiences with the Orca pods coming very close and vocalizing through the hydrophone array, sometimes in rhythm with the music! The group sang gospel music, classical pieces, Brazilian chants and even had a samba group one year. The Orcas always seemed to like Yemanja – the chant to the Yoruba, Goddess of the sea.

With his background of singing for whales, Marcia Henton Davis’ invitation to compose music for her made for a perfect project for Fred in collaborating with Marcia on the first Orca Cantata held in October of 2025. As inspiration for his work, Fred swam almost daily in the cold waters of Puget Sound, the very waters Tokitae’s family still swims through.

Tokitae, also known as Lolita – the orca taken from Penn Cove in 1970 and kept in Miami for 53 years until her tragic death in 2023 – was the inspiration for the music and words that seemed to come to him as if directly from the water itself.

Fred also conducted the Seattle Peace Chorus for 24 years and toured with them to Cuba, Chile and Venezuela and throughout the Southwest. Composition is his true passion and in 1986 the City Cantabile Choir premiered his Christmas Cantata. He has written large choral works such as “Upon This Land” an environmental oratorio and Dlarmaid and Grainne – an Irish myth commissioned by the Seattle Peace Chorus. He then set the words to Langston Huges’ “Let America Be America Again” to music for a brass ensemble choir and baritone soloist.

A high point of his conducting was performing with the legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his quartet. They sang Brubeck’s La Fiesta De La Posada. He had an inspiring choir director, Dr. Robert Scandrett and a brilliant composition professor, Dr. Edwin LaBounty. He is thrilled to be conducting and composing for the radiant voices of the Turquoise ensemble and the Voices of the Salish Sea.