Recognition for Ryan Murray of MIM Chorus

After 5 years as Choral Director of the 90-member Music in the Mountains Chorus, the Music in the Mountains organization has named Ryan Murray "Resident Conductor and Choral Director."  Commenting on this news, Music in the Mountains Board of Directors President, Sherry Bartolucci observed, "Ryan has led our Chorus with mastery and singular competence.  He is a joy to work with, and has well-earned this additional recognition."

Director and Accompanist Sought for ElderChoir

The following announcement comes from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission:

Do you know of any musicians with the skills and interest to develop a singing/choral program for older adults?  The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the City's Department of Older Adult Services are looking for a professional vocal coach/director and an accompanist for our collaborative Creative Aging Program’s new Choral Initiative, a program that introduces and engages adults 50 years and older in high quality arts experiences. In the first 2 years of the initiative, we will develop an ongoing older adult singing group at Ethel Hart Senior Center in Sacramento. Plans for future years include developing other similar singing groups in other sites in the city that could collaborate with the Hart group to produce larger events in celebration of their growing elder singing community. The emphasis will be primarily on developing the older voice rather than focusing exclusively on preparing material for concerts.  

Please forward this invitation to apply to skilled musicians who you think can make it a success.  For desired qualifications, compensation, and details about the application process, prospective candidates can review the full RFQ. Application packets are due by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, November 25, 2013. 

Erika Boardman Kraft

Arts Education Coordinator

300 Richards Blvd. 2^nd Floor

Sacramento, CA 95811

916-808-3983 --  SacMetroArts.org

 

Caroling with the Carmichael Christmas Choir

Christiana Quick-Cleveland has just announced the Carmichael Christmas Choir, with all its activity taking place during the month of December.  Rehearsals are scheduled for Dec. 2, 5, 9 & 12 from 7:30 to 9:00 at Rudolf Steiner College in Carmichael.  Then the group will go out caroling at dates, times and locations to be determined.  The cost to participate is $30, and singers must attend at least 3 of the 4 rehearsals.  Interested?  You can register online at this link or by calling Christiana at 916/765-6537.

Get Your Messiah On

Handel’s Messiah is among the best-known choral masterpieces, and for many, the Christmas section of the piece (Part I) is a holiday tradition.  Every year, there are numerous opportunities to hear this music – or sing it yourself.  Anyone who has been a singer for any length of time has probably had at least one opportunity to perform Part 1 of the Messiah, and having learned it, there is great satisfaction in singing it again informally.  Capitalizing on that satisfaction, annual Messiah “singalongs” have been popular for at least the past 60 years.  Every year, there are several in the Sacramento area, and they are already starting to appear.  Dates and sponsors are listed below.  Click on the sponsor to open information about that event in the Sacramento Choral Calendar:

The Noble Experiment – Nov. 10, Roseville

Bethany Presbyterian Church – Dec. 8, South Sacramento

Auburn Symphony – Dec. 10, Auburn

Music in the Mountains – Dec. 20, Grass Valley 

The above events welcome listeners as well as singers, but if a polished performance of the Messiah is what you crave, here are the local presentations: 

Valley Choral Society – Dec. 1, Citrus Heights

Capella Antiqua & the Valley Choral Society – Dec. 7, Sacramento

Yuba Sutter Oratorio Society – Dec. 8, Yuba City

Valley Choral Society – Dec. 8, Sacramento

Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church – Dec. 13, Carmichael

American Bach Soloists – Dec. 15, Davis

Enter the Sacramento Valley Choral Coalition

 A new corporation, the Sacramento Valley Choral Coalition, has been formed with the purpose of promoting choral singing in our community and facilitating communication among choruses throughout the greater Sacramento area. Initially, the Coalition will plan and conduct SacSings! – The Sacramento Choral Festival, which will take place at the Harris Center at Folsom Lake College, June 13-15, 2014. SVCC intends to apply for 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit corporation, and in the meanwhile is under fiscal sponsorship by the Friends of the Arts Commission.

Directors are as follows: (1) Clark Abrahamson (Sacramento Capitolaires), (2) Diana Babcock (Van Erp, Petersen & Babcock and SVCC Treasurer), (3) April Bean (Oakmont High School), (4) Cynthia Cates (Valley Choral Society), (5) Dick Frantzreb (Sacramento Choral Calendar and SVCC President), (6) Robert M. Johnson (Music Society at Cathedral Square), (7) David Loofbourrow (Grass Valley Male Voice Choir), (8) Morris Schlesinger (Voices of California), (9) Maxine Verma (Sacramento Valley Chorus), and (10) David Williams (Folsom Lake College).

Further information about the Coalition will eventually be in the new website of the Sacramento Choral Festival, www.sacsings.org.  You can follow the Sacramento Choral Festival on Twitter, @SacSings. And questions can be directed to SacSings@yahoo.com or 916/781-2900.

Singing Clinic for Men

Voices of California (VoCal), Sacramento’s award-winning barbershop chorus, has announced its Third Annual Singing Clinic for men. There are 4 sessions that will be held on evenings from 7:30 – 9:00 at the Collings Teen Center, 1541 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento. The sessions are conducted by “musical directors, clinicians and vocal leaders” of VoCal, and they consist of the following: (1) Posture and Breathing (Thursday 11/7), (2) Phonation and Resonation (Thursday, 11/14), (3) Articulation (Thursday,11/21), and (4) Coordination, range, dynamics and style (Monday, 11/25). There is no charge, and participants may be invited to sing with VoCal at their December 7 performance at Harris Center at Folsom Lake College. You can register online at www.annualsingingclinic.org, and more information is available by calling 800/385-3659 or sending an e-mail to sing@voicesofcalifornia.org.

Singing Well While You Move

More and more choruses are adding choreography to their performances, and they're facing the difficulty of maintaining vocal quality while the singer is moving.  This problem will be addressed in a "Vocal Master Class" on "CHORAL-ography... learning to maintain good vocal technique and projection while moving and acting."

This 90-minute workshop costs $25 and will be held on Wednesday, November 6 at 3:30 p.m. at Pioneer Congregational Church in Sacramento.  It will be conducted by a cast member of the national touring production of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" that is coming to Sacramento.  The workshop is sponsored by the California Musical Theatre Academy, Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus, and Broadway Sacramento.  An application can be downloaded from this link.  And there is a poster at this link.

Diocesan Choir Festival at Trinity Cathedral

Canon David Link of Sacramento's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral has announced the Twenty-seventh Annual Diocesan Choir Festival, to be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014.  Rehearsals on that day will start at 9:00 a.m., and the event will culminate in a Choral Evensong service at 3:00 p.m.

All singers are invited to participate.  Click here to download a document with more information, or contact Canon Link at sierracanon@yahoo.com or 916/930-8024.

The Best Messiah Story You Ever Heard

In December 1939 a Yuba College instructor assembled a group of singers and instrumentalists to perform Handel's Messiah.  It became a tradition that eventually led to the formation of the Yuba Sutter Oratorio Society (www.ysos.org), which this year will celebrate the 75th anniversary of this annual Messiah performance on December 8 in Yuba City (click here for details in the Sacramento Choral Calendar).

But that's not the best part of the story.  One member of the chorus on December 8 will be LaVerne Grell, who was at that 1939 performance and has directed or sung in every performance since.  And on November 14, she will celebrate her 99th birthday. 

Parkside Church Seeking a Music Director

Parkside Community Church (www.parksideucc.org), 5700 S. Land Park Dr., Sacramento, is searching for a Music Director.  Click on this link for a complete description of the position, including qualifications, duties, compensation offered, and full contact information.  Candidates should submit their resume to be received no later than October 11, 2013.

Sacramento Capitolaires Welcome a New Director

The Sacramento Capitolaires have shared the following announcement about their new director, Ray Rhymer.

"Ray first joined the Barbershop Harmony Society (aka SPEBSQSA) in 1949 in Park Ridge, Illinois.  Following the completion of high school, 3 years in the USMC, marriage and college, he returned to Barbershop in the Simi Valley Chapter in 1963.  In a few short years he started directing chapters, i.e., Simi Valley, Oxnard, Conejo Valley, Sacramento and most recently 15 years with Placerville.  He served in the Contest & Judging Program for over 25 years as a Certified Judge in Sound and later the Singing Category.  He judged numerous Society contests, including the Internationals, and taught in many Society schools nationwide.  He sang in a number of Quartets, and is a several time Far Western District Senior and Super Senior Champion.  Administratively, he served as the Far Western District VP for Music and Performance and also the Vice President for Young Men In Harmony.  A Barbershop Harmony Society member for over 50 years, he has served as the Editor of Westunes, a Far Western District publication, since 2002.  He is a Certified Chorus Director in the Barbershop Harmony Socidty, and is a member of the Far Western District Hall of Fame.

"In his professional career, he earned a BSME at the University of Tennessee, a MSME at USC, and was employed at Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, CA and Aerojet in Rancho Cordova, CA as a rocket engineer (really) and manager, ultimately appointed a Program Manager under contract to NASA.

"Now retired from aerospace, he and his wife Sandy live in Granite Bay with several furry friends."

The Sacramento Community Concert Association Taps Local Choral Groups

It's still rare for local music promoters to call on local choruses for their concert series, but it's beginning to happen.  Months ago the Folsom Lake Community Concert Association announced that it was sponsoring Folsom Gold's Christmas program as part of its season, with Dec. 14 & 15 performances at the Harris Center at Folsom Lake College.

Now, the recently reorganized, 60-year-old Sacramento Community Concert Association has announced it 2013-14 season, and half of its 6 regular concerts include choral groups.  First up, on September 29 is a program that will include the Vocal Art Ensemble, plus guitarist, Matthew Grasso.  Then on November 17, the Sac State Jazz Singers and C-Sus will share the stage with the Doug Pauly Quintet.  And finally, a February 22 program will include the UC Berkeley Gospel Chorus.

All these concerts will take place at the SCCA's new venue:  Westminster Presbyterian Church.

For choral groups, this represents a very promising trend.  Many choruses struggle to build their audiences, and here are community concert associations with their own regular patrons, many of whom may never have experienced a local chorus.  Considering the wealth of entertainment potential in local choruses, this looks like a win-win.

See Barcelona with the Placer Pops Chorale

The Placer Pops Chorale is planning a singing tour of the Barcelona region, July 12-20, 2014, and they have space available for new singers, non-singers, and instrumentalists.  They will be staying in a premium hotel in the heart of Barcelona and giving three local performances.  They go on to explain, "Cost is estimated to be between $3300 - $3500 per person with single supplements or roommate possibilities available.  Add-on travel and touring information is also offered through our tour company and travel agent and we are accepting installment payments quarterly and monthly until close to the date of departure."  More details (including contact information) are at this link.

Kendrick and SCSO Are American Prize Finalists

Earlier today (7/19/13) The American Prize organization announced Dr. Donald Kendrick, founding Director of the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra and Director of Choral Activities at California State University, Sacramento as one of seven finalists in its annual competition in the category of "Conducting -- Choral Division."  At the same time, the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra was named one of twelve finalists in the category of "Choral Performance -- Community."  Both had previously been announced as semi-finalists (see http://sacchoralnews.blogspot.com/2013/05/donald-kendrick-semi-finalist-for.html).

The finalists in these categories were supposed to have been announced "after June 3" and winners "after July 15," so now who knows how long the suspense will be drawn out?

Here is how The American Prize is explained:  "The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit national competitions in the performing arts providing cash awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition for the best recorded performances by ensembles and individuals each year in the United States at the professional, college/university, church, community and secondary school levels. Administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Danbury, Connecticut, The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually. The competitions of The American Prize are open to all U.S. citizens, whether living in this country or abroad, and to others currently living, working and/or studying in the United States of America, its protectorates and territories."

There are 7 categories of competition for conducting and 3 for choral performance (community, college/university and youth/high school).  There are separate competitions for vocalists, pianists, composers, chamber music ensembles, orchestras, bands, musical theater and opera companies, stage directors, and art administrators.

There is more information about The American Prize at their website:  http://theamericanprize.org.  Competition updates are at this link:  http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/.  Other updates are in their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728.

We said it on May 17, and we'll say it again:  good luck, Don and SCSO!

Announcing: The Sacramento Choral Festival

Choruses throughout the Sacramento Valley are working together to plan a Sacramento Choral Festival to be held in June, 2014.  An organizational meeting was held on July 16, and as details are confirmed, they will be reported in postings in Sacramento Choral News.

For the present, you may direct any questions to Dick Frantzreb, Editor, The Sacramento Choral Calendar at info@sacchoralcalendar.com.

Opening: Alto Choral Scholar

Canon David Link of Sacramento's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral has announced the following:  "The position of Alto Choral Scholar in the Trinity Cathedral Choir is available beginning with the Fall season 2013. This is a paid position and an excellent opportunity for a College/University student wishing to gain some choral experience in a positive environment."

Click here to view a flyer announcing the auditions for this position.

Click here to view the Choral Scholar job description.

If you are unable to view the documents, you may reach Canon Link at sierracanon@gmail.com.

Classical Choral Broadcast

Not getting enough classical choral music?  Looking to discover new groups and new music?  Arlington, Virginia's WETA is a classical station that features a weekly hour-long show called "Choral Showcase."  Details of each broadcast are at this link:  http://www.weta.org/fm/features/choralshowcase.  The show airs on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. (that's 5:00 p.m. here, of course), and you can listen online through WETA's "Listen Live" feature:  http://www.weta.org/fm/listenlive.

It gets even better.  WETA offers a 24-hour service called VivaLaVoce, which airs all forms of classical vocal music:  opera, choral, art songs, etc.  You can find information about this service on the WETA website, and it, too, is available for listening anytime via "Listen Live."

Church Choir Director Opening

The First United Methodist Church in Loomis is seeking a Choir Director.  Here is the basic information:  "The Choir Director position is a part-time, paid position with compensation based on a per-event service to the church. Under the supervision of the Pastor, the Choir Director will plan choral music, direct the Chancel Choir and direct the organist/pianist for the traditional worship service and other special services throughout the year. Compensation is $104.20 per event. In a typical week, the two events are the Sunday worship service and one choir rehearsal. For a complete job description, please contact the church office at (916) 652-0469 or the Chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Mark Nelson at chair33sprc@gmail.com. If interested please submit a cover letter and resume to this email address."

Yuba Sutter Master Chorale Recruiting a Children's Choir

The Yuba Sutter Master Chorale is hoping to build a children's choir to perform in its Christmas Concerts scheduled for Dec. 14 & 15.  Rehearsals for the children will most likely be on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Yuba City.  For more information, contact Daphanne Peters, Secretary, YSMC at ysmcnews@yubasuttermc.com.

Sierra Gold Chorus Welcomes New Director

Sierra Gold Chorus is the Auburn chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the women's barbershop singing organization, and they have announced that Ron Black is their new director.  Black has an extensive resume as a music educator, as a director of barbershop and other choruses, and as a singer in award-winning quartets.  He is also Associate Director of Sacramento's men's barbershop chorus, Voices of California.  Click here for a press release with more details.

Vox Musica's Daniel Paulson to Be a Featured Soloist

The Sacramento choral community knows Daniel Paulson as the Founder and Music Director of Vox Musica.  He is also Resident Artist with the Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (TOCCATA), and he will be featured as tenor soloist in their "Summer Solstice Serenade" concert series.  In addition to performances in Reno, Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe, TOCCATA will present this concert in Sacramento at St. John's Lutheran Church (17th & L Sts.) on Sunday afternoon, June 23 at 5:00 p.m.

Paulson will be the soloist in Bach's Cantata BWV 82a Ich habe genung.  For more information, see the event's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/194279794061531/ or visit the TOCCATA website, www.toccatatahoe.com.

Radio Discussion of the Benefits of Choral Singing

The June 3rd broadcast of NPR's "Talk of the Nation" focused on the benefits of singing in a chorus.  Titled "'Imperfect Harmony':  How Singing with Others Changes Your Life," the show featured two guests:  (1) Stacy Horn, author of Imperfect Harmony:  Finding Happiness Singing with Others and (2) Daniel Levitin, professor of psychogy at McGill University and author of This Is Your Brain on Music.  Host Ari Shapiro led a conversation about the benefits of choral singing that included calls from listeners.

To listen to the broadcast, download it, or read the transcript, visit this page:  http://www.npr.org/2013/06/03/188355968/imperfect-harmony-how-chorale-singing-changes-lives.

MaidenSong - A New Choir

Christiana Quick-Cleveland has announced the formation of a new choir for girls ages 11-14.  The first meeting will be July 8 at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3235 Pope Ave., Sacramento.  For more information, visit www.tianame.com.

RSVP Closing Search for Artistic Director

In March, the Board of Directors of RSVP distributed the following announcement:

Reconciliation Singers Voices of Peace (RSVP), based in the Sacramento CA area, is seeking an Artistic Director. Founded thirteen years ago, this select, auditioned group of 16-18 singers presents two concert sets per year, partnering with local charities and programming repertoire that reflects that charity’s mission; from classical choral literature and madrigals to contemporary music, folk tunes and jazz. This position is part-time, approximately 20 hours per month for 10 months. Salary based on experience. To learn more about RSVP, and for a position description and application materials, visit: www.rsvpchoir.org

Now, the RSVP Board announces that it will be closing the application process on Friday, May 24.  Inquiries should be send to director@rsvpchoir.org. 

Kendrick and SCSO Are Semi-Finalists for The American Prize

Dr. Donald Kendrick, founding Director of the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra, Director of Choral Activities at California State University, Sacramento -- among so many other roles and accomplishments -- has just added one more.  He is one of six semi-finalists in this year's competition for The American Prize in Conducting -- Choral Division.  At the same time, the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra has been named one of 13 semi-finalists in the "Choral Performance - Community" category.  In the choral conducting and choral performance categories, finalists will be announced after June 3 and winners after July 15.

Here is how The American Prize is explained:  "The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit national competitions in the performing arts providing cash awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition for the best recorded performances by ensembles and individuals each year in the United States at the professional, college/university, church, community and secondary school levels. Administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Danbury, Connecticut, The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually. The competitions of The American Prize are open to all U.S. citizens, whether living in this country or abroad, and to others currently living, working and/or studying in the United States of America, its protectorates and territories."

There are 7 categories of competition for conducting and 3 for choral performance (community, college/university and youth/high school).  There are separate competitions for vocalists, pianists, composers, chamber music ensembles, orchestras, bands, musical theater and opera companies, stage directors, and art administrators.

There is more information about The American Prize at their website:  http://theamericanprize.org.  Competition updates are at this link:  http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/.  Other updates are in their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728.

Good luck, Don and SCSO!

Sacramento Valley Chorus Takes Second

For the second year in a row, the Sacramento Valley Chorus has taken second place in the Region 12 Competition of Sweet Adelines International, held April 20 in Reno.  This time our local ladies missed first place by only 10 points (out of 620), so congratulations all around!  And if you want to see and hear how they did, videos of the competition are available online at this link:  http://sairegion12.org/events/competition/webcast.html.  The cost is $20 for a password.

Carmichael Singing Community

Christiana Quick-Cleveland has announced a new singing group, the Carmichael Singing Community, and invited people to its first gathering, Friday, April 19 in the Barn at Rudolf Steiner College at 7:30 p.m.  Quick-Cleveland has organized another group, the Chalice Ensemble, which gave a concert/sing-along on March 23 and which organizes its season around intensive rehearsal blocks (see this link).

The Carmichael Singing Community is described as a "group for people who enjoy singing together." Quick-Cleveland further explains, "The idea is to bring us all together to support each other in the activity of singing. What we do from there, how we structure it, the form of the specific vision, that is the work of the collective that comes."

For more information, visit the Tiana Music Enterprises website at www.tianame.com or contact Christiana Quick-Cleveland directly at christiana@tianame.com.

Woodland Chamber Singers to Carnegie Hall in 2014

The Woodland Chamber Singers will make "a special appearance at Carnegie Hall in March 2014.  [They] are being featured as a showcase choir in an evening performance for junior high, senior high, and college choruses attending the New York Choral Festival workshop. The opportunity for the Singers to represent the Woodland community in New York City is an inspiration to younger choral singers and a great source of pride."

Fundraising for the trip has begun and will be part of Woodland Chamber Singers' upcoming concerts on May 11 & 12.  For details, see their listing in the Sacramento Choral Calendar at this link.

Webcast of Barbershop Competition

Region 12 of Sweet Adelines International will hold its annual competition in Reno on April 19 & 20.  Local choruses Sierra Gold (Auburn) and the Sacramento Valley Chorus (Sacramento) will, of course, be competing.

This year, for the first time, it will be possible to watch a live webcast of the competition, plus gain access to archives of the competition until May 5.  The quartet competition starts on Friday, April 19 at 3:15 p.m.; the chorus competition starts on Saturday, April 20 at 12:15 p.m.

The cost is $20 for a personal password, and for an extra $5, you can send a "shout out" to your favorite competitor and have it read out loud to the audience.  Unfortunately, the webcast is not compatible with iPhone, iPad or iPod.  Details are at this address:  http://sairegion12.org/events/competition/webcast.html

Sierra Gold Seeking New Director

Barb Tincher is retiring as Director of Sierra Gold Chorus, the women's barbershop chorus that is a chapter of Sweet Adelines and that rehearses at Dewitt Center in Auburn.  The chorus is seeking a new director and taking applications through April 15.  Details are in their website:  www.sierragoldchorus.org.

Innovative New Website for Chanteuses

I monitor websites of all the choruses in the greater Sacramento area, and there’s only one I would give an A+ rating to – Chanteuses’ recently redesigned site at www.chanteuses.org. Here are some of the features that make the site stand out, aside from the bright colorful images and clean design throughout:

• Everything you might need or want to know (or that they might want you to know) is clearly and briefly presented on the home page – without clutter: the schedule of upcoming concerts, a news feed, CD information, a rotating “billboard” of items they want to highlight, etc.
• The home page has links to the principal parts of the site at the top, where you would expect it. But the footer at the bottom of every page has not only those links, but contact information, and a link to sign up for their e-newsletter (managed by Constant Contact).
• One of my favorite features is the page devoted to the 18 singers and their music director. There is a head shot identifying each person by name, and when you click on their picture or name, you get a bio, plus links for e-mail, their Facebook page and any other contact point they might have wanted to make public.
• To promote their professionally produced Christmas CD, they have provided 30-second samples of each track.
• There is a page of their history, a concert page that lists events through the end of the year (with a link to reviews), a donation page, and a page that highlights their patrons.

Of course, the challenge in any website is keeping it current and providing new interest, so Chanteuses has carved out a bit of extra work for someone in the organization. But the introduction of this site has raised the bar for the sites of small choruses in our area.

 

 

American River Chorus Is Now Voices of California

Formed as recently as 2010 as a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the American River Chorus has changed its name to Voices of California, in part to eliminate any confusion that they are affiliated with American River College.  But another motivation for the new name is to give the chorus a fresh image.  They explain:  "We wanted to 'rebrand' ourselves as our reputation grows and more people recognize the level of talent we bring to the stage. We are a dynamic singing group committed to truly entertaining shows for all ages. We put about 75 men (from ages 11 to 85) on the risers for a performance, but even more than that come to our weekly practices from as far away as Lake Tahoe, Modesto, Chico, and even Reno and Santa Rosa. Why? Because it’s so much fun to sing this well!"

Part of their success is evident in the fact that they have been invited to perform at the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Conference in Toronto in July.  Of more than 800 eligible choruses, only 29 were invited.

Voices of California will present its spring concert at the Crest Theatre in two shows on Saturday, May 11.  For more details about this event in the Sacramento Choral Calendar, click on this link.

And here is an invitation they have sent out regarding their upcoming Guest Night:  "The Voices of California is holding a Guest Night, Thursday, April 4th 2013 at 7:30 PM. Singers are invited to visit the premier men’s a cappella chorus in the Greater Sacramento area. Guests are promised an evening of singing, fun and fellowship. The location is the Collins Teen Center in West Sacramento."

Amador Choraliers Looking for Alumni

(press release) The Amador Choraliers are looking for people who have ever sung with the group in the past 50 years! They are celebrating their Golden Jubilee this spring and are inviting all alumni to join them for a few songs. If you, or someone you know, were ever a member, please contact Carole at (209) 743-9258 for details. The Choraliers are always looking for new singers as well. Let them know if you are interested in joining them.

Informal Singing at the Choir Bar

Here’s an idea: getting together to sing informally, minus printed music. It’s called the “Choir Bar,” an activity of the Fusion International Arts Center in Sacramento, and it’s been going every other Wednesday for the past couple of months.

Led by the Center’s Executive Director, Gayliene Omary, who learned to love singing in musical theater and school choirs, people sing familiar (typically popular) tunes, and work out their own harmonies. Sometimes sessions are devoted to a particular style (like the Feb. 13th meeting that will focus on gospel music). When they don’t have a piano accompaniment, they sing to recorded tracks.

The “Bar” part of the name is just to suggest a gathering place – all ages are welcome (no hard liquor), but food and drinks are available for purchase. Beyond that, they ask for a donation of $5 at the door.

Gayliene explains that she got the idea from a story on NPR that described a similar activity in Toronto, and you can check out that story at this link.

Fusion International Arts Center (www.fusioniac.com) has a mission to bring people together to communicate through the arts (dance, music, art, and theater) and to build cultural understanding and foster people’s artistic talents. Their building on Arden Way (near I-80) provides a large (16,000 square feet) space for events of all kinds.

For more information about the Choir Bar, contact Gayliene Omary at 916/538-4008 or gayliene@fusioniac.com

Sacramento Children's Chorus to Tour China

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Sacramento Children's Chorus is undertaking a singing tour of China June 18-29, 2013.  For details of the sights they will see and the performances they will give, visit this page on the SCC website.

Folsom Gold Opens Andrew Lloyd Webber Show

On March 24, Folsom Gold, the 12-member mixed chorus that gave its first public concert last June, will open for a show at Three Stages called "The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber."  The show is sponsored by the Folsom Lake Community Concert Association, and will feature 4 performers who tour under the name, "The Best of Broadway."  The show is sponsored by the Folsom Lake Community Concert Association, and with the 2:00 p.m. show sold out, they have added another show at 7:00.  Follow Folsom Gold through their website:  www.folsomgoldsingers.com.