Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento childrens chorus"

Sacramento Children’s Chorus to perform concert before tour in China

2013-05-23T23:02:05Z

The Sacramento Children’s Chorus (SCC) will be spending its 20th Anniversary tour in China. But before they take off, the choir will be performing a free concert to preview their upcoming tour on Wednesday, June 12th.

The SCC is comprised of five choirs with over 150 children, ranging in age from elementary school children to college freshmen. The SCC often collaborates with other choirs and musicians to present concerts with the aim of inspiring their audiences.

The touring children’s choir has visited many countries in its 20-season run so far, including England, France, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden. This year’s trip will take the chorus to China, where the young singers will get to perform with a Chinese children’s choir at the Concert Hall of the Hangzhou Grand Theater. The group will also get to do some sightseeing at the Great Wall, Terra Cotta Workshop & Museum, a jade factory, and other historical and educational venues.

The SCC will be performing a highlight concert for their fellow Sacramento community members before their tour begins. On Wednesday, June 12th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, the SCC will be showcasing their repertoire, which includes songs in at least seven different languages. The concert is free to the public.

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RSVP: "Life Songs" Without Reservation

2012-05-03T03:31:31Z

A remarkable choral collaboration occurred Friday evening.

The very talented singers of the Reconciliation Singers Voices of Peace presented an evening of beautiful music in support of Music Partners in Healthcare. They were joined by the Cantus choir of the Sacramento Children’s Chorus.

The program was varied and carefully chosen, and the recently restored sanctuary of St. John’s Lutheran Church was a splendid venue for the tonal clarity and delicate harmonies of the beautiful music.

Throughout the program, the audience sat spellbound as the healing and uplifting power of music was revealed.

Artistic director Lynn Stevens led her chorus of fifth- through ninth-grade singers through a lovely set of five pieces, including the haunting 19th century ballad of “Annie Laurie” by Lady John Scott and a rousing tongue-twister, “Peter Piper” by Lon Beery.

The 16 voices of RSVP captured the sense of connection among all Earth’s creatures in their first two selections: Mack Wilberg’s “Wonder” and “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli. Their program continued with music from a variety of genres, including folk songs, spirituals, doo-wop and jazz, and a beautifully silky version of Mercer and Mancini’s “Moon River.” All of RSVP’s music is sung a cappella, and their beautiful harmonies are precise and exquisite.

These songs were the framework for the presentations of Aileen Kelly and Elizabeth Wendt, founders of Music Partners in Healthcare, a nonprofit organization which brings music to the bedsides of critically ill patients in a number of area hospitals and other health care settings.

Kelly and Wendt explained their program and the general role of certified music practitioners in providing patients with comfort, support and the healing energy of live music. Both women are accomplished harpists. They each played and sang some of the music they have used in their work with premature infants, the critically ill and injured and individuals approaching death.

The audience and RSVP sang along with Wendt’s renditions of “You Are My Sunshine” and “Edelweiss,” as her Alzheimer’s patients have often done.

The final triumphant song, “The Voice” by Brendan Graham, included RSVP, the Sacramento Children’s Chorus and instrumental accompaniment and was rewarded with a standing ovation.

The concert was delightful in itself. The program was repeated on four evenings and in three locations, and all proceeds were directly contributed to the Music Partners in Healthcare.

This is the truly inspiring part of the story: RSVP sings beautifully and has been doing so for 12 years. Founder and director Julie Adams, is an accomplished musician and vocal teacher who created RSVP specifically to make a positive difference in our communities.

RSVP performs a wide variety of music and has done so in support of some 24 deserving charities and programs in the area. The musicians all volunteer their time to provide music for the benefit of organizations which promote peace, education, family support, disaster relief, services for seniors and children, the homeless and health.

The group has also produced three CDs, two of which were recorded at St. John’s, which they offer for sale through their website.

RSVP is a community resource that clearly demonstrates that the individual efforts of a few can make a huge difference in the lives of many. The group certainly deserves a wide audience both for their musical talent and for their dedication to improving our world one song at a time.

Master Singers’ season finale: Fauré Requiem

2011-05-24T05:07:17Z

The final concert in the Sacramento Master Singers’ season was presented last Saturday and again on Sunday at the First United Methodist Church with guest conductor Vance George.

The program was built around the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré, composed in the 1880’s. SMS performed this durable work beautifully, aided by the Sacramento Children’s Chorus singing the Pie Jesu with angelic purity.

The concert opened with three hopeful selections, energetic and bright: the traditional Appalachian tune “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” Finzi’s “My Spirit Sang All Day,” and another Fauré selection. A Mendelssohn motet from “Elijah,” sung in German, followed.

Still, after all of this beautiful music, it was the Bach Motet #2 which brilliantly showcased the considerable talents of these fine singers. It was magnificent. It was written for double choir, and the intricate antiphonal structure and gorgeous harmonies were stunning, sung with precision and passion. With accompaniment by guest organist Heidi Van Regenmorter and a 19-piece festival orchestra, it was a glorious performance.

There were also two special performances sandwiched between the SMS selections. Lynn Stevens directed the Sacramento Children’s Chorus in three selections. The 34 clear treble voices blended in harmony, singing a sweet ballad from the British Isles, a traditional Thai folk song (in Thai and English) and an energetic spiritual, “Chariot’s Comin’.” These children may well be future Master Singers.

The annual Asya Pleskach Scholarships for vocal students were also announced. Elyse Rosky of Nevada Union High School was present to accept her award in the 14 to 16 age category. In Category II, for singers aged 17-19, the first place winner was Kristin Knotts, of Oakmont High School.

Knotts sang “Vergebliches Ständchen, Opus 84., No. 4” by Johannes Brahms, and amazed the audience with her clear soprano and her considerable stage presence. Her graceful phrasing and nuanced tone was unexpected in one so young. Her vocal coach, Sherry Anderson, praised both her talent and her work ethic.

The guest conductor for these performances, Vance George, is conductor emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. His wide experience was evident in his work with the SMS, as was his personal charm in connecting with the large audience. In his 23 seasons with the San Francisco group, they were awarded two Grammys for Best Performance by a Choral Group. George has also been instrumental in Emmy-winning orchestral and choral performances, and in creation of the film soundtracks for “Amadeus,” “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” and “Godfather III.”

"I'm thrilled to have the choir work with such an esteemed conductor as Maestro George,” said Ralph Hughes, artistic director and conductor of the Sacramento Master Singers. “He is like a living history book on choral music in the United States, and we've benefitted from his metaphors on how to use the voice, his immense knowledge of lyric diction, and his ability to coax new vocal colors from the choir. The choir simply sparkles on the Bach!”

This has been an outstanding season for the Master Singers. Dr. Hughes is celebrating 25 years with the elite choral group. He joined his chorus on the risers for this performance. Under his direction, SMC presented “Peace, Peace,” their annual holiday concert; “Jingle All The Way,” a holiday concert for children, and “Celtic Connections III” in March.

For more information about the Sacramento Master Singers, visit their website at www.mastersingers.org.

Divine wine and chocolate for Sacramento Children’s Chorus

2011-03-28T04:15:21Z

It was a night filled with drinks and divine desserts for the Sacramento Children’s Chorus’ Wine and Chocolate: A Harmony of Tastes fundraiser at Revolution Wines Friday night.

According to Sacramento Children’s Chorus’ executive director Daphne Quist, the event was held in honor of the chorus to raise money for the organization, some of which will go toward tuition scholarships for students.

“It was a great success for our organization,” Quist said.

This is the first Wine and Chocolate event for the Sacramento Children’s Chorus and Quist hopes to continue it every year. Corporate sponsorships, individual donations, concerts and one large event each year help fund the organization, Quist said.

Quist hopes the event raised $4,500, but the event possibly reached up to $5,500-$6,000.

The Sacramento Children’s Chorus administrative staff, event committee members and volunteers helped host the event. Throughout the night, 115 people attended the fundraiser.

The attendees included parents and family of the children in the Sacramento Children’s Chorus and friends and staff of the chorus.

Artistic director Lynn Stevens co-founded the choir 19 years ago as a master’s project at Sacramento State.

Stevens sipped on a reserve chardonnay and loved the presentation of the chocolates.

“I love the chance to be with the parents and the community,” Stevens said.

Revolution Wines provided several wines, including pinot grigio, merlot, zinfandel, syrah and a blanco port.

The local chocolatiers that showcased desserts for the evening were Bella Bru Café, Capital Confections, The Chocolate Architect, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Enotria, Good Eats, My Chocolate Affair, Sweeties and Village Cake Shoppe.

The desserts ranged from moist dark chocolate cake slices to rich chocolate brownies speckled with powdered sugar.

Several chocolatiers presented a variety of cookies. Sweeties had a crisp, peanut butter cookie, and Bella Bru Café had chocolate chip cookies and salted chocolate cookies. Dove Chocolate Discoveries put a spin on their chocolate chip cookies with a chai raspberry sauce.

Capital Confections displayed darling chocolate truffles decorated with drizzled chocolate and small candy shapes.

The Chocolate Architect provided a variety of soft and creamy chocolate silks, including espresso, chocolate and raspberry chocolate. My Chocolate Affair created an element of surprise with their chocolate-covered pretzels by including a caramel filling underneath the chocolate.

Parents Kristin and Scott Finney came out to show support and brought their daughter’s grandparents along too.

“It’s nice to be exposed to all the chocolatiers,” Kristin Finney said. “I didn’t know there were so many in Sacramento.”

Celebrity judges for the event included Tina Macuha from “Good Day Sacramento,” Edward Ortiz from The Sacramento Bee, Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney B&L Restaurant and Beth Hassett of WEAVE. Each chocolatier won a different category for their delectable contributions to the event.

Terry Knight of KFBK “Real Estate Show” was the masters of ceremony for the evening.

At the event, attendees placed bids on a variety of items in the silent auction, including Revolution wines and an Italian dinner for 10 prepared by the Sacramento Children’s Chorus staff.

Raffle prizes throughout the event included gift certificates from local businesses and items donated by parents.

According to Stevens, the chorus has 150 children in five different choirs.

More information about the chorus and auditions can be found on their website.