News and notes
from around the state FAR SOUTH REGION In February, the San Diego Master Chorale presented its fourth annual High School Honor Choir featuring more than one-hundred high school singers from the greater San Diego area. The singers, representing twenty different high schools, were given a day-long workshop rehearsal with SDMC music director John Russell. The day culminated in a collaborative performance with the members of SDMC at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego. In March, The San Diego Unified School District presented its second incarnation of the District Honor Choral Concert, coordinated by Laura Williams of the VAPA Department. Over 120 students in grades 4-12 participated in one of three choirs directed by Kristy Aragon (Green Elementary), Emilie Amrein (University of San Diego), and John K. Russell (Palomar College and San Diego Master Chorale). The students had six weekly rehearsals before the culminating event on March 7.
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Elizabeth Waterbury. The Shasta College Jazz Choir and Concert Choirs are enjoying the music of Arcadelt, Josquin, Koppin, Silvey, Shaw, and Kerry Marsh. The California Music Educators Association, Capitol Section, recently recognized Tina Harris, Director of Choral Music at St. Francis High School in Sacramento, as their Choral Educator of the Year. The Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra (pictured below during last year’s performance of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem) were due to perform the Verdi Requiem on Saturday, March 21, in Memorial Auditorium with soloists from the MET. Mayor Steinberg was to present a Proclamation to the family of our famous Chef Biba Caggiano who passed away last October. Donald Kendrick coordinated the music for Baggiano’s funeral in the
Cathedral, which attracted over one thousand people. Sacred Heart’s Schola Cantorum, also under Kendrick’s baton, will undertake a concert tour to Montreal in June with performances in Notre Dame Basilica, Christ’s Church Cathedral, and The Ascension of Our Lord Church. Gavin Spencer was recently named the High School Teacher of the Year for Shasta County. Gavin leads the Shasta High School Choir Program.
BAY AREA Resounding Achord of San Jose and the West Valley College Concert Choir joined together for a concert on Leap Day. Conductors Kristina Nakagawa and Lou De La Rosa crafted a program that was full of whimsy and laughter to celebrate the extra day of the year.
NORTHERN REGION The choral programs at Shasta College in Redding unfortunately had to cancel their planned May performances. The North State Symphony was to have performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Shasta College Chorale and the Simpson University Trinity Singers joining the symphony for the fourth movement. The Shasta College Chorale is directed by Dr.
38 • Cantate • Vol. 32, No. 2 • Winter 2020
California Choral Directors Association
