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October 2018 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
& OCTOBER 2018
DIABLO VISTA CHORUS
SAVE THE DATE - FREE “3-DAY MUSEUM,”
RECOGNIZING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TET OFFENSIVE
By Fran Miller
Whether you are a shower singer, a former high school choral performer, or a full-on diva, Diablo Vista Chorus (DVC) just might be your calling. This group of 50 women meets weekly in Walnut Creek to rehearse the form of a cappella known as barbershop music. (Yes, women form barbershop musical groups, too.) A chapter of Sweet Adelines International, an organization of 25,000 women
worldwide committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education, competition, and performance, DVC’s repertoire includes standards, Broadway and show tunes, jazz, and even a bit of country. So it’s not strictly barbershop, but it is strictly a cappella, which involves four-part harmony. When sung properly, the notes ring with clarity (Think Pitch Perfect). And, when performed with feeling and heart, barbershop is its most entertaining. Within DVC, any woman of average singing ability, with or without vocal training, can find a part that fits her voice range, with the guided help of DVC’s musical leaders and director Caitlin Castelino who started singing barbershop when she was only 11 years old. A speech-language pathologist with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Castelino travels from San Jose weekly to direct the women in DVC. She helps members with vocal production and technique. “After working with the ladies for a couple months, I knew that I needed to take a chance on them and commit to the drive,” says Castelino who has served as director since October 2015. “There was something really special about them. They were picking up techniques quickly and were really eager to learn, but more importantly, they were having a blast while doing it. Every week I left rehearsal feeling more excited about the chorus and the musical product, and I couldn’t imagine not returning the next week. The women in the chorus are truly remarkable human beings; they are incredibly thoughtful, kind, encouraging, intelligent, and have a special spark that is indescribable. “Our performance at the regional contest this year surpassed every expectation I had. We qualified for the international Harmony Classics competition in New Orleans in September of 2019, a goal I originally thought would take 3-5 years given how challenging it is for groups to qualify and how
See Chorus continued on page 26
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San Ramon Valley veterans will be welcoming families and the general public to a special “Three Day Museum” in Danville starting on Saturday, November 10. The militarythemed exhibits, gathered from local residents, will A volunteer hands a helmet to a guest in the cockpit of a F-8 be displayed inside Crusader jet. the main auditorium of the Veterans Memorial Building as well as outside the building and is centered around Veterans Day on November 11. “Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Tet Offensive” is this year’s theme and will recognize those who participated in the defense of South Vietnam as a surprise attack was launched by combined NVA and Viet Cong forces during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year in 1968. American and South Vietnamese forces were initially surprised by the attack on multiple cities and
See Museum continued on page 22
GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS! HANDBELL CHOIRS CREATE HARMONY
By Fran Miller
Margaret Settle remembers distinctly the moment she was stunned by the melodious power of handbells. One of her daughters, part of a youth handbell choir, was performing at The Claremont Resort for a large group of business people. As the crowd grew larger and louder, Settle thought, “What are we doing
here? These boisterous partying people will never be able to hear, appreciate, or be touched by the music that our kids are about to share.” But, as the bells began
See Handbell continued on page 16
The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville
Volume XVIII Number 10
Volume IX Number 10
3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of The Editors. The Editors is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.