New semester opens with a splash

Busy schedule heats up the Cantabile’s winter season

“When it rains, it pours.” Cantabile’s new semester certainly started out that way! The all-choirs winter concert “A Water Journey” was held on a rainy January 26th, at St. Albert’s Episcopal in Saratoga. Directors Signe Boyer and Peggy Spool presented a repertoire of works all centered on the theme of “water,” including songs about rain, snow, ice, boats, fishermen, the sea, the Erie Canal, and even a crawdad hole! The featured work, “Winter Cantata” by Vincent Persichetti, was accompanied by Chris McLaurin on Marimba and Marian Concus on flute.

Besides the many rehearsals to gear up for the big concert; singers had a chance to perform some of their concert program on other audiences. All Cantabile groups were busy with “extracurricular” performing activities in the community.

Extracurricular activities

On Jan. 11, Chamber Ensemble participated as a demonstration choir for an interest session of the California Music Educators Association Bay Winter Conference, held at San Jose State. The next day, Jan. 12, Levels 1, 2, and 3 sang at the Willow Glen Library. And on Sunday Jan. 13, Chamber Chorus provided music for a meeting at Keys School. Finally, on Jan. 29th, Prep and Intermediate Choirs sang at Palo Alto Commons.

Special rehearsals will be held in February for those Cantabile students selected to sing in the Children’s and Junior High honor choruses for the American Choral Directors Association Regional Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, February 19–21.

Our congratulations to the eleven students who will represent Cantabile: Laura Hamilton, Decatur Macpherson, Diana and Rachael Katra, Katie Tesarowski, Elaine Wu, Francesca LeBaron, Christen Shih, Brendan Ozawa-Burns, Jackie Sadowski, and Kate Blood.

Planning ahead

All seven choirs have just resumed rehearsals for their spring concerts, which will take place May 18 and Jun 1. Also, Signe and Peggy are just beginning to lay out plans for Cantabile’s summer camps, to be held in August. More details to come!

For information on all Cantabile activities, check the website: www.cantabile.org or phone the BCG business office at 650.424.1410.

Volume 10, Issue 3

Baroque Choral Guild, 953 Industrial Ave. Ste 118, Palo Alto CA 94303, 650.424.1410