« Older Entries

After a class and a concert in Alexandria, in Central Louisiana, we came back to our own coast. Once a year we find ourselves in the lovely acoustic with one of our warmest and most faithful audiences at St. James by the Sea in La Jolla, California where the weather is usually wonderful. “Love Story,” a reception, and a quick flight from San Diego and we’re home in San Francisco. Next up is a challenging program called “What do you think I fought for” – 3 pieces completely unknown to us – including a film score by Brent Michael Davids to a 1909 silent- and two pieces which a few of us know by Shulamit Ran and Shawn Crouch, all on the subject of war and our apparent inability not to make it. Serious times ahead!

After Saint Louis, we had a very fun day in Austin doing a masterclass for 8 choirs and a performance at the Etta and Joseph Miller Performing Arts Center. It often seems to us, that from a choral education point of view, Texas is the new Minnesota. Of course it’s a big ol’ state, but so many colleges and high schools with seriously good choral programs. For instance there were five choirs in attendance at our Stude Hall concert last night. We’ve seen quite a lot of them, and always look forward to it. Our Houston concert in the magnificent Stude Concert Hall at Rice University last night was the 6th in Chanticleer’s history/ Today we had a class with the University of St. Thomas singers and the Madrigal Singers of the High School of Performing and Visual Arts. Tomorrow we drive to Alexandria Louisiana for another class and concert on Friday, then back to California to end this fairly brief ( certainly compared to our romp through Europe) tour in La Jolla.

Pretty soon after our marathon European tour we were on the road again, heading to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis – one of our longest standing and most faithful presenters, where we love to perform.  The next day Jefferson City, MO, then Austin, TX and today we'll be arriving in Houston to perform at the magnificent Stude Concert Hall at Rice University.

Meanwhile back in the Bay Area,  LAB 6 is starting its own long Mission Road with a program  illuminating Music of New Spain, both Spanish and Mexican.  Performed yesterday afternoon at St. Matt's Lutheran ( an original home of Chanticleer) to a standing ovation, this program will be repeated in more than 10 schools – particularly aimed at the mission-studying 4th grade, more than l0 times for the general Public, including Education Through Music, Salem Lutheran Home, Contra Costa League of the San Francisco Symphony, and the Berkeley Early Music Festival.  LAB will then join us to perform outside out some of our Mission Road concerts in June.  

LAB 6 had a busy day today, spreading the word about the glories of polyphony to schools in San Francisco and demonstrating the beauty of music written for the California Missions.  The day started at Presidio Middle School at 8.15am and ended at 4pm at Mission Middle School.  While all California 4th graders learn about the Missions, memories seems to have faded in most cases, so it's good that LAB 6 serves as a musically illustrated reminder!  LAB 6 is getting a particularly intense dose, as Professor Craig Russell ( who exhumes and edits all our mission music) has taken a shine to them and has shown up at two rehearsals so far! 

The second school in the day was George Washington High School, a session which ended with a joint sing of Deep River with members of the GWHS chamber singers group.   In the period of Mexican baroque singers played instruments as well as singing, demonstrated by our versatile LAB singers.

 

On to AP Giannini, then, which has participated in our Middle School Festivals, and which is the alma mater of two current LAB participants.

 

Then a whole assembly at Mission Middle School which is right beside the California mission in which Chanticleer was founded – the Mission Dolores.

 

LAB's busy tour has only just begun.  There will be concerts throughout the month, including an appearance at Chanticleer's annual Gala.  

LAB 6  is busy preparing music to accompany Chanticleer's Mission Road project in June.  Classical Voice describes the project in which LAB will spread the word about the beautiful music from the California Missions:

www.sfcv.org/article/kids-around-the-bay-49

At last Saturday's rehearsal LAB worked with musicologist Craig Russell who has long edited music of the period for Chanticleer and is putting together this June's program.  He happened to come by and stayed for the whole rehearsal which was fun for everybody.

LAB also made a triumphant return to Caffe Trieste for Tango Revolution; there should be video soon!

« Older Entries