5 | YOU CAN LEARN A LOT....·

6 | RESPECT FOR THE PAST, RESILIENCE FOR THE FUTURE·

7 | HORSES NOT INCLUDED·

8 | TRIP OF A LIFETIME·

12 | HELP! I’M DIRECTING A CHOIR!

15 | ON NOT COMPOSING·

16 | 6 REASONS YOU’LL FEEL SILLY IF YOU MISS CASMEC

18 | CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES!

20 | HOWARD SWAN AWARD’ ’

22 | VISION FOR THE FUTURE·

24 | HONOR CHOIR CENTRAL

28 | NEWS AND NOTES

31 | TOP FIVE: WOMEN’S CHOIRS

32 | TOP FIVE: TWO-YEAR COLLEGE CHOIRS

34 | TOP FIVE: CHILDREN’S CHOIRS

CANTATEVolume 27, Number 3

Official publication of theCalifornia Chapter of the American

Choral Directors’ Association

Eliza Rubenstein, editor

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONSWe welcome and encourage California ACDAmembers to contribute articles, announcements,

music and book reviews, job vacancy listings,photographs, and other items of interest to Cantate!

Please send queries and article ideas to. You are also

welcome to submit completed articles, but pleasenote that not all articles received will be published.

Deadlines for publication are as follows:August 15 (Fall issue); November 1

(Winter issue); March 1 (Spring issue).

The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions.

ADVERTISING IN CANTATEPlease visit our website ( ) or

e-mail us at forcomplete information on advertising in Cantate,

including rates, deadlines, and graphics specifications.Advertisements are subject to editorial approval.

On the cover: The choirs of CSU-Fullerton andCollege of the Canyons sing at L’église de la Madeleine,

Paris, France, in July 2015. Photo used by kind permis-sion of Bob Minor ( ).

2016 EVENTS CALENDAR

WHEREAS,the human spirit is elevated to abroader understanding of itselfthrough study and performance inthe aesthetic arts, and

WHEREAS,serious cutbacks in funding andsupport have steadily eroded stateinstitutions and their programsthroughout our country,

BE IT RESOLVEDthat all citizens of the UnitedStates actively voice their affi rmativeand collective support for necessaryfunding at the local, state, and nationallevels of education and government,to ensure the survival of arts programsfor this and future generations.

It is my honor to serve the members ofCalifornia ACDA as president for the next

two years. As Yogi Berra once said, “You canobserve a lot by watching,” and I have had theopportunity to watch and learn from some ofthe best: Presidents Lori Marie Rios, JonathanTalberg, and Travis Rogers. Thank you all foryour guidance and wisdom, which I will con-tinue to seek from time to time.

When I became president-elect, I wrote thatone of the goals of my presidency would be tosignificantly increase learning opportunitiesfor California ACDA membership throughprofessional development conferences andworkshops. Apparently, something magicalhappened when I wrote that down two yearsago, because that goal will come to fruition inless than six months when we will all be ableto attend the first California ACDA StateConference at CASMEC in San Jose,February 11-14, 2016. This is in additionto the fantastic ACDA Western DivisionConference in Pasadena, February 24-27.

The All-State Honor Choirs will performin two concerts at the California All-StateMusic Education Conference (CASMEC)and will feature a brand new All-State JuniorHigh School Mixed Choir (grades 6-9). Inaddition, twelve auditioned choirs from acrossthe state will perform in four concert sessions;the Choral Leadership Academy will providehigh school, community college, and universitystudents with the opportunity to explore acareer in choral music; and fifteen choral inter-est sessions will be offered. Please see pages 22and 23 for more information.

Over the past year, California ACDA haswelcomed 258 new members. With an overallretention rate of about 86%, we totaled 1,432members as of June 30. Student members,tomorrow’s leaders in our profession, numbered306, thanks in part to the Student Initiative.For the next year, choral music educationstudents may join or renew for just $5.00 bygoing to .California ACDA & National combinedsponsor $30 for each student membership.College and university professors, you owe it to

your students to require them to join ACDA.At just $5.00, you’ll be doing them a favor.This offer is limited to choral music ed majors.

Given the large number of choirs inCalifornia, we should have more active mem-bers than we do. I ask you to invite non-ACDAcolleagues to become members during the SingUp Membership Drive which runs September21 to November 18. Being a member ofACDA has given me the opportunity to workwith wonderful conductors, many of whom havebecome close friends. I am a better conductor,a more effective teacher, and a more thoughtfulartist because I am an ACDA member. Tellyour friends what you get out of ACDA! Visit

or contact SundraFlansburg at to learnmore about the Colleague Referral Program.

I want to thank each of the state board mem-bers for agreeing to serve. Not only are theyincredibly talented and eager to be a resourcefor you, they are all worker bees who havegreat, outside-the-box ideas. I’m pleased to adda new R&S position to the Board for ChoralComposition. We are one of a handful of statesthat has such a position. David Montoya, whomade the suggestion, will set the standardfor what this position can be. He is alreadyassisting me in organizing an interactive eventfor composers and conductors at the WesternDivision Conference in Pasadena.

Speaking of which, be sure to make plansto attend the ACDA Western DivisionConference on February 24-27. It is just twoweeks after CASMEC, but you do not wantto miss this lineup, with Conspirare and CraigHella Johnson, Pacific Chorale, Roomful ofTeeth, Voces8 with Ola Gjeilo, and M-Pact,not to mention a host of auditioned choirs andfascinating interest sessions. I look forward toseeing you there. Visit

!Finally, please let us know how we might

better serve you and your choir. We all are herefor love of the choral art, and like the phonecompany, we’re here to help…except we can’treverse charges.

As an association, we are resilient. As musi-cians and educators, we are resilient. In

the twelve years I’ve served on this board, eachof us has had to be resilient.

During that time, we’ve seen lots ofchanges. We went through a recession, electedthe first African-American President of theUnited States, lost people we loved, fell inlove ourselves, and watched our students fallin love and get married. The Supreme Courteven voted in support of marriage equality, amomentous event in all of our lifetimes.

Nationally, ACDA has made numerouschanges since I came on the board twelve yearsago. Tim Sharp took over as Executive Directorafter the death of Gene Brooks and positivelychanged our direction. California leadershipmoved through a number of presidential per-sonalities who each provided a unique voice.These men and women each provided invalu-able guidance and leadership to colleagueswho make decisions for the constituents of theCalifornia ACDA.

I was humbled then, as I am now, by whatthey accomplished. Each president before mepossessed a style, mood, character, and internalstability all of their own. I came on the boardwhen Hanan Yaqub was transitioning to therole of past president, and I was amazed at theway she handled leadership. It was as if she hada secret that she was waiting for us to figure out.Kathryn Smith, ever organized and ready forother people’s perspectives, was always recog-nizing and giving opportunities to others. JulieDana graced her leadership with confidence,not only in her own ability and ideas, but in thecapability and power of the board itself. KenAbrams had the ability to seize opportunitiesand navigate the unknown. Travis Rogerswas admired for his ability to make informedtactical and strategic decisions, and JonathanTalberg knew how to shape change in orderto prosper and thrive in the most challengingenvironments.

During my time as your president, and inconsidering the legacy of these great men andwomen, I think our biggest challenge has beenweathering budget cuts that make it a struggle

for many of our music programs to hang on.I’m proud to say that in the past two years ofmy presidency, our membership has grown by16% or so, which has a positive effect on ourability to adapt and thrive. Even with the loss ofmany of our beloved mentors, colleagues, andfriends, we remain resilient.

Today I can tell you that resilience is notjust about bouncing back from mishaps, butalso about recognizing opportunities, defyinglimits, grasping possibilities, taking control ofthe present, and directing our future—which isever-changing.

Demonstrating resilience means settinggoals for ourselves. I believed in our ability toachieve higher aspirations, our ability to harnessour expertise as a board, and our ability to turnexperience into direct action. My objective forthe California ACDA was to start the Visionfor the Future Scholarship fund that would beearmarked for constituents who needed fundsto support their continuing education.

Did you know that California has 1,432members in ACDA? If every member gave$100, we would have $143,200. If half gave$100, we would have $71,600. If half of ourmembers gave $50, we would have $35,800.But if every member gave just $30, we wouldhave $42,960 to put toward the professionaldevelopment of the next generation of musiceducators.

California ACDA taught me to ask how weshow resilience, both as individuals and as partof something larger. How do we shape change?What do we leave for our choirs? What do weall leave when we close the rehearsal door roomand turn off the lights?

I leave the presidency with Lou De LaRosa, who believes in our ability to achievegreatness, and I look forward to accompanyinghim on the next phase of California ACDA’smission. We’re not done yet!

It has been my true pleasure to serve you.Keep growing, learning, and challengingothers and yourself. Be the change you wantto see in the world, and thank you for believingin me and making me part of your own vibrantjourney.

Somewhere in a scrapbook at my parents’house is the debut issue of Power!, a

magazine I founded and published at ageseven or so. It included a couple of puzzles,some terrible drawings of horses, and a ratherforward-looking recipe for strawberry-bananasmoothies.

Power! went out of circulation after abouta week, but my passion for arranging wordson pages persisted: a friend and I ran asemi-subversive elementary-school newspapercalled Ellie’s Journal for three years beforeour principal clamped down on independentmedia; I was fortunate to be the editor of theliterary magazine at a high school where thatsort of thing wasn’t an automatic social deathsentence; and any task that gives me an excuseto download a new font is one I’m happy tovolunteer for.

Cantate is a bigger publication with a biggerreadership than any of my past projects, though,so I was equally excited, flattered, and terri-fied when Lou De La Rosaasked me to become the nexteditor of California ACDA’sofficial magazine. Cantate haslong been a gem, thanks mostrecently to the outstandingleadership of David Scholz.His award-winning tenure is adifficult act to follow.

Happily, David’s beenevery bit as helpful and gener-ous as he is capable, and hisguidance and kindness havemade the transition a smoothone. Lou, Rob Istad, andGavin Spencer have createda formidable new advertising team, and theentire Board has contributed cheerfully andpunctually to the effort.

We hope you’ll want to be part of theCantate team as well. There’s an enormousamount of wisdom, experience, wit, and talentamong the members of California-ACDA, andwe’re hoping to represent an ever-wider spec-trum of people and topics in these pages in themonths ahead. If you’re thinking “But I’m not

a writer!”, don’t worry—there are lots of waysto contribute:

• Write! (I know, I just said you didn’t haveto; we’ll get to that in a moment.) Do you havean area of interest or research that would makea great article? Have you, or has someone youknow, done something that deserves to be pub-licized? Is there a choral luminary in your lifewhom you could interview?

• Send us news items! On pages 28and 29 you’ll find a new feature highlightingaccomplishments and milestones from aroundthe state. Your regional representative wouldlove to hear yours!

• Share your photos! If you’re photographi-cally inclined, send your high-quality imagesof ACDA events and happenings. We’ll alsoconsider outstanding images as cover artwork.

• Encourage your colleagues andstudents to contribute! A publication

credit looks terrific on anaspiring conductor’s CV, andwe’d love to feature the voicesof more of our younger mem-bers in the magazine.

• Advertise! If your school,organization, or company isn’talready a Cantate advertiser,consider becoming one. Ourprices are tough to beat, andthere’s no more immediateway to reach California’s cho-ral community.

• You tell us! We probablywon’t be publishing any horse

drawings or smoothie recipes, but we’re opento your choral-related suggestions and submis-sions. Send your ideas to

!

I’m thrilled to be part of the CA-ACDA boardand the Cantate team, and I hope you’ll enjoy

the stories, news, and photos you’ll find in thisissue and in the issues to come. Now, why notadd your voice?

Matthew Martinez: What were the circumstances that ledyou to apply for the Eisteddfod fifty years ago?

Joseph Huszti: I was a fourth-year teacher at the time andBakersfield College was my first job. I got a postcard in themail from a tour company. There were not many tour compa-nies at that time. It said something like “Wouldn’t you like totake your choir to Europe?” So I said, “Why not?” We wereinitially going to go to the Eisteddfod to observe, and HowardSwan said, “No, if you’re going, you should enter.” So on hissuggestion I sent in an application, but for the wrong division!There was a youth choir division and an adult choir division,and the adult division looked like it fit us best because of therepertoire. I guess I didn’t read it carefully enough. We prob-ably should have been in the youth division.

Melinda Huszti: It turned out to be an error that was awonderful thing.

MM: How many kids did you take?

JH: We had 54 in the entire party, which included four chap-erones, Melinda, and me.MM: Had any of the kids been overseas before?

MH: Most had never been out of California and had neverbeen on an airplane. And fifty years ago that’s how it was.People just didn’t travel as much. Conductors didn’t take theirchoirs to Europe. Now you get all kinds of offers to take yourchoir to Europe, but it was a very wild idea at the time. Andit was six and a half weeks—nobody tours for that long! Whatwere we thinking?

MM: What were the concerns you had?MH: In order for the district to agree to let them travel outof the country, they asked the group to get together a code ofethics and sign it. It included a lot of things like no alcohol,

Below: Joseph Huszti shows President Lyndon Johnson the trophy won by the Bakersfi eldCollege Choir in Llangollen, Wales, in July 1965

By Matthew Martinez

Fifty years ago this summer, JosephHuszti and his wife, Melinda, took

the Bakersfield College Choir on an im-probable overseas tour and became the firstAmerican choir to win the InternationalMusical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales.The six-week tour spanned the UK andEurope and included a meeting with PopePaul VI and a White House receptionwith President Lyndon Johnson upon theirreturn to the States. This was a choir tour that not onlymade history with its surprising win inWales, but also raised the bar for Americanchoral music on the international scene. Yetthe Husztis, who reunited with members ofthe choir in Bakersfield in July to celebratethe 50th anniversary of the trip, say thatthe achievements are only part of the story. I sat down with my mentor—whorecently retired after nearly forty years atUC-Irvine—and his wife to talk about theiramazing journey...and what it all meant.

no independent travel, and agreeing to behave like ladies andgentlemen.

JH: The rules were not given to us. The choir officers cameup with the rules and wrote them. Every singer agreed to signthem and that satisfied the district. But the last few weeks wewere worried about money! There were three kids who wereeligible, who we really wanted to go, who balanced the choircorrectly, who knew their music, they had been in on all thefundraising activities for two years, and so the final push wasto get funding for these last three kids to go.

MH: And the last week, one of the men who really helped usin the community was the manager of the local J.C. Penneystore. He just couldn’t stand it that those three couldn’t go, sohe arranged to have a telethon that was held out of our house.It was amazing that the community scraped together enoughmoney to send those three students. They didn’t know untiltwo or three days before.

MM: What was your most surprising experience on tour?JH: Obviously the most surprising thing was the Eisteddfod.It was the first time an American choir had ever won that. Ithink singing for the Pope was something that was very special.And then, of course, with President Johnson sending a planefor us to New York. Somehow a plane appeared! We divertedour flight from Paris to New York. The plane met us in NewYork when we landed and flew us to Washington D.C. Thatwas all pretty unusual and very exciting.

MM: How did the private audience with Pope Paul VI cometo fruition?

JH: One of our kids’ relatives was in the church hierarchy inFresno.MH: The student, Cathy, was given the choice: she couldhave a private audience or the choir could sing for Pope Paul.

JH: She said she’d rather have the choir singfor the Pope than have a private audience.Which is really a fantastic gesture on her andher family’s part because they had arrangedthis private audience with the Pope for her. I had an appointment with the American Collegeof Cardinals the day before the audience to learn theprotocol. He said, “You will not sing for the Pope,”and then dismissed us. But it turns out it had beenarranged by the family and we were ushered up to thefront of Castle Gandolfo after his Swiss Guard askedthe people who were sitting in the front pews to move!Here we were at the back of this gigantic hall that seats8,000 people, and we were dressed in concert dress.We were just waiting back there and suddenly we wereled down the center aisle and marched up to the front.That was the first clue to us that we might be close tothe Pope.

MH: And then someone came and asked the choirto sing! Once they sang, the Pope got up from of hischair and came down where Joe was. They escortedJoe up to meet the Pope. It was astonishing! Above: Meeting Pope Paul VI

JH: It was really astonishing, and I didn’t know what to do!The Cardinal had dismissed me the day before and here I amstanding before the Pope, and when he put out his hand, Ishook it, which is the wrong thing to do.MH: The Pope spoke to Joe in perfect English, keptthe conversation going, did not act as if anything wasamiss. He was gracious. He was a pro at this. Hewas wonderful, and then he asked them to sing somemore. They continued to sing while he met with otherpeople who were having an audience. It was amazing. Fifty years later we talked about this experience with thechoir and they almost all used the same words, that the Popeseemed to glow. He was in white; everything else was in dark-ness. His personality was so benign; you felt the presence ofsomething better than yourself. It’s a difficult thing to explain.I know as we left there, we only had five Roman Catholics,[but] we were all shaken by this. It was this incredibly powerfulexperience. There are just no words for this kind of thing. I would say in some ways the same was true of meetingPresident Johnson. He was much more charismatic, person-able, self-deprecating than you would expect. That guy reallywas a pro at this! He was a real communicator. Once againthey had a choice: they could sing a song or have their handsshaken.

JH: So we chose to sing a song for him, and we did, and hecame in to meet the choir anyway and everyone got a chanceto shake his hand.

MH: The choir chose to sing for him and he chose to shaketheir hands! Joe picked up our daughter, Heather, who wasfive, and President Johnson went over to her and said, “Doyou have a kiss for your President?” And she kissed him!JH: President Johnson said he knew nothing about singing.

MH: He said he liked harmony; take that any way you want!

When I see tapes of that choir at the White House and theyget off the bus in their uniforms, there’s no twitching, they’renot talking to each other, they’re not wiggling, they’re veryrespectful. We were so proud of those kids. We’re still so proudof them.

JH: They were very adult and very professional. In retro-spect, that film that we have shows the whole press confer-ence that announced the National Endowment for the Arts.In September, just two months after we met the President, theNEA was passed by Congress.

MM: That’s a pretty impressive thing to be a part of. I’m sureit was a whirlwind.JH: I don’t want to say I was in a fog, but I was unaware ofthe impact it would have in future years.

MH: Well, for one thing, he was 28! That was pretty young.Although we knew it was unusual, we didn’t really realize howunusual this was and how difficult it would be ever to replicateit. It was an amazing group of coincidences that came togetherto make this huge thing possible for some students who hadnever had this sort of opportunity.

MM: What set your choir apart musically at the Eisteddfod?JH: We were a very, very close-knit group because of theactivities we did, in order to make the group act complete-ly as one unit, and the number of concerts we did together.There was a cohesiveness that was unbelievable. We just hadthe reunion fifty years later and that cohesiveness, believe itor not, was still there! I can’t explain it. 24/7 for two yearsmakes a lot of cohesiveness. That showed on stage. They were such a musical unit, and I think the main thingthat made it happen and made us really the outstanding groupwas taking the choir to Occidental College before we left andhaving Howard Swan hear our entire repertoire. We spentthe whole day with him. We sang every piece of music for himand he made commentary on what needed to be done. Themain thing that came out of this six-hour clinic from Howardwas that this choir needed—and I think he waspointing the finger at the conductor mostly—theone thing this choir needed was joy. That’s whatwas missing in our communication. And one of thejudges, Felix de Nobel, said they sang with a senseof joy and you felt a human heart beat behind themusic. I attribute that to Howard.MM: What was the fifty-year reunion like?

JH: Very, very wonderful. I had some trepidationabout how the kids would interact after fifty years.The first time we sang it was a little bit tentative.After ten minutes you could feel that cohesion.It was unbelievable. It was surreal actually. Thevoices wobbled a little bit, but we sang the sameliterature we learned for tour.

MH: The ones who’d continued to sing had pret-ty strong voices, but some of the others hadn’t sungfor thirty years and they thought they weren’t going

to sing—but as soon as the choir started, they all got up thereto sing. They all sang in the end.

JH: And we had a memorial service. Six kids had passedaway from the group; we had a remembrance for these kidsand we had some relatives that came, even a mother of one ofthe kids who passed, and they were very grateful for that. Therelatives said that the tour was all those kids talked about forthose years. Everyone left very renewed in a way and nostal-gic. We told a lot of funny stories and we learned some fifty-year-old secrets that they said, “Oh, I know we would’ve beensent home if you had known about that!”

MH: The main thing, I’m sure you’ve guessed already, wasthat not everyone kept to those rules they had agreed to! Asfor the reunion, people were interested in what had happenedto each other in the past fifty years. People were telling theirlife stories to each other and in almost all of these life sto-ries there was tragedy. There was the whole spectrum. Butwhat I found walking between these groups and being partof these conversations was how supportive they were of eachother, how empathetic and compassionate they were towardeach other. And at least a couple of them really came in kind ofbroken conditions where something terrible had just happenedto them, like their husband had just died, and they really leftsomewhat healed. It was like their childhood came back to givethem hope. It was very lovely, very, very lovely.

JH: It was quite moving and there were a lot of laughs and alot of tears.MH: Everybody had a different experience on tour. Theywere each trying to express what happened to themselves onit, but I think it was pivotal in many of their lives. They allwrote bio sketches that they published into a book and gave tous. And many of them said that this was a pivotal experience:“I saw what the rest of the world was like. I saw that the waywe did things was not the only way to do it.” They could seethat even though they were from a small town, they had hopeto do big things. Many of them cited Joe just doing the tour

Above: The B.C. Choir on stage in Wales

think that’s very valuable and healthy.

MM: This is such an incredible story. It’s sucha testament to you and both of your resolves.

JH: Well, I wouldn’t have been able to do itwithout her. That’s really the honest truth. Atleast in my case I needed to have somebodywho was smarter and able to see the big picturewhen I was concentrating on little details.MH: I think in anything like this, where Joehad to be a specialist, he had to hone his spe-cialty. I can’t do anything up to that level, butas a non-musician, I see other things. I reallydidn’t do much with the choirs prior to this, butonce they started raising money, anybody withten minutes to spare was going to be pulled in.

JH: She got sucked into it and she stayed withit for fifty-something years!MM: Anyone who’s been around your choralprogram knows that it’s a two-person opera-

tion, and you both work incredibly hard to make things likethis happen.

MH: We feel quite the opposite. Everyone fed into what wewere doing. We don’t feel like we gave all that much comparedto what we got out of it.

JH: That’s exactly right. I agree with that 100%. We actuallydo get more out of it than we put in. It’s a good thing.MM: President Johnson said, when you visited the WhiteHouse, “All great societies have been distinguished by a deepdevotion to all the arts. Art is neither an indulgence nor a sanc-tuary. In more earthy terms, art that expresses the characterand the aspirations of the people is never a luxury or a frill.”Looking back, half a century later, having recently retired fromUC-Irvine, do you find this to be the case?

JH: The statement is true. President Johnson summed it up, Ithought, very succinctly. I just wouldn’t have a thing to add tothat because my mentors, the Howard Swans in one’s life, justgo to prove that it’s a continuum. Those values that we learnthrough touring—those relationships that we build over a pe-riod of time—are lasting values, and they go beyond ourselves.Human beings really need this in their lives. I said a coupletimes at the reunion, “If the whole world sang, first of all wewouldn’t have any time for war, and secondly the world wouldbe a better place.” We each do our small part of that.

as pivotal for them. Why would you think you could even dothis? But it was a pivotal age for them. This was a look at theoutside world. And many of them started dating their spousesduring the choir tour.

JH: I think the value persists today. I think every choir thattours, that has a special experience singing great music, is avalue that lasts your entire lifetime. The qualities that we teachby singing great music, those are lasting values. I think thosekids all reflected back on the fact that their experience on thetour, those lucky coincidences that happened on that tour wereimportant, but in reflection the values are life-lasting. It’s notthat we’re just reliving the past because we won a trophy. It’sjust a trophy, it just sits on a shelf, but it’s the lasting values ofthose friendships, those kind of human commitments you makeby being in a group like that, that are eternally lasting.MH: I think they’ve all come to the same conclusion thatwe’ve come to: the worth of your choir and the worth of yourexperience and the worth of your work in that choir, from aconductor’s point of view, is not at all equated by the score youget in a festival. Whether it’s a good score or a bad score, whatyou’re trying to do, what you accomplish as a group, really....the winning or the not winning, is not what it’s about. It’sabout the eternal growth and spirit and artistry.

JH: It’s quite an experience.MH: And we’re still having it! We’re not done yet. Twenty-sixchoir tours and we’re still going!

JH: Yes, South Africa is on our agenda next summer. And Iwant to take one more shot at Debrecen in Hungary in 2017.I guess I’m just an addict! I still enjoy traveling and I think alot of our kids said the same thing at the reunion. They havebeen abroad many times and they didn’t think they would havebeen had they not been exposed at an early age. A number ofthem wanted to take their children, to share that experienceof traveling and seeing what’s happening around the world. I

Below: some of the more than thirty choirmembers who gathered in Bakersfi eld in July for a

50th reunion; Joe and Melinda are at center

As a result of cuts in performing arts offer-ings in our area, two of my Modesto music

(but non-choral) colleagues were recently givenpublic school choirs to direct. In both casesthe choirs were part of rich, stellar choraltraditions, and their new directors wanted tomaintain that standard while building their ownskills. Their approach to this challenge deserveskudos—and it’s full of good advice for the restof us as well.

Said Cherrie Llewellyn, longtime teacher ofvoice, opera, and musical theatre at ModestoJunior College: “I was terrified. I know enoughto know I did not know enough. My fears werethe following: literature, rehearsal techniques,and choral conducting.”

Regarding choral literature, Cherrie said,“There are three major problems: the vast bodyof literature available, the quality of literature,and the unstable talent pool at a communitycollege.” Her solutions:

1) “ACDA Western Division, ECCO,National ACDA Conferences and Californiaworkshops showed me lots of literature of vary-ing difficulty levels.”

2) “I asked local ACDA mentors to help me,and they gave sage advice.”

3) “Know my strengths: [I’m a] voice teacher,show producer, and ‘people person.’ Since kidswere singing ‘Let It Go’ like there was no tomor-row, I planned a Family Christmas Concert. Iinvited local children’s choirs to join us. For thefirst half of the concert my choir sang traditionalchoral works, followed by the children’s groups,and concluding with the Frozen theme. The800-seat house was packed, and the kids in theaudience (many in costume) joined us on stagefor the finale.”

Regarding the choral rehearsal process,Cherrie once again called upon ACDA, saying:

1) “ACDA—what a group! I found so muchinformation in the workshops. I took all theinformation and used what worked for me.”

2) “I had mentors come in and observe my

rehearsals, soliciting their frank opinions. I toldthem to be honest; there was no time for me tobe sensitive.”

3) “I videotaped every rehearsal, then watchedmyself to try to apply what my mentors had toldme. I believe we cannot copy another director,but we can take information and apply it as itworks for our own personality.”

And finally, for the choral conductingchallenge:

1) “ACDA! Mentors! Video!”

2) “Honesty with students. I let them know Iwas learning.”

3) “My choir memorized their program; I thinkthat worked in my favor.”

Almost thirty years ago I helped hire thenew Band Director at Thomas Downey

High School in Modesto, where I led the choralprogram. In June, Joanne Neuffer was assignedthe two advanced choirs at Thomas Downey forthis fall. Other choirs were dissolved, but sherequested that the beginning women’s ensemblestill meet in order to build the program. Theynow meet during the same period as theadvanced women, the Knightengales.

Like Cherrie, Joanne was fearful of her newrole, but also determined to help a long-stand-ing choral program survive. Joanne immediatelytook the following steps:

1) Began voice study with a very fine localinstructor.

2) Registered for and attended the SummerConference at ECCO.

3) Met with several local high school choraldirectors for advice on everything from warm-ups to literature to festivals.

4) Met with choir officers (already elected)prior to the start of school.

The plan seems to be working. As Joannerecently wrote to me, “I like the choir people alot! I’m a choir person now.”

“What are you working on now?”This is the default question that arises

when two or more composers gather in the sameplace and, at least in my experience, I’ve foundfew—if any—composers willing to admit whenwe’re not writing anything. No one’s willing toanswer “nothing.”

True, there’s rarely nothing happening for aworking composer: maybe there was a spectacu-lar premiere four months ago, or you finishedwriting a new piece a few weeks ago, or there’sa concert of your music coming up. It’s mucheasier to say, “Oh, I just finished a commissionfor [this ensemble]” or “I’m getting ready fora premiere” than to admit that we’re taking abreak from creating. Universities perpetuatethe need to constantly compose, or appear tobe constantly composing, with weekly composi-tion lessons and end-of-semester juries. For therare subset of composers who have no shortageof inspiration and write daily, I imagine thesearbitrary deadlines present no problem.

For me, though, when I’ve recently com-pleted a set of pieces—because deadlines bunchtogether, and I’ll finish several new pieces in arow that are all due, say, September 1—I needa break. I don’t compose anything, usually forat least several months. I don’t feel an immedi-ate need to keep composing, and so I don’t.

When asked what I’m working on, though, Ibecome defensive, telling myself that no success-ful composer admits when they are not working.Instead of confessing that the last few weekshave been devoted to teaching, applying tocontests, and watching the whole first season ofThe Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in two days,I’ll mention a project I just completed, or a tripI just took to a premiere of my work.

It has taken years to recognize that thisperiod of rest is absolutely vital to my processas a composer, and that I don’t have a choicein the matter: this is how I work best. Beforethis realization, I was afraid every time I tooka break from composing that it was because I’dforgotten how to compose, or lost the desire todo so. But the period of rest is necessary. Atthe end of a yoga practice, savasana (or CorpsePose) allows the body to rest and incorporatewhat it has learned. It’s time to acknowledgethat in a creative practice, a period of rest can

be every bit as necessary.I use this time to go back and make small

but important edits on the pieces I’ve finished,or to make parts for an upcoming premiere.I take care of small tasks I’ve been puttingoff for months, professional and personal. Iresearch new competitions, grant applications,and residencies to which I should apply. Iread books that end up feeding and shapingmy artistic practice: recently, that’s includedDominick Argento’s Catalogue Raisonne asMemoir, Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, andLiz Lerman’s Hiking the Horizontal. I getback in touch with conductors about my work.I update my website. I read and re-read textsI’m planning to set to music for months before Iactually put a note to paper. I think about whatI’m going to write next when the inevitable needto compose comes back. I finally trust in thisprocess: it always comes back.

In re-reading poetry by a favorite collabo-rator of mine, Annie Finch, during this mostrecent span of not-composing, I was struck byher translation of Andrée Chedid’s “In Praiseof Emptiness,” from Annie’s book Spells:

We needThe emptyTo findThe fullSo that the dreamUnfoldsSo that the breathTakes in

So that the fruitSproutsWe needAll the hollowsAnd the want.

The poem is on my list of poetry to set tomusic—but not right now, and I’m going toanswer honestly the next time someone askswhat I’m currently working on. I’m not compos-ing anything, but I’m working on everything.

This article was originally published by NewMusicBox.org, an American music magazine offering in-depthinterviews, industry analysis, and multimedia coverageof new work. It has been reprinted here with permission.

the COmposer’s Perspective:On Not Composing

• Twelve outstanding choirsfrom around the state will perform at CASMEC. Seebelow for a complete list!

• With the choral interestsessions being held in the same area as those for band,orchestra, jazz, general music, and music advocacy,

ACDA members will have the opportunity to attend a widevariety of sessions on repertoire, vocal and rehearsal technique,musicianship, and much more!

• The All-State Honor Choirs willperform two concerts at CASMEC, including a brandnew Junior High/Middle School All-State Mixed Choir.

• The Choral LeadershipAcademy (CLA) will be held in a dedicated room atthe Fairmont Hotel, providing high school, community-

college, and university students with the opportunity to exploreaspects of a career in choral music under the guidance of topprofessors. Dr. Betsy Schauer headlines this year's CLA.

• This year, the California MusicEducators’ Association is sponsoring ACDA membersso that our members who do not teach or belong to

CMEA will be able to attend the conference as members ofACDA. We’ll send out an email when CMEA opens onlineregistration.

• This year, CASMEC is just twoweeks before the ACDA Western Division conferencein Pasadena. That will change in the future, but for

2016, plan to make February a life-changing month of choralopportunities. We’ll see you at the first California ACDAState Conference at CASMEC in San Jose, February 11-14!

you’ll

feel silly if

you miss the

ACDA State

Conference

at CASMEC in

San Jose this

February

reasons

• •• •

• •• • •

•

Featuring headliner EdithCopley, a raft of terrifi cinterest sessions, and arocking 80 party, the 2015summer conferece at ECCOwas a total eclipse of the art.

Thanks to ECCO Chair Genevieve Tep, Edith Copley, the Ca-ACDA Board, J.W. Pepper, and all who attended!

Vision for theFuture

California ACDA’s 2015 Vision for the FutureScholarship Campaign successfully launched during

the California Summer Conference at ECCO in July. I ampleased to report that we exceeded our goal and raised over$10,000 to fund the scholarship effort. Thanks to all whocontributed! Lori Marie Rios led a passionate and excitingfundraising effort during the conference, and many of ourmembers rose to meet her challenge.

Most donors dedicated their contributions to their men-tors, and we could feel the electricity of inspiration as thehonor roll of contributors grew throughout the conference.In an incredible show of support, 115 people contributedto establish the fund, and 64 members contributed at orabove the $100 level to become part of the Founders’ Circle.Eleven people rose to match Lori Marie Rios’ $300 chal-lenge, including every member of the executive committeeof the California ACDA board of directors. In fact, in aunanimous show of support for the program, every memberof the board contributed to the scholarship fund.

The Vision for the Future Scholarship Fund will provideour constituency with increased opportunity for professionaldevelopment and will directly promote lifelong learning.Scholarship funds will be distributed via democratic applica-tion and review process within the Scholarship Committee.Funds will be awarded (as available) to members in goodstanding who provide substantial rationale of need regard-

less of current career status. The Vision for the FutureScholarship Fund will be built over time by the goodwilland generosity of the members of California ACDA, andis established as a separate scholarship savings fund, rollingover from year to year.

The kick-off campaign for Vision for the Future offersdonors the opportunity to honor their musical mentors withtheir contribution. Members who give will be recognized asfollows:

• A list of names and designated honorees will be printedin Cantate.

• Donors who give $100 or more will be recognized asmembers of the Founder’s Circle, and will receive aCA-ACDA lapel pin to wear during conferences andother ACDA Events.

• During the Fall Regional Conferences, the WesternDivison Conference, and CASMEC, a list of donornames will be prominently displayed.

If you did not attend the Summer Conference atECCO, you can still contribute to the Vision for the FutureScholarship Fund. Consider contributing in person dur-ing our fall regional conferences, or contact me (

) for more information about contribut-ing online. Thank you for your support!

By Robert Istad, Ca-ACDA president-Elect

Daniel R. Afonso, Jr., in honor of Dr. Eph EhlyTammi Alderman

Jeffrey Benson, in honor of Andre ThomasCindy Beitmen & Kate Sibley, in honor of

Edie CopleyDon Brinegar, in memory of Charles Hirt &

Howard SwanJohn Byun, in honor of Joseph Huszti

Julie L. Carter, in honor of William Dehning andin memory of Douglas McEwen & Donald Bailey

Edith Copley, in memory of Charles Hirt &Paul Salamunovich

Mike and Julie DanaLou De La Rosa, in honor of Charlene

Archibeque and in memory of Kenneth HannafordAndrew Del Monte, in memory of Curtis SprengerJanine Dexter, in honor of Dr. William Dehning,

Donald Brinegar, & Dr. William BelanKathryn Donovan Campbell, in memory of

Joaquina Calvo JohnsonRoger Emerson, in honor of Kirby Shaw

Julie Ford, in memory of Perla WarrenChristopher G. Gravis, in honor of

John AlexanderStephanie Grogg, in honor of Sam Barkman

Daniel Hughes, in memory ofDaniel Lee Hooper

Jeffe Huls, in memory of Lynn BielefeltPeg Hutson, in honor of Dean Semple

Robert Istad, in honor of William Dehning & JohnAlexander

Brendan JenningsKristy Juliano, in honor of Donald BrinegarCarolyn Kelley, in memory of Frank PoolerBeth Klemm, in honor of Gordon Wilder

Arlie Langager, in honor of Adele ArmstrongJan Lanterman, in honor of Ralph Wadsworth

Anthony Lien, in honor of Joseph HusztiCherrie Llewellyn & Charles Suntra, in

honor of Dr. Ginger Colla, Richard Colla, &Dr. Daniel Afonso

Duane & Linda Lovaas, in memory ofRobert Wing & Alvis M. Autrey

MaryClare Martin, in memory of Lena,Art, Sister Anastasia

Marcelo M. Martinez, in honor of Rob Istad,Chris Peterson, & John St. Marie

Vision for the future

Scholarship Fund DonorsWe regret any errors or omissions, and appreciate your e-mail to us at californiaacda@aol.com toadvise us of corrections. Thank you for your support!

Richard Messenger, in honor of Weston Noble &in memory of Howard Swan

Joanne Mizutani-Neuffer, in honor of Polly Vasché,Sandra Bengochea, Anastasia Legatos, & Jennifer

Perier-ChampeauxMusicnotes.com

Kristina Nakagawa, in honor of Lois Carah,Joe Huszti, & Charlene Archibeque

Daniel Paulson, in honor of Don Brinegar &William Belan

Susanna Peeples, in memory of Germán AguilarBret Peppo, in honor of Audrey Kamprath

Jennifer Perier-ChampeauxChristopher & Tina Peterson, in honor of Rodney

EichenbergerMary and Wally Purdy, in honor of John

Alexander & Richard KnoxPaul Raheb, in honor of Larry Warden,

Robert & Barbara Hasty, & William HallShawn Reifschneider in honor of

Dr. David SteinLori Marie Rios, in honor of Don Brinegar and

Bruce MayhallAntone Rodich, in honor of Dennis Smith,

Rob Istad, & Chris PetersonEliza Rubenstein, in honor of Joseph &

Melinda HusztiJohn Russell

Sabrina Schick, in honor of Gary GilroyDavid Scholz

John Sorber, in honor of Clark SkogsbergPeggy Spool, in honor of Signe Boyer

Shawna Stewart, in honor of Paul B. Smith &William Dehning

Nick Strimple, in memory of Charles C. HirtJonathan Talberg, in honor of William Hall & in

memory of Roger WagnerGenevieve Tep, in honor of David Stein

Carolyn Teraoka-BradyBurt and Polly Vasché, in memory of our

musical and encouraging parentsAngel M. Vázquez-Ramos

William A. Zinn

Dana Alexander, in honor ofCharlene Archibeque

Anonymous, in honor of James CodayCarol AsplingAlissa Aune

Becky Baker, in memory of Forrest MadewellChristopher Borges

Gail Bowers, in honor of Gary WalthIan Brekke

Kelly CaswellJessica Cosley, in honor of Dr. Chris Peterson &

Dr. Rob IstadDan Doctor

Eric Dyer, in memory of Lynne DyerMichael & Jamie Fenton

Jennifer GarrettShamiram Ghashehpour

Eric Graham, in honor of Jon Talberg,Rob Istad, & Chris Peterson

Scot & Mary Hanna-Weir, in honor ofEdward Maclary & Beverly Taylor

Beatriz Herrera, in honor of Julie DanaMark Hulse

Amanda Isaac, in honor of Dr. Royce & SusanTevis & in memory of Forrest Madewell

Michele IzorStacey Kikkawa

Alex Koppel, in honor of Cheryl AndersonMark T. Lanford, in honor of Frank Pooler

Bruce Lengacher, in honor of Byron McGilvaryChristopher & Jilana Luthi

Eric Medeiros, in honor of Eddie “Bo” BuhisanJonathan Miller, in memory of my father,

Ephraim MillerCharles Miller

Molly Peters, in honor of Lori Marie RiosValerie Poon

Valerie Quiring, in honor of Dr. Roy KlassenMichael Reilly, in honor of Donald Brinegar &

William BelanKate Roseman, in honor of Jeffrey H. Rickard

Cynthia Salomonson, in honor ofDr. Gary Unruh

Jeff Seaward, in honor of Art HuffGavin Spencer

Mary Stocker, in honor of Paul SetziolIva Svitek, in honor of Don BrinegarJohn Tebay, in honor of Loren Wiebe

Jesse Tebay, in honor of Dr. Katharin RundusKevin Tison

Carlin Truong, in honor of Jeffrey BensonJeremy Wiggins, in honor of Robert Istad &

Christopher PetersonJustin Witt

The California ACDA board is pleased to announce abrand-new Junior High (grade 6-9) All-State Honor

Choir! The honor choir will be part of CASMEC and theHigh School Honor Choir concerts. We are using an onlineaudition format, similar to Western Division and NationalHonor Choir. Please see below for information on this excitingopportunity for your singers. If you have any questions, pleasee-mail Molly Peters at . We’reexcited for this opportunity for your younger singers!

ConductorDr. Judy Bowers, Professor of Choral Music Education,Florida State University

TimelineAugust 2015: Online auditions openOctober 15, 2015: Auditions close at midnightNovember 15, 2015: Sponsors notified of audition resultsNovember 30, 2015: US Mail postmark date for participationforms and fee; fee may also be paid online via SponsorDecember 2015: Music sent to singers upon receipt ofrequired materials and paymentFebruary 11, 2016: Honor Choir Registration, San JoseFebruary 11-13, 2016: Honor Choir rehearsalsFebruary 13, 2016: Middle School and Women’s HonorChoir Concert (10:10-11:30 a.m.), Cathedral Basilica ofSt. Joseph, San Jose

EligibilityAll applicants must sing under the direction of and berecommended by a current member of the AmericanChoral Directors Association, California Music EducatorsAssociation, or Southern California Vocal Association, who isherein referred to as Sponsor.

Financial commitment$15 audition fee (non-refundable); $200 participation fee(non-refundable), which includes expenses for Honor Choirconductor, accompanist, rehearsal, and performance facilities,music packet and rehearsal voice files, concert program, officematerials, and miscellaneous costs. This fee does not includehousing, meals, or travel.

HousingThe designated Honor Choir hotels will be listed in theacceptance packet. Students are required to provide and payfor their own housing.

ChaperonesEach Honor Choir participant must be accompanied to San

Jose by a parent or other designated chaperone, age 21 orolder. It is permissible for one chaperone to be responsible formore than one singer.

MealsSingers and chaperones are responsible for all meal costs inSan Jose. A list of local eateries from markets to fast food torestaurants of all types will be issued.

TravelHonor Choir participants and chaperones will arrange andpay for their own travel.

Rehearsals (subject to change)Thursday, February 11, 20162:00-5:00 p.m.: First Rehearsal (SJSU campus)7:00-9:00 p.m.: Rehearsal (SJSU campus)Friday, February 12, 20168:30-11:30 a.m.: Rehearsal (SJSU campus)1:00-3:30 p.m.: Rehearsal (SJSU campus)4:30-6:15 p.m.: Honor Choir Exchange Concert (CathedralBasilica of St. Joseph)6:30-7:15 p.m.: Sound check at Cathedral BasilicaSaturday, February 13, 20168:30-9:30 a.m.: Warm-up and final prep (SJSU campus)9:30 a.m.: Walk to Cathedral Basilica10:10 a.m.: All-State Concert at Cathedral Basilica (MiddleSchool & Women)

PerformanceThe Honor Choirs Concert will be presented in the beautifulCathedral Basilica of St. Joseph at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday,February 13th. The Cathedral is located at 80 S. MarketStreet, San Jose, CA 95113.

Online application informationUp to 200 singers will be selected by audition for eachHonor Choir. All applicants must be sponsored by a currentmember of ACDA or CMEA, and may be members ofschool, church, and/or community choral organizations. TheSponsor will need his/her ACDA username and password toaccess and complete the online application. This is the sameusername and password used to log into the ACDA nationalwebsite. It is usually FirstName_LastName and then yourmember number, which is on your Choral Journal addresslabel. If you need help in retrieving your username andpassword, please call National ACDA at 1-405-232-8161for assistance.

In addition to contact information for both sponsor and appli-cant, the online audition requires submission of mp3 voice

HONOR CHOIR CENTRAL:CA-ACDA INTRODUCES JUNIOR HIGH All-STATE

files, details for which follow. Sponsoring ACDA membersmust assist singers with the online audition process. To begin,click on the “Apply Online Here” button on the top right ofthe Honor Choirs page. The link will take you to an externalsite, OpusEvent. Enter your ACDA username and password(see above for help with this and register your singers. Note:multiple applicants may be registered at once. Each applicantis given an audition number for the screening process, so thatapplicant names and other information are not seen by theadjudicators. Complete all elements as requested and submitaudition fee(s) online using your debit or credit card.

MP3 file submission suggestionsUse high quality recording equipment. You may eitherrecord a CD and convert it to an mp3 file format (iTunes isrecommended for mp3 file conversion), or record directly toyour computer. There must be four separate audio files foreach applicant. Garageband (Mac) and Audacity (Mac andPC) are recommended software. Audio-enhanced or editedrecordings will be disqualified. Do not give the name of theapplicant on the recording.

Required vocal audition elementsElement 1: Upper Range Vocalization. Sing an a cappella

ascending major scale from the middle of your range to yourhighest accurate pitch. You may sing on solfege or a neutralsyllable. Please state the name of the starting pitch, which maybe played on the piano.

Element 2: Lower Range Vocalization. Sing an a cappelladescending major scale from the middle of your range to yourlowest accurate pitch. You may sing on solfege or a neutralsyllable. Please state that name of the starting pitch, whichmay be played on the piano.

Element 3: “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” (America). Sing thefirst verse unaccompanied, beginning on the pitch designatedaccording to your chosen voice part (Soprano and Tenor: F;Alto and Bass: D flat).

We are looking forward to having your singers audition!

Ms. Molly PetersCalifornia ACDA Junior High R & S RepresentativeJunior High Honor Choir

Dr. Jeffrey BensonCalifornia ACDA Bay Area Representative

Honor Choir rehearsals are open to the public, and allCA-ACDA members are encouraged to attend! Thanks forsupporting our state’s talented young singers.

Rehearsals: November 19-21 at Clovis North High School

Concert: Saturday, November 21, 3:00 p.m.Clovis North High School PAC2770 East International Avenue, Fresno, CA 93730

Conductors:Dr. Cristian Grases, USC (Mixed)Dr. Iris Levine, Cal Poly-Pomona (Women)

Tickets: $10 at the door

Rehearsals: November 19-21 at First United MethodistChurch, Palo Alto

Concert: Saturday, November 21, 2:00 p.m.First United Methodist Church625 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Conductors:Ms. Desiree LaVertu, Occidental College (Women)Ms. Lori Marie Rios, College of the Canyons (Mixed)

Tickets: $10 at the door

Rehearsals: Saturday, October 24 at Fullerton College;November 21-22, University of Redlands

Concert: Saturday, November 21, 7:00 p.m.Memorial ChapelUniversity of Redlands, Redlands, CA 92374

Conductors:Dr. Lynne Gackle, Baylor University (Mixed)Dr. Christopher Peterson, CSU-Fullerton (Men)Dr. Angel Vázquez-Ramos, CSU-Bakersfield (Women)

Tickets: $10 at the door

Rehearsals: February 11-13, 2016 at San Jose StateUniversity

Concert: Saturday, February 13, 2016, 10:10 a.m. (JuniorHigh and Women’s) and 2:30 p.m. (Mixed and Men’s)Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph80 Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113

Conductors:Dr. Deanna Joseph, Georgia State University (Women)Dr. Edward Maclary, University of Maryland (Mixed)Dr. Eugene Rogers, University of Michigan (Men)

Tickets: $10 at the door

Director involvement: If you have two or more singersinvolved in any of the honor choirs, you will be expected toassist with the organization of the event on that weekend.This could include conducting a sectional, accompanying asectional, picking up pizzas, helping set up chairs, etc. Theplanning and carry-through of the honor choirs is a tremen-dous job for the chairpersons. Please assist us in continuingto provide this musical experience for your singers!

Honor Choir chairpersons: If you have any furtherquestions about California’s Regional and All-State HonorChoirs, please contact the chairs listed below.

Central Region ChairpersonAaron Snell, Porterville High School465 W. Olive Ave., Porterville, CA 93257

Coastal Region ChairpersonAlice Hughes, Pacific Collegiate School255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

SCVA VP of High School Honor ChoirsKaren Garrett, c/o Santiago High School1395 Foothill Parkway, Corona, CA 92881

All-State Honor Choirs ChairpersonTammi Alderman, San Marino High School2701 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108

HONOR CHOIR CENTRAL:HIGH school All-STATE information

News and notesfrom around the state

Send news of hirings, retirements, awards,commissions, premieres, collaborations, or

projects to your regional representativeor Cantate.Editor@gmail.com!

NORTHERN REGION

Fred Wichmann retired after 15years at Mt. Shasta Elementary Schooland was succeeded by ElizabethChurchill, who has carried on his tradi-tion of excellence!

Thanks to a grant from the CaliforniaArts Council in conjunction with Siskiy-ou County’s “Music By The Mountain”Foundation, which brought two years ofmusical theater to Dunsmuir Elementaryand Weed Elementary under MariEmerson, both schools have now hiredcredentialed music educators—MariEmerson and Mark Russell, respec-tively—to teach choral and instrumentalprograms for the coming year.

Alissa Aune succeeded the legendaryDeborah Devine at Enterprise HighSchool in Redding, and has carried onthe tradition of more than 30 years ofexcellence set by Deb.

Two San Jose schools have new choirdirectors: Hoover Middle School in SanJose appointed Victoria Arribere, andThe Harker School hired MaryloieRivera Espinoza as its midde-schooldirector.

Ian Brekke was recently appointed di-rector of choral and vocal studies at LasPositas College in Livermore. He’s alsojoined the CA-ACDA board as VocalJazz R&S chair!

Vivace Youth Chorus, under the direc-tion of Peggy Spool, just returned froma tour of Oregon where they performedwith choirs from Pennsylvania and thePhilippines in a treble choral festival withDr. Sandra Snow.

The Gilroy High School Chamber Sing-ers, under the direction of Jon Souza,made a successful concert tour throughIreland in June.

John Carter retired last spring after 30years of teaching day and evening choirs,orchestra, music history, and manyrelated subjects at Columbia College inSonora.

Modesto’s third annual “Real MenSing” involving grade 7-12 guys will takeplace at Johansen High School on Oc-tober 1, organized by Jennifer Cham-peaux. The event has had a strong startthese first two years—bravo!

New hires along the Central Coastinclude Courtney Anderson at DosPueblos High School in Santa Bar-bara and Colleen Chester at SanLuis Obispo High School and LagunaMiddle School. Courtney is a graduateof CSU-Sacramento as well as an alumof Dos Pueblos High, while Colleen is agraduate of CSU-Fullerton.

Santa Barbara’s Quire of Voyces,directed by Nathan Kreitzer, has beeninvited to participate in the 2016 Inter-nationalMusicalEisteddfodin Llangol-len, Wales.

In June,PioneerValley HighSchoolin SantaMaria brokeground for anew $9.6 million performing arts center,which will provide three new classroomsand a new theater.

The Mt. San Antonio College ChamberSingers and Singcopation (Bruce Rog-

ers, conductor) brought home four goldmedals, and first place in the ChamberCategory at the Grand Prix of Nations2015 in Magdeburg, Germany.

At the Llangollen International Musi-cal Eisteddfod competition in Wales thissummer, the Azusa Pacific UniversitySingers (Michelle Jensen, conduc-tor) placed in six categories—first in theMixed, Adult Folk, and Open catego-ries, and second in Cultural Showcase,Youth, and Vocal Ensemble categories.The Orange County Women’s Chorus(Eliza Rubenstein, conductor) placedthird in the Adult Folk Song Category,and the Palmdale High School Cham-ber Singers (Michael McCullough,conductor) placed third in the SeniorChildren’s Choir category.

The Riverside City College ChamberSingers (John Byun, conductor) tookfirst place in the Folksong category andsecond place in the Art Song category atthe Internationale Chorwettbewerbe inSpittal, Austria.

The Westminster Chorus (JustinMiller, conductor) became the 2015International Chorus Champions at the

BarbershopHarmonySociety Con-vention 2015in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania.

The Azusa Pa-cific UniversityChamber Sing-ers, RiversideCity College

Chamber Singers,University of Redlands Chapel Singers(Nicholle Andrews, conductor), andUniversity of Southern California Con-cert Choir (Cristian Grases, conduc-tor) have been selected to perform at theNational Collegiate Choral Organiza-tion conference in Portland, Oregon, inNovember.

Two important and legendary choral directors retired fromthe far south this past school year. Congratulations to NancyGray (Poway High School) and Louise Carmon (theBishop’s School, La Jolla) on their many years of wonderfulmusic-making in the Far South region! Christine Micu hasbeen hired as the new choral director at the Bishop’s School,while Jessica Schemmel will assume the choral duties atPoway High.

In April. the choirs of San Diego State University, PalomarCollege and MiraCosta College, along with the orchestra ofSan Diego State University, all under the direction of Dr.Patrick Walders, gave the California premiere of StephenPaulus’s powerful Holocaust-themed oratorio To Be Certain ofthe Dawn. The performance featured imagery and projections,and was attended by librettist Michael Dennis Browne andfamily members of the composer.

Also in April, the San Diego Master Chorale and the SanDiego Symphony gave the San Diego premiere of The DefiantRequiem: Verdi at Terezin, conducted by Maestro MurrySidlin. The production, which features a full-length perfor-

mance of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, also included narrationand film clips telling the story of the prisoners of Terezin, whoperformed the Requiem sixteen times.

The third annual San Diego Summer Choral Festival con-cluded in August and was a resounding success. The festival,sponsored by the San Diego Pro Arte Voices, included a largefestival choir and multiple performances, featuring the musicof Arvo Pärt, W.A. Mozart, and Bob Chilcott. The fourthannual SDSCF will take place August 4-7, 2016.

In February 2016, the chamber choirs of San Diego StateUniversity (Patrick Walders, director) and CSU SanBernardino (John Russell, director) will combine forceswith the San Diego Master Chorale to present a program ofDuruflé and Lauridsen at the First United Methodist Churchin Mission Valley. The concert will include Lauridsen’s LuxAeterna and Duruflé’s Requiem.

Thanks to our Regional Representatives (Roger Emerson,Jeffrey Benson, Polly Vasché, Carolyn Teraoka-Brady, StacyKikkawa, and John Russell) for collecting and sharing newsfrom their areas!

This is a wonderful piece that women of all ageswill love. It is a fantastic opportunity to introduceDebussy to your choir (he wrote so few choralpieces!). Originally scored for orchestra and laterreduced for piano, it is uplifting, fresh, and a jubi-lant welcoming of spring. Full chorus (oscillatingbetween 2 and 3 part writing) in the openingand ending with much repetition, and a soloist inthe B section which could be performed tutti ordivided among soloists. This piece will require atalented accompanist as well.

Don’t let the 7/16 time signature scare you—itsets up a rollicking repetitive rhythm that will beintoxicating for your singers and your audience.The melody begins simply, then slowly adds partby part with accelerando and opportunities for asolo or duet sandwiched in the middle. This is agreat feature piece for letting your women experi-ment with the Baltic choral sound as well.

If you are looking to give your singers somethingrelatively modern to work on, this is the piece. Itis composed for a soloist and 10 voice parts, butdon’t let the numbers scare you. An advancedwomen’s chorus can perform this with as fewas 2-3 on a part. The soloist begins with the

Magnificat text in chant style. As the soloistrepeats the chant, different voice parts enter andmatch the vowels of the soloist and sustain theirnote until they run out of breath. This creates anethereal and beautiful tone cluster that quietlyemanates throughout. There is also a whisperedaleatoric section that will help develop indepen-dence in your singers.

This is a great choral chestnut that anyone canreturn to time and time again. Its beautiful, soar-ing and sustained melodic material, composed inan imitative style, is perfectly suited for an inter-mediate women’s ensemble. The piece is perfectfor teaching solfege with a few chromatic altera-tions and long sustained phrases. This is a greatway to work some of the traditional oeuvre intoyour repertoire. I have even heard this performedbeautifully with a men’s ensemble.

There are a million and one a cappella spiritu-als for mixed chorus that are well written andthat will inspire singers and knock the socks offan audience. However, that isn’t necessarilythe case when it comes to women’s literature.This is a fantastic spiritual for women’s choirthat will do all of that. It begins with a simplemelody and steadily adds complexity, depth, andheightened energy. This is a definite singer- andcrowd-pleaser!

The widely varying levels of vocal skill andliteracy of singers in community-college

chamber ensembles can make selecting repertoirechallenging enough. Add to that the reality offluctuating enrollment from semester to semester,and the scope of appropriate repertoire narrows.Below are five editions of a cappella Renaissancemusic that can be great for community-collegechamber choirs.

The editions are either in original keys ortranspositions that work for the average tessituraand timbre of young adult voices. Since these edi-tions are not bound by strict adherence to perfor-mance practice, they provide accessible ways forour students to explore and perform this music.

These pieces are all available for free throughthe Choral Public Domain Library (

). All scores are in modern notation, andaccidentals are included.

All of these pieces have been recorded byexcellent professional groups and are available forsale online. Encourage singers to purchase theirown study recordings.

These works can be an excellent tool for sing-ers to hear and work with tuning issues, and canfoster discussion of just intonation and temperedtuning as well as polyphony and cross-relations.Studying sacred a cappella music from theRenaissance allows for a larger discussion of thesignificant historical aspects in the developmentof Western choral music.

Translation: In peace and into the same shall Isleep and rest. If I give slumber to my eyes andto my eyelids drowsiness, I shall sleep and rest.Gloria patri….

“In pace” is a Responsory at Compline sung inLatin and includes three phrases of unison chantwith the da capo. The transposed arrangementsits well in all voice parts. Singers can explorethe nuances of chant phrasing in unison, or byhaving either the changed or unchanged voicessing the chant.

Translation: I heard a voice coming from heaven:come all wisest virgins; store up oil in your ves-sels, for the bridegroom is coming. In the middle ofthe night there was a cry: behold the bridegroomcomes.

Although this edition is voiced for two alto partswith tenor and bass, all women will be able tosing the alto lines. Each voice enters polyphoni-cally, and the vocal lines lead to yummy cross-relations that bring exciting tension to the music.There are two unison chants in the middle andat the end. The chants are not included in all ofthe editions on CPDL. The biggest differencesin the editions is largely how the editors interpretthe placement of the bar lines, and some of theeditions further suggest tempo markings and timesignatures. Presenting multiple examples to yoursingers will certainly stimulate discussion. Thispiece is a responsory at Matins sung in Latinfrom the Sarum Rite, the liturgical form usedin the English Church before the 1549 Book ofCommon Prayer.

Text: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy andImmortal One, have mercy upon us. Now, OChrist, we ask thee, we beseech thee, have mercy.Thou who came to redeem the lost, do not con-demn the redeemed: For by thy cross thou hastredeemed the world. Amen.

This motet has all of the classic elements ofEnglish Renaissance polyphony, including hav-ing ranges best suited for a choir of young menand boys! The editions on CPDL each offerdifferent solutions for modern SATB choirs.The edition suggested here is written a wholestep lower, but the tenor and bass tessitura arestill fairly high so some singers may prefer to mix

falsetto. Although still largely polyphonic, there are frequentcadences at the ends of phrases that may be good opportunitiesto show the emergence of traditional harmony and to practiceintonation.

Text: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Uniquely, Tye composed this Kyrie as a completely separatemovement of the mass. The “Orbis factor” reference is fromthe hymn “Orbis factor, rex aeternae eleison” (“Creator Of TheWorld, Eternal King, Have Mercy”). This piece is challenging,but also interesting for the singers to study how Tye sets threeiterations of the “Kyrie eleison.” The first “Kyrie eleison” issung as a unison chant, then is followed by a polyphonic settingof the phrase, and then the opening unison chant is repeated.The most intricate part of this piece is the “Christe eleison.” Itbegins with tenors singing a polyphonic duet. This section isvery florid so having one person for each part might work bestto highlight the running triplets. The second statement of the“Christe eleison” is chanted in unison, and the third statement

is a alto, tenor, and bass trio of polyphonic lines. The finalthree statements of “Kyrie eleison” are similar to the opening—chant, polyphony, chant. Although this piece is more work toput together, it gives singers the chance to focus on the linearaspect of each line and challenges the developed voices to workthe more florid phrases.

Text: Hail the true body, born of the Virgin Mary: who trulysuffered and were sacrificed on the cross for the sake of man.From whose pierced flank flowed water and blood: Be a foretastefor us in the trial of death. O sweet, O merciful, O Jesus, Son ofMary. Have mercy on me. Amen.

Byrd’s “Ave verum corpus” was first published in the early1600s. A favorite among choral singers, published copies ofthis setting of the familiar text are already in many music librar-ies. This piece is the most homophonic of these suggestions,and the traditional part-writing will be more familiar for singers.

Thank you to the artistic director of Vox Peregrini, Dr. John LenWiles (University of Northern Iowa), for his recommendations.

This lovely, spirited French folk song has anengaging story and is a great introduction topart singing for a young choir. The shopkeeper,a clown, teaches music to his toy assistants andthey sing his lines back to him as echoes. A stylishpiano accompaniment completes the song. Youraudience will leave humming this one!

This is an old chestnut, but still one of myfavorite settings of a classic American folk song.The long lines of the melody are wonderful for ayoung choir to sing. After a unison verse, whichcould be a solo, the song opens to three and fourparts. Goetze’s harmonies suggest the movementof the water, in beautiful descending lines. This isa nice opportunity to feature a smaller group suchas a chamber ensemble, and it’s sure to be one ofthe choir’s favorite songs.

A wonderful foray into Japanese folk music, thispopular children’s folk song will really appeal toyour singers. “Hotaru Koi,” or “ho, Firefly!” isset as a three-part canon with homophonic inter-ludes. Entrances are one beat apart, so the voicesoften sing in seconds. It can be challenging, butit’s great for their ears! It’s helpful to have a nativespeaker to work on the language if possible.

This beautiful piece is a favorite of my choir. We

sang it as a festival piece and with a group of 30this summer, and it works equally well in bothsettings. The composer has said he wrote it as anexercise to teach his choir to sing seconds well,and it is great for that, but it is also a stunningpiece. The aleatory section at the end suggestsbells ringing at various times and the choir repeatsthe opening part under them.

This beautiful, haunting melody is satisfying onits own (and makes a beautiful opening solo).Diane Loomer has added a canon and harmonyline. Since there are three verses, it’s nice to layerthem beginning with the solo verse, adding thecanon and then the harmony for the final verse.Loomer suggests adding a triangle and foghorn.We used a singing bowl, which was very effective.The arranger’s notes give several good ideas foradding various instruments.

This setting of the Ave Maria text by NewZealand composer David Hamilton is well suitedto young voices. It has a contemporary sound, inthe best sense of the word. The lines are longand flowing. Voices are in canon or imitative forthe most part. If you don’t have a singer who cando the solo, it works nicely as an instrumentalobbligato with the choir.

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