San Francisco Lyric Chorus Summer Concert, August 23-24
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus, under the direction of Robert Gurney, presents: Te Deum!

Saturday, August 23, 2008
8 p.m.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
5 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
Bush & Gough Streets
San Francisco

Tickets: General $20; Seniors & Advance, $17
Free admission for students 5-18
Please, no children under five
Visit our website: www.sflc.org
For information call (415) 721-4077

PROGRAM:

George Frideric Handel--Te Deum in a Major
Joseph Haydn--Te Deum in C (Hob. XXIIIc, No. 2)
Benjamin Britten--Festival Te Deum
Antonin Dvorák--Te Deum

FEATURING:

Jennifer Ashworth, Soprano
Daniel Cromeenes, Countertenor
Kevin Baum, Tenor
William Neely, Bass

Robert Train Adams, Organ
Allen Biggs, Timpani

Te Deums are hymns of praise and celebration, and we present four settings of this laudatory text, each from a different era. George Frideric Handel's little known Te Deum in A Major, ca. 1727, is based on his Chandos Te Deum. This miniature Baroque gem encompasses many of Handel's trademarks--elegant solos, sprightly choruses, and long, fluid vocal lines--all in 15 minutes!

Joseph Haydn's Te Deum in C, composed in 1800, is one of his most delightful smaller choral works. It sparkles with the joy that only Haydn can express.

Benjamin Britten's Festival Te Deum expresses both wonderful calm and thunderous energy. Chorus and organ are in two different time signatures!

Antonin Dvorák's Te Deum captures all the charm and vigor of his Bohemian heritage, combined with the melody and passion of grand opera.

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Robert Gurney Performs At The Legion of Honor This Weekend
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

Music Director Robert Gurney will give concerts Saturday, August 9, 2008 and Sunday, August 10, 2008 on the California Palace of the Legion of Honor's fabulous E.M. Skinner organ. Legion organ concerts are held in the Rodin Gallery and begin at 4 p.m. The concerts are free with museum admission.

Go early and enjoy the exhibits in the Museum! It's the last weekend for the highlights from the Israel Antiquities Authority: the Dead Sea Scrolls and other goodies. Enjoy an exhibit of works by women impressionists

Robert's concerts at the Legion are a real treat, and we will hear many moods of music this time, including selections by Three Ms--Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Morricone. He'll also be celebrating the opening of the Olympic Games by playing theme music from Games past and present. This month he will be playing the following music:

Olympic Fanfares:
Bugler's Dream from "The Charge Suite" (1948) Leo Arnaud 1904-1991

Olympic Fanfare and Theme (written for the 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles)
John Williams b. 1932

Forever Friends (Theme Song for the Beijing Olympics 2008) Giorgio Moroder
b. 1940 and Kong Xiangdong b. 1970

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade) K. 525 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
II. Romanze III. Menuetto

Sonata No. 1 in F Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847
II. Adagio III. Andante Recitativo IV. Allegro assai vivace

Selections from the film "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" (1964) Ennio Morricone b.
1928

Selections from the film "Cinema Paradiso" (1989) Ennio Morricone

Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Felix Mendelssohn
II. Scherzo III. Nocturne V. Wedding March

Robert gives a concert at the Legion on the second weekend of every month.
The Legion is located in Lincoln Park, at 34th Avenue and Clement Street in
San Francisco.

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San Francisco Lyric Chorus Excited About Summer Soloists
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

In addition to having Robert Adams, our wonderful Assistant Conductor/Accompanist, play the newly restored historic Trinity Episcopal Church E.M. Skinner symphonic organ, we are thrilled to have five fantastic soloists. We hope you will come to our concert to hear them. Here's biographical information about them:

Jennifer Ashworth, Soprano
Jennifer Ashworth is a native of Southern California, but moved to the Bay Area to attend the University of California, Berkeley in 1992. She received her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Holy Names College. She has been active as a soloist with numerous choral groups, including the Philharmonia (Baroque) Chorale, San Francisco Chamber Singers, VOCI, and the University of California, Berkeley, Chamber Chorus, as well as singing with local opera companies including the Lamplighters, Berkeley Opera, Teatro Bacchino, Pocket Opera, Golden Gate Opera, and the San Francisco Opera Guild. She was the soprano soloist for our Fall 2007 performance of Francis Poulenc's Gloria.

Daniel Cromeenes, Countertenor
Countertenor Daniel Cromeenes hails from sunny southern California where he studied piano and voice at Biola University and sang with the William Hall Master Chorale. He went on to achieve a master's degree in Accompanying at East Carolina University, where he studied voice and vocal repertoire in conjunction with his performance on piano. In North Carolina he sang with Capella Antiqua and made his alto solo debut in Purcell's Te Deum Laudamus and Jubilate Deo. After spending three years at Biola as Staff Accompanist, he joined Chanticleer for their 2005-06 season, singing concerts throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States. Recently, Dan has performed throughout the Bay area, both as an accompanist and as a singer with various ensembles. He currently plays for the Santa Clara Chorale, the music and theater departments at Santa Clara University, and as a freelance accompanist and coach. As a singer he has performed with various ensembles, including American Bach Soloists, Artists' Vocal Ensemble (AVE), Bay Area Classical Harmonies, Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, and the Chancel Choir at St. Paul's in Burlingame. When not onstage or behind a piano, Dan can usually be found either on a hike in the mountains or at home baking gourmet goodies.

Kevin Baum, Tenor
Kevin Baum currently is a cantor at St. Ignatius Church, and a member of the ensembles Clerestory, Schola Cantorum SF, AVE and the Philharmonia Chorale. In addition, he is an auxiliary member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. He is a 16-year veteran of the ensemble Chanticleer. Mr. Baum has been the tenor soloist in the San Francisco Lyric Chorus performances of Marc Antoine Charpentier's In nativitatem Domini canticum, H314, Joseph Haydn's Harmoniemesse, Michael Haydn's Requiem, Anton Bruckner's Mass No. 1 in D minor, Thomas Tallis' Missa puer natus est nobis, Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas carols, Ludwig Altman's Choral Meditation, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Missa Solemnis, K. 337, Gaspar Fernandes' Xicochi, Xicochi and Tleicantimo Choquiliya, J. David Moore's Annua Gaudia, Chen Yi's Arirang; Zhou Long's Words of the Sun, Se Enkhbayar's Naiman Sharag, John Blow's Begin the Song, the World Premiere of Lee R. Kesselman's This Grand Show Is Eternal, the West Coast Premiere of Robert Train Adams' It Will Be Summer—Eventually, and J. David Moore's How Can I Keep From Singing.

William Neely, Baritone
Bill has performed with many groups around the Bay Area, most recently with Midsummer Mozart's production of Abduction From the Seraglio, Cinnabar Opera in Petaluma as John Sorel in Menotti's The Consul; also with Cinnabar: Tonio (Pagliacci), Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana), Jack Rance (La Fanciulla del West), the Forester (Janacek's Cunning Little Vixen), Ford (Falstaff), Count Almaviva (Marriage of Figaro), the Emperor (The Nightingale); with Santa Rosa Players as Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha); with North Bay Opera as Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd in conjunction with Solano College), as the four villains (Tales of Hoffmann) and Scarpia (Tosca); with Livermore Valley Opera in the title role of Don Giovanni; with West Bay Opera as Scarpia (Tosca), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Dr. Malatesta (Don Pasquale), and Falke (Die Fledermaus); with Pocket Opera as Rambaldo (La Rondine), Taddeo in Italian Girl in Algiers and The Treasurer in Verdi's King for a Day; with Berkeley Opera as Marquis de la Force and the Jailer in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, and as Papageno (The Magic Flute, cond. by George Cleve); with Berkeley Contemporary Opera as the Traveler (7 roles in Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice), and Blazes (Peter Maxwell Davies' The Lighthouse); with Peninsula Civic Light Opera in the title role of Yeston and Kopit's Phantom; with San Francisco Lyric Opera as Escamillo (Carmen), Scarpia (Tosca), Germont (La Traviata), and Albert (Werther). For thirty years, he has sung with the Lamplighters, performing most of the baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire as well as Danilo (The Merry Widow) and Carl-Magnus (A Little Night Music). He has also performed with the Berkeley Symphony, Pocket Opera, San Francisco Bach Choir, Cabrillo Festival, Diablo Symphony, Valley Choral Society and San Jose Symphonic Choir. He holds a Bachelor in Music degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Masters in Music degree from the University of Colorado. Bill is on the Music faculty of Santa Rosa Junior College and teaches voice in his studio in San Francisco.

Allen Biggs, Timpani
Allen Biggs has a Bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University, where he is now an instructor, and a Master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is the principal percussionist with the Santa Rosa Symphony. He performs with the San Francisco Opera, the Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra, and the California, Marin and Napa Symphony Orchestras. Legally Blonde,Matthew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands and Swan Lake are Broadway shows Mr. Biggs has worked on in the past year. Recent recordings include the cast albums of A Chorus Line and Happy End. Mr. Biggs is a founding member of Orient Express, an exciting four-piece ensemble that performs music of the gypsy diaspora. He performed with Dave Brubeck in March 2007. He previously performed with the San Francisco Lyric Chorus in our presentations of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Stephen Hatfield's Nukapianguaq, Lee R. Kesselman's Shona Mass, Juan Pérez Bocanegra's Hanacpachap Cusicuinnin, Gaspar Fernandes' Xicochi, Xicochi and Tleicantimo Choquiliya, J. David Moore's Annua Gaudia and Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem.

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San Francisco Lyric Chorus Summer 2008 Concert, August 23-24
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus, under the direction of Robert Gurney, presents:
Te Deum!

George Frideric Handel—Te Deum in A Major
Joseph Haydn—Te Deum in C (Hob. XXIIIc, No. 2)
Benjamin Britten—Festival Te Deum
Antonin Dvorák—Te Deum

Saturday, August 23, 2008
8 P.M.

Sunday, August 24, 2008
5 P.M.

Trinity Episcopal Church
Bush and Gough Streets
San Francisco

Tickets: General $20; Seniors and Advance, $17
Free admission for students 5-18
Please, no children under five
Visit our website: www.sflc.org
For information call (415) 721-4077

Featuring:

Jennifer Ashworth, Soprano
Daniel Cromeenes, Countertenor
Kevin Baum, Tenor
William Neely, Bass

Robert Train Adams, Organ
Allen Biggs, Timpani

Te Deums are hymns of praise and celebration, and we present four settings of this laudatory text, each from a different era. George Frideric Handel's little known Te Deum in A Major, ca. 1727, is based on his Chandos Te Deum. This miniature Baroque gem encompasses many of Handel's trademarks—elegant solos, sprightly choruses, and long, fluid vocal lines—all in 15 minutes!

Joseph Haydn's Te Deum in C, composed in 1800, is one of his most delightful smaller choral works. It sparkles with the joy that only Haydn can express.

Benjamin Britten's Festival Te Deum expresses both wonderful calm and thunderous energy. Chorus and organ are in two different time signatures!

Antonin Dvorák's Te Deum captures all the charm and vigor of his Bohemian heritage, combined with the melody and passion of grand opera.

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Robert Gurney Gives Organ Concert at Legion of Honor
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

Music Director Robert Gurney will give concerts Saturday, July 12 and
Sunday, July 13 on the California Palace of the Legion of Honor's fabulous
E.M. Skinner organ. Legion organ concerts are held in the Rodin Gallery and
begin at 4 p.m. The concerts are free with museum admission. You might want to visit the Legion before the performance to catch the wonderful exhibits of works by women impressionists and/or a selection of Israeli treasures, including some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Robert's concerts at the Legion are a real treat, as he works magic with the many capabilities of this incredible symphonic organ, including a real battery of percussion instruments! This month he will be playing the following music:

The Thunderer John Philip Sousa 1854-1932

Grand Choeur from the Oratorio "Joshua" George Frideric Handel 1685-1759

Carillon George Frideric Handel

Largo from "Xerxes" George Frideric Handel

Works for Mechanical Flute Clock Joseph Haydn 1732-1809
I. Presto II. Menuett III. Marche IV. Vivace

Berceuse from "Dolly Suite" Gabriel Faure 1845-1924

Overture to "Girl Crazy" (1930) George Gershwin 1898-1937

Robert gives a concert at the Legion on the second weekend of every month.
The Legion is located in Lincoln Park, at 34th Avenue and Clement Street in
San Francisco.

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Chorister Shirley Drexler Is In The News
Current mood: excited

Chorister Shirley Drexler is mentioned in a 6-27-08 San Francisco Chronicle article about Changs International Folk Dance Group, a San Francisco folk dance group which started in 1938.

The article says: "Shirley Drexler, who turns 91 in two weeks, attributes some of her vitality to folk dancing, which she took up in New York City in 1940. After moving here three years ago to be with her grandkids, Drexler found her way to Changs, where's she's a regular. She's a compact woman with coiffed white hair, a purple outfit, beige sneakers and a tart sense of humor.

"I come every week, sober or drunk," laughed Drexler, heading onto the dance floor."

Congratulations, Shirley!

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Robert Gurney Performs At The Legion of Honor This Weekend
Current mood: excited

Music Director Robert Gurney will give concerts Saturday, June 14 and
Sunday, June 15 on the California Palace of the Legion of Honor's fabulous
E.M. Skinner organ. Legion organ concerts are held in the Rodin Gallery and
begin at 4 p.m. The concerts are free with museum admission.

If you haven't heard Robert's concerts at the Legion, you're in for a treat!
He really knows how to demonstrate all the moods and sounds of this
incredible symphonic organ. This month he will be playing the following
music:

Voluntary in C Major Henry Purcell 1659-1695

Overture to "Come, Ye Sons of Art" Henry Purcell

Cantilena John Longhurst b.1940

Selections form "Love Me Tonight" (1932) music by Richard Rodgers
1902-1979, words by Lorenz Hart 1895-1943
Mimi
Love Me Tonight
Isn't It Romantic?
Lover

Summer Skies Leroy Anderson 1908-1975

A Summer Pastorale David Paxton

Selections from "I Married An Angel" (1938) Rodgers and Hart
At The Roxie Music Hall
I Married An Angel
Spring Is Here

High School Cadets John Philip Sousa 1854-1932


Robert gives a concert at the Legion on the second weekend of every month.
The Legion is located in Lincoln Park, at 34th Avenue and Clement Street in
San Francisco.

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SFLC Opens Café Press Store!
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

You, too, can help the San Francisco Lyric Chorus by visiting our Café Press store! At http://www.cafepress.com/sflc, we have t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, tote bags, and more. All merchandise has the lovely SFLC logo emblazoned on it. You can own one or more of these wonderful products and support the Chorus at the same time!

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Summer 2008 Trimester Off To A Great Start!
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

Isn't it wonderful to be singing again, especially after the great success of our Spring 2008 program of American music.

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus began its joyful Summer 2008 Season on May 12, rehearsing its program of Te Deums:

George Frideric Handel Te Deum in A Major
Joseph Haydn Te Deum in C (Hob. XXIIIc, No. 2
Benjamin Britten Festival Te Deum
Antonin Dvorák Te Deum

What great rehearsals we've had! The music is uplifting, cheerful, and delightful. We're already hearing that wonderful Lyric Chorus blend. Each of the compositions is different and reflective of its composer's style, era and nationality. It's such fun! I hope more singers will join us to experience this fabulous music.

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Music Director Robert Gurney Performs at Legion of Honor, May 10-11
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

Music Director Robert Gurney will give concerts Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11 on the California Palace of the Legion of Honor's fabulous E.M. Skinner organ. Legion organ concerts are held in the Rodin Gallery and begin at 4 p.m. The concerts are free with museum admission.

If you haven't heard Robert's concerts at the Legion, you're in for a treat! He really knows how to demonstrate all the moods and sounds of this incredible symphonic organ. This month he will be playing music by Johann Strauss, Seth Bingham, and Irving Berlin, among others.

Robert gives a concert at the Legion on the second weekend of every month. The Legion is located in Lincoln Park, at 34th Avenue and Clement Street in San Francisco.

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