Tag archives: choir

On the Road with the Choir and Orchestra
By Scott Craig   |   May 7, 2024

The Westmont Orchestra and the Westmont College Choir join forces in May for the college’s first combined tour. Traveling from Los Angeles to Northern California, about 120 students will perform scenes from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn as well as other pieces.  “It’s a big undertaking and will show the breadth of music at Westmont,” says […]

Choral Concerts Central 
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 12, 2023

Choir lovers rejoice: It’s the most wonderful time of year as several of the city’s classical vocal groups perform holiday concerts this week. Sing! – the Music Academy’s free community youth choral program – gets things going at 6 pm December 7 with a free one-hour concert featuring Christmas carols and holiday songs from across […]

Let the Children SING!
By Steven A. Blum   |   July 25, 2023

The members of the Music Academy’s SING! children’s choir were part of the two triumphant performances of La bohème at the Granada Theatre last weekend. This Sunday afternoon, they’ll be back downtown as the stars of the show at the Lobero Theatre, once again joining forces with the Young People’s Chorus (YPC) of New York […]

College Choir Travels to Tokyo for an International Tour
By Scott Craig   |   May 23, 2023

Following Commencement, the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers took off on a nine-day tour to Tokyo, Japan — the first international choir tour since the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Daniel Gee ’13, director of choral activities, the choir’s itinerary includes joint concerts with Japanese collegiate ensembles, including those from Waseda University and the Tokyo […]

Gospel and Harpsichord Grooves
By Richard Mineards   |   November 15, 2022

Exuberance and energy were the order of the night when the 20-year-old three-time Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir sang at a concert at UCSB’s Campbell Hall, part of the popular Arts & Lectures program. The singers, long associated with late South African president Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, impressed with a variety of South African […]

Westmont Fall Choral Festival 
By Steven Libowitz   |   November 1, 2022

High school choirs from across the Southern California region join the Westmont College Choir and Choral Union to share an off-campus concert of vocal music from an array of different musical traditions. The high school choirs, who have received coaching from Westmont’s music faculty, get a chance to shine individually as well as part of […]

Quire’s ‘Sacred Love’ of Singing
By Steven Libowitz   |   May 31, 2022

With public performances back in vogue now that the pandemic has eased its stranglehold, at least for the time being, Quire of Voyce’s director Nathan Kreitzer is thrilled to be programming performances at St. Anthony’s Seminary again. Following a special Christmas recital, the a cappella choir is returning to the acoustically stunning hall at the […]

Masked Singers Offer ‘Choral Celebration’
By Scott Craig   |   November 5, 2020

Members of the Westmont College Choir and Choral Union, wearing masks and singing outside, offer a Fall Choral Celebration on Friday, October 30, at 7 pm at westmont.edu/virtual-concert-series. The choir, directed by Daniel Gee, will perform “This is my Father’s World” by Elaine Hagenberg, “My Soul There is a Country” by Hubert Parry, “Love Bade […]

Quire Composer’s Set and Setting
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 19, 2019

Stephen Dombek had the unusual experience of hearing one of his compositions from the audience when the Quire of Voyces performed his setting of “Hodie – Christus Natus Est (Today Christ is Born)” at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art at December’s 1st Thursday art walk. Normally, Dombek would have been among the baritone section […]

Sold-Out Christmas Festival Adds Concert
By Scott Craig   |   December 12, 2019

The Westmont Music Department added a Saturday matinee to its 15th annual Christmas Festival schedule after tickets to the first three performances sold out in about a week. Tickets are available for the concert on Saturday, December 14, at 2 pm in First Presbyterian Church at westmont.edu/christmasfestival. The festival, which retells the Christmas story by […]

Hundreds of Voices Join for Choral Fest
By Scott Craig   |   October 31, 2019

The 15th annual Westmont Fall Choral Festival combines voices of more than 300 high school students from 12 different schools on Friday, November 1, at 4:45 pm at First United Methodist Church, 305 East Anapamu Street, and 7 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 21 East Constance Avenue. Both performances are free. For more information please […]

Maile Kai at SOhO
By James Buckley   |   April 11, 2019

Maile Kai Merrick, along with Sofia Schuster, sang solo, and the entire Adderley choir joined in and recently sang “Somewhere” from West Side Story in honor of Jim Dougherty‘s 80th birthday at the Lobero. But you’ll get to hear the remarkable Maile Kai and Sofia sing again at SOhO this Friday, April 12 from 6:30 […]

‘Open/Close’ Marks Apex of Senior’s Art
By Scott Craig   |   April 4, 2019

Eight graduating art majors will offer their capstone art projects, which span oil painting, photography, serigraphy, sculpture, assemblages, and digital painting from April 4-May 4 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A free, public opening reception for “OPEN/CLOSE: Westmont Graduate Exhibition” is Thursday, April 4 from 4-6 pm at the museum. “I am most […]

Proud Papa
By Richard Mineards   |   February 21, 2019

It was quite the weekend for proud father entrepreneur and venture investor Robert Fell. Robert, a former Santa Barbara Polo Club patron who lives on his 18-acre estate, Tuscany Oaks Farm in Summerland, just a short gallop from the lush fields of the Carpinteria club, was in New York when his son, Alexander, a senior […]

Channel City Club
By Lynda Millner   |   December 13, 2018

You always know when the Christmas season is here when the Channel City Club has its annual Christmas luncheon and program at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. It began with Gil Rosas playing the piano followed by the Montecito Union School choir conducted by Pam Herzog singing all sorts of Christmas and Hanukkah music. […]

Montecito Schools Music at CVR Holiday Festival
By Joanne A Calitri   |   December 13, 2018

On Saturday, December 8, Montecito was treated to an outdoor live music performance from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel [OLMC], Montecito Union [MUS], and Cold Spring School [CSS] students. The area in front of Giovanni’s on Coast Village Road was transformed into a festival holiday center, with white chairs in the roped off parking area, […]

Everyone in Harmony, in Voices and Beyond
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 13, 2018

Brent Anderson has been singing in Barbershop Harmony choruses for 40 years, the last 19 as part of Pacific Sounds, a group he co-formed back in 1999 to serve as a competition and show choir long before anyone heard of TV’s Glee or the Pitch Perfect movies. Part of the 700-chapter-strong Barbershop Harmony Society, Pacific […]