Where is the middle of the choral season? Is it half way between Labor Day and the 4th of July? Is it right between Christmas and Easter? Or is it about where the middle concerts are of the groups with three concert seasons?
This year it feels right to say we turn the corner at the middle of our course during March, with the apex very close to the spring equinox. Eight days ago, the Cal Poly choirs held their winter concert, followed by concerts with local choral connections a bit out of our area, those being of the Inland Master Chorale. The Repertory Opera Company of Pomona, a friend of local choruses (and with several local chorale members singing) began their Puccini Extravaganza the same weekend.
This weekend, only hours from now, the two non affiliated chorales most known to the denizens of Claremont and surrounding cities are offering their mid season concerts, as the ROC Puccini continues at the FCC in Pomona. As we lean into the corner, we pass by Thursday, when another out of the area but locally connected concert by Jouyssance, the early music ensemble will sing in Orange County (let us hope they bring their music closer someday, to one of the acoustically friendly venues we have right here).
Then we have the equinox, and Spring, followed by one more taste of a cappella choral singing as part of the Musicians Club of Pomona Valley program on Tuesday evening at Trinity UMC of Pomona and, suddenly, we’re speeding towards Holy Week, when there should be plenty of choirs doing all sorts of music on four different occasions. It is the hope here that not only there will be much about which to write, but that word of all this special music finds its way here to be shared.
Saturday, 14 March
2:00 p.m., Repertory Opera Company, Puccini Extravaganza, Ill Tabarro & other Puccini scenes, First Christian Church, Pomona
3:00 p.m., Claremont Chorale, “Elegy,” Music by Vaughan Williams, Bach, Fauré, Claremont
7:30 p.m., Mountainside Master Chorale, “California Voices,” Music by Diemer, Lauridsen, Whitacre, Kirchner, Winckler and others, Pomona
Sunday, 15 March
3:30 p.m., Mountainside “California Voices,” Music by Diemer, Lauridsen, Whitacre, Kirchner, Winckler and others, Pomona
Thursday, 19 March
7:30 p.m., Jouyssance, “Music of the Court of Mantua,” with music by Monteverdi, Rossi, Wert and others, Fullerton
Saturday, 21 March
2:00 p.m., Repertory Opera Company, “Puccini Extravaganza,” Ill Tabarro & other Puccini scenes, First Christian Church, Pomona
Tuesday, 24 March
7:30 p.m., Musicians Club of Pomona Valley, with Choralescence and others, Trinity United Methodist Church, 676 N Gibbs St., Pomona, CA 91767
Needing news from you
Please send word of any special services with choir at nearby churches from 29 March, Palm Sunday, through Easter Sunday, so that this news maybe shared with others.
Last Word Tonight we give the last words to several composers whose music will be sung soon in this area.
My Lord what a morning – Burleigh
Sa nui d’ete – Morten Lauridsen