July: Galway, Ireland

As we boarded our plane to Frankfurt, and even after arriving in Galway, we were still flying high from the four amazing days of Chanticleer in Sonoma, our summer workshop for adult choral singers (scroll down to see it.) The final concert was this past Sunday, and we must say that it rocked! The small ensembles outdid themselves, and all 75 of us singing Biebl's Ave Maria conducted by Joe Jennings was a moment of music and emotion nobody who was there will forget. It seems as if our summer workshop just gets to be better and better and more and more fun. Thanks to all who participated; we'll hope to see you next time!

Now, four days later, here we are in Ireland for our debut performances starting in Galway on Saturday. After Ireland, we'll go to Germany for one concert and then to France for a wild trip to the four corners of the country. Come along!

There was of course one obvious way to celebrate our arrival in the land of Guinness at about l0pm last night after flying from San Francisco to Frankfurt to Dublin and taking a bus from there to here.

Today's the day off we always have upon arrival in Europe. This is Sonny's, where JFK famously stopped on his visit to Galway in l963.

Tomorrow, on the Fourth of July, we'll be performing our American program "Wondrous Free" at St. Nicholas Collegiate Church, just off the main street.

June: Chanticleer in Sonoma

Our fourth almost annual workshop for adult choral singers takes place this week. 63 singers have joined us on the campus of Sonoma State University for four days of music making. In the big choir - that is 75 of us- we work on music by Gabrieli, Barber, and Biebl and a gospel arrangement by Moses Hogan. Each singer also takes part in a small ensemble with three of us. Optional classes are given in IPA, Vocal Production, Sight-singing and Yoga for singers. And then there's the fun in the evening! A concert on Sunday afternoon gives us all a chance to present our accomplishments to an audience.

Of the 63 singers participating this year, 37 are returnees, so the opening session is a happy reunion for them and for us, with the bonus of new people to meet.

Joe was presented with a 16 panel quilt made by 14 members of the last workshop two years ago.

We sang a few notes in Sonoma State's almost completed Green Music Center - much like Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood. It's beautiful and will be a great asset to the musical life of the Bay Area.

Memories of our China trip: VIDEO

We've finished up The Divine Orlando, and are preparing to go up to Sonoma tomorrow for our summer workshop for adult choral singers (this year a record number of participants - over 70!)

We are reminded that it was only last month that we were in China. One of the patrons who travelled with us sent this video we wanted to share with you of us singing the Chinese folk song "Molihua" at the Shanghai Conservatory with He Xiao Nan, who was drafted by Matt to perform with us and showed us a thing or two! We're excited to be going back to Shanghai in June 2010 as part of a San Francisco delegation to the International Exposition. We'll see our friends at the Conservatory again!

May comes to an end: a gala, two concerts and two workshops

No sooner were we back from China than it was time for our annual gala - an elegant but relaxed evening to see our friends and supporters and tell our stories. This year it took place in the glamorous Bently Reserve at the Embarcadero.

No sooner had we had our Gala than we headed south to Modesto, California for a concert at Modesto Junior College and a masterclass with the Modesto Junior College Chamber Choir.

Then, the new Broad Stage in Santa Monica - a beautiful 500 seat theater with a really good sound. We were honored to be part of the inaugural season. Hard to imagine that only a week ago we were arriving back from Hong Kong!

On the day of the Broad performance we gave a workshop for the Santa Monica Chamber Choir and the Sierra Vista High School vocal ensemble.

Matt works with the Chamber Choir ( a community group) on "Loch Lomond."

After to listening to them sing, we spread out into the sections of the Sierra Vista High School Vocal Ensemble to give them a closer sense of our feelings about their piece by Victoria.

As always working with other choral singers is a very fulfilling experience for us. We went back to San Francisco the following day to start working up our "Divine Orlando" program for early June.