2009-2010 Season Schedule Soaring Inspiration (Venue directions available for underlined locations below) Cantare Chorale Tis the Season Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 7:30 p.m., Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church Sunday, Dec 6, 2009, 3:00 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Oakland A proven highpoint for Bay Area audiences, the Chorale, joined by the Chamber Ensemble and Nova, will dazzle you with the sounds of joy, hope and love that mark this festive holiday season. Included are pieces by Bruckner, Holst, Frank Martin, Pinkham, Rutter, Dubra, Van and others, plus sing-along carols. Brahms Requiem Saturday, March 20, 2010, 7:30 p.m., Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church Unquestionably a favorite for singers, instrumentalists and listeners, Brahms has set biblical texts of comfort to the lyric melodies and rich harmonies for which he is revered, to unleash the astonishing power to heal. This day we recall those that have left a significant mark on us and on our world. Make Our Garden Grow Saturday, June 5, 2010, 7:30 p.m., Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church America expresses its fascinating story through its rich and varied music. The Chorale, Chamber Ensemble and Nova join forces to present our Season Finale, with songs by Leonard Bernstein, René Clausen, Norman Dello Joio, James Mulholland, Stephen Paulus among several others. Also included are an Armed Forces Medley in honor of our veterans, African American spirituals and gospel songs, and a medley from one of Broadway’s finest musicals, Les Misérables. We will also premiere a work we commissioned from America’s revered contemporary composer, Eric Whitacre, his setting of e.e. cummings little man in a hurry. There’s more, but that should be enough to guarantee your being entertained and feeling the pride that connects us from sea to shining sea. Cantare Chamber Ensemble Peace on Earth December 12, 2009, 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Merritt College Student Lounge, Oakland Enjoy a professionally catered candlelight dinner and the most spectacular bridge-to-bridge Bay view from high up in the Oakland hills, while being soothed by Christmas art songs, lullabies and carols as only the Chamber Ensemble can present. It doesn’t get any better than this! 7:30 Performance is Sold Out tickets are still available for the 5:00 performance Let Freedom Ring! Saturday, February 20, 2010, 7:30 p.m., Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church Sunday, February 21, 2010, 3:00 p.m., First Congregational Church of Oakland Collaborating with Oakland’s Interfaith Gospel Choir and their director Terrance Kelly, the Chamber Ensemble joins to recount the heroic journey of African Americans from slavery to freedom, through music, pictures and narration. Included are MLK as performed by U2, Ella’s Song as performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock, a new choral setting of Strange Fruit as made popular by Billie Holiday, plus a varied selection of African American Spirituals and Gospel Songs and stirring renditions of Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round and We Shall Overcome. Go Lovely Rose Sunday, May 16, 2010, 3:00 p.m., Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church Flowers, birds, streams and other elements of nature have provided numerous metaphors for poets to express our shared emotions of love and loss, hope and longing. In the exquisite Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, we present sixteen compositions, including Britten’s Flower Songs, which will awaken in you the beauty that springtime affords. Celebrating 10 Years of our Education and Outreach Program I Believe I Can Fly Friday, April 23, 7:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, Oakland We celebrate 10 years of investing in the lives of more than a thousand children and their families through our education and outreach program with a concert presented by all our children’s choirs along with the Chorale, including the world premiere of a commissioned piece celebrating the occasion. We also pay tribute to those whose initial dreams helped fuel today’s reality as we return to where it all began, the lovely historical landmark which is the First Baptist Church of Oakland.