We conclude our tour of the Baltics with Kevin Memley’s “Sister Gone,” a poem by William Barnes. It is about a girl left behind after her sister’s wedding. Because we …
July 6: Tours – Baltics 2014, Singing Revolution
Estonia held its first song festival, Laulupidu, in 1869. The grounds where it is held became the focal point of the “Singing Revolution,” which helped win its independence between 1987 …
July 5: Tours – Baltics 2014, Estonia
This is the third day of our miniseries on the tour of the Baltics and the second day of our nested miniseries on freedom and independence. We hope you are …
July 4: Tours – Baltics 2014, to Estonia
This is the second day of our Tour of the Baltics miniseries. In celebration of the Fourth of July weekend we now start a three day nested miniseries on what …
July 3: Tours – Baltics 2014, St. Petersburg
The Allan Petker Chorale’s third tour was to the Baltics including St. Petersburg, Russia, Tallinn, Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden in 2014. Quiz of the DayIn Croatia we discovered Klapa, traditional a cappella …
July 2: Boulanger – Hymne au Soleil, 2016
The younger sister of noted composer and composition teacher Nadia Boulanger, Lili Boulanger was a child prodigy who studied with Gabriel Fauré. She was the first female composer to win …
July 1: Emery – Missa Brevis Boreal, 2015
Missa Brevis Boreal was published by Dr. Matthew Emery at the age of 24. He is perhaps the youngest composer in Consort’s repertoire and a Canadian composer, fitting for today because it is Canada Day, the …
June 30: Composers – Kenneth, Twelfth Night, 2003
For Consort’s Tenth Anniversary we featured three pieces from Los Angeles-based composer Kenneth Neufeld’s “Songs from the Twelfth Night” with texts by William Shakespeare. You learn more about him in …
June 29: Hanson – 150th Psalm, 2016
Consort has also been blessed with several wonderful accompanists. Today’s video, Howard Hanson’s “The One Hundred Fiftieth Psalm,” features Alla Artemova on one of the organs at the First Presbyterian …
June 28: Tours – Dalmatian Coast 2011, Ave Maria
Throughout our tour of the Dalmatian Coast we were impressed by the focus on Mary, mother of Jesus. At times it seemed that she was more revered than her son. …
June 27: Tours – Dalmatian Coast 2011, Lux Aurumque
This is our second Season of the Day piece from that very hot night at Zagreb’s Saint Joseph’s Church. (The first was “Motherless Child” on June 14.) Here are the tour …
June 26: Tours – Dalmatian Coast 2011, Stabat Mater
The Allan Petker Chorale’s second tour was to the Dalmatian Coast, Croatia and Slovenia. Most of the tour was during a heat wave and became known as the “Gelato Tour.” Today’s …
June 25: Gregorio – Dona Nobis Pacem, 2015
Program Notes: Joseph Gregorio is an award-winning composer and conductor. He was a professor of music theory and musicianship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2008-2009. We are …
June 24: Composers – Sanford, Bless Us, Lord, 2018
Sanford’s introduction to “Bless Us, Lord, with Your Peace” It’s funny where inspiration comes from. One day, in 2006, while changing music out of the choir folders at St. Gregory’s, …
June 23: Composers – Sanford, Songs of Isaiah, 2017
Sanford’s introduction to “Songs of Isaiah.” This three movement concert work, from 2016, was commissioned by Bay Choral Guild, the Palo Alto-based choir that I have been directing for 20 …
June 22: Composers – Sanford, Your Steadfast Love, 2013
We begin another edition of the “Composers” series, sharing songs from living composers who have become favorites of Consort. Sanford Dole joined Consort in 2012 and has been a valued …
June 21: Let Music Fill the Air, 2012
Allan set the following two pieces, from living composers, together. Let Music Fill the Air (Gwyneth Walker 1947- )Text: Adapted from a text by Plato, and from a passage in …
June 20: Tours – Eastern Europe 2008, Budapest
Our final concert was in Hungary, where our karnagy Allan directed us in the very ornate Matthias Church, Holy Trinity Square in Budapest. We got to warm up in the crypt below the …
June 19: Celebrating Juneteenth, 2014
We take a break from Eastern Europe to return to the U.S. and celebrate Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day.” After Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Virginia, it took another 10 …
June 18: Tours – Eastern Europe 2008, Trnava
Our tour continued back across what was the Iron Curtain into Slovakia’s capital Bratislava. We did a concert in a community hall nearby in Trnava. So, get ready to brush …