Following a great clinic with the infamous Vance George (Director Emeritus, San Francisco Symphony Chorus), IOCSF made me proud yet again with a beautiful rendition of Maurice Durufle’s Requiem on April 11. We sang at St. Ignatius Church, which has to be the most visible church in all of San Francisco, and it was simply gorgeous inside! Stephen Lind played the organ masterfully, and Megan Stetson and Pawel Walerowski helped to bring several audience members to tears in the solemn Pie Jesu movement. As for the chorus, what more can I say… once again, my wonderful singers rose to the challenge of something new, and quite simply, shone like never before. Additionally, a strange synchronicity occurred in conjunction with a service that was held just before the concert in remembrance of the terrible recent airline tragedy involving the Polish president. It was almost as though some higher power brought us there to sing the Requiem just for that occasion, and my thanks go out to Caria for helping involve us in that experience. It was truly a beautiful evening, and I am looking forward to doing it again in May!
We are also currently prepping pieces for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s bi-annual composition contest. IOCSF received five works by five students of David Conte, and we had our first rehearsal of those pieces last Sunday. Let me just say, I challenge the other top choirs in the Bay Area to sight-read better than IOCSF! It’s always exciting to work on music that has never been performed. It is quite the learning experience for everyone involved, plus, it gives us the chance to really search deep inside and see how the music can move us. With established repertoire, chances are that the singers have sung the piece before, and so there are some pre-conceived notions about how the music should be performed. Singing these new works allows us to create something that is just that: truly new. The concert will take place on Saturday May 8, 2010 at 8:00 pm at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Check out our home page or concerts page to get the specific details.
Last plug: our final concerts will be held on May 14th and 15th this season. And as always, all of our concerts are FREE! So, come and hear this amazing choir… you won’t regret it!
Zane Fiala
Director, International Orange Chorale of San Francisco
