IOCSF: The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco

03.29.2013 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “UNREMEMBERED: MODERN CHORAL MUSIC BY WOMEN”

iocsf.admin — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 04:05:45 +0000

International Orange Chorale of San Francisco

Zane Fiala – Artistic Director

www.iocsf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 29, 2013

CONTACT: 908-705-5989, nick@iocsf.org

INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “UNREMEMBERED: MODERN CHORAL MUSIC BY WOMEN”

The David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013, 6:00 PM

Solarium Public Space, 55 – 2nd Street, San Francisco

FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2013, 5:00 PM

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 3281 16th Street, San Francisco

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2013, 7:30PM

_____________________________________________________________________

San Francisco – The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF) presents “Unremembered: Modern Choral Music by Women” on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 6:00 PM at the David Brower Center in Berkeley; Friday, June 7, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. in the Solarium Public Space at 55 2nd Street in San Francisco, and on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at 3281 16th Street in San Francisco. The concerts will feature a wide-ranging selection of contemporary works by female choral composers of the last fifty years, including the world premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s five-movement opus “Unremembered” as well as world premiere works by IOCSF singers and composers Elizabeth Kimble and Mari Valverde.

The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, recipient of the 2011 Chorus America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, is devoted to performing both established repertoire and newly commissioned works by promising composers. To date, IOCSF has premiered more than thirty works, including twelve from composers found within the ensemble and several that have subsequently been published by Santa Barbara Music, G. Schirmer, and Hal Leonard. In 2011, IOCSF released “Peace,” by Aaron Pike, the first offering of a new choral series partnership with Santa Barbara Music.

Admission is free, although donations are welcome. For more information, visit www.iocsf.org.

About “Unremembered: Modern Choral Music by Women”

The program of “Unremembered” showcases the diversity of styles, moods, and perspectives in the work of today’s female choral composers. [Say something about the style of the Sarah Kirkland Snider piece here]. [Say some things about the styles of a few of the other pieces].

“The women on this program are writing some of the most exciting, challenging, thought-provoking and beautiful choral music on the scene today,” said Zane Fiala, IOCSF’s Artistic Director. “We are excited to showcase such a range of talents, and particularly proud that two of our featured composers come from within IOCSF’s ranks.”

About the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco

Recipient of the 2011 Chorus America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF), led by Artistic Director Zane Fiala, was founded in 2003. Named after the color of the Golden Gate Bridge, the International Orange Chorale is an auditioned volunteer-based chamber choir devoted to performing established repertoire of all periods, with particular attention to contemporary music including newly commissioned works by promising composers. IOCSF has performed world premieres of more than thirty choral works and has also presented regional premieres of four works including Milton Babbitt’s Music for the Mass, Thomas Ades’ Fayrfax Carol and the 2008 revision of Jake Heggie’s Faith Disquiet. IOCSF has collaborated with Frederica von Stade, Zheng Cao, Jake Heggie, and Nicolle Foland; appeared as part of the Noontime Concert Series at Old St. Mary’s Church and the Noe Valley Chamber Music Series in San Francisco; performed in collaboration with the Yale Glee Club at Grace Cathedral; participated in the Haiti Earthquake Relief Concert at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland; premiered several commissioned works for the 75th Anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge; and served as a Featured Ensemble, giving both performances and master classes, at the Chorus America National Conference. Since its inception, the group has been committed to performing free concerts featuring challenging and imaginative a cappella choral programming.

About Zane Fiala, Artistic Director, International Orange Chorale

Zane Fiala has been a member of IOCSF since 2007 and was named Artistic Director in 2009. During his time with the chorale, Mr. Fiala has collaborated on concerts and new works with composers including Jake Heggie, David Conte, Joseph Gregorio, Robin Estrada, Dominick DiOrio, and Shaffer McGee. In 2010, Mr. Fiala conducted IOCSF in the west coast premiere (and first ever unaccompanied performance) of Milton Babbitt’s ‘Music for the Mass’. As director for IOCSF, Mr. Fiala has also conducted a performance with the Yale Glee Club and has worked with guest clinicians including Ragnar Bohlin, Joseph Jennings, Ian Robertson, Magen Solomon and Vance George. His work with the ensemble has led to the premieres of ten compositions including his own, Es la mañana llena. Mr. Fiala received his M.A. in Choral Conducting from San Francisco State University where he studied with Joshua Habermann (Santa Fe Desert Chorale), and his B.A. in Jazz Studies from Columbia College Chicago.

Babbitt, Old and New, News

iocsf.admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 03:50:09 +0000

November 20, 2012

Dear Supporter,

IOCSF has a great deal of information to share with you this month!

The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco presents “Everything Old is New Again” on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Solarium Public Space at 55 2nd Street in San Francisco, and on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco. The concert pairs contemporary and centuries-old settings of classic sacred texts, including world premiere works by Joshua Saulle and Nicholas Weininger. As you know, our concerts are free, but donations are always appreciated.

Friday December 7, 2012 @ 5:00 PM
Solarium Atrium (Ground Floor)
KPMG Building
55 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA

Sunday December 9, 2012 @ 7:30 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA

The program of “Everything Old is New Again” illuminates contrasts and similarities among Renaissance, 20th-century, and 21st-century choral settings of classic liturgical and devotional verses. The 15th-century carol “There is no rose of swych vertu” appears in traditional form, a 20th-century setting by Elizabeth Maconchy, and a 2010 setting by Fredrik Sixten. New settings of Salve Regina and Ave Maria, by Jason Bush and Joshua Saulle respectively, are paired with 16th-century motets by Orlando di Lasso and Tomas Luis de Victoria. Nicholas Weininger’s setting of the original Hebrew words of Song of Solomon 2:10-13, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away,” is likewise contrasted with Francisco Guerrero’s “Surge, propera amica mea”. Finally, the West Coast premiere of the “Credo” from Uģis Prauliņš’ Missa Rigensis appears alongside the “Credo” from Frank Martin’s 1924 Mass for double choir.

“The selection of pieces in this season’s program brings a fresh sense of discovery and awe to these ancient words,” said Zane Fiala, IOCSF’s Artistic Director. “We are excited to take our audience on a journey from the transcendent Renaissance polyphonic tradition of 500 years ago to the lush and varied choral textures of today.”

Babbitt CD Update

After months of recording, research, and learning about the entire process of making a CD, IOCSF is pleased to announce we are aiming to release our first CD, a recording of Milton Babbitt’s Music for the Mass, on January 1, 2013. We will be providing additional details to those of you who donated via Kickstarter to make this possible early next week. We are honored to have artwork on the CD provided by San Francisco based artist Colter Jacobsen. Jacobsen was selected as a winner of the prestigious SECA Art Award from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2010.

Making a final version of the CD that sounds just the way we want, and then figuring out the most effective feasible way to get that CD out to the public, has been an intense learning experience for us. It’s also taken much longer than we initially expected and planned. We want to thank you, our supporters, for bearing with us all this time, donating so generously on Kickstarter, and continuing to believe in our choir. We’re looking forward to bringing this labor of love to many more listening ears in January!

If you have any questions about IOCSF, please email us at info@iocsf.org.

Best,
Kenric Taylor
Administrative Director
International Orange Chorale of San Francisco

11.1.2012 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: SACRED TEXTS FROM ACROSS THE AGES”

iocsf.admin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 04:04:15 +0000

November 11, 2012

International Orange Chorale of San Francisco Zane Fiala – Artistic Director
www.iocsf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2012
CONTACT: 908-705-5989, nick@iocsf.org

INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: SACRED TEXTS FROM ACROSS THE AGES”

Solarium Public Space, 55 – 2nd Street, San Francisco
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2012, 5:00 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2012, 7:30PM ______________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco – The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF) presents “Everything Old is New Again” on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Solarium Public Space at 55 2nd Street in San Francisco, and on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco. The concert pairs contemporary and centuries-old settings of classic sacred texts, including world premiere works by Joshua Saulle and Nicholas Weininger.

The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, recipient of the 2011 Chorus America /
ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, is devoted to performing both established repertoire and newly commissioned works by promising composers. To date, IOCSF has premiered more than thirty works, including twelve from composers found within the ensemble and several that have subsequently been published by Santa Barbara Music, G. Schirmer, and Hal Leonard. In 2011, IOCSF released “Peace,” by

Aaron Pike, the first offering of a new choral series partnership with Santa Barbara Music. Admission is free, although donations are welcome. For more information, visit www.iocsf.org. About “Everything Old is New Again: Sacred Texts Across the Centuries”

The program of “Everything Old is New Again” illuminates contrasts and similarities among Renaissance, 20th century, and 21st century choral settings of classic liturgical and devotional verses. The 15th century carol “There is no rose of swych vertu” appears in traditional form, a 20th-century setting by Elizabeth Maconchy, and a 2010 setting by Fredrik Sixten. New settings of Salve Regina and Ave Maria, by Jason Bush and Joshua Saulle respectively, are paired with 16th-century motets by Orlando di Lasso and Tomas Luis de Victoria. Nicholas Weininger’s setting of the original Hebrew words of Song of Solomon 2:10-13, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away,” is likewise contrasted with Francisco Guerrero’s “Surge, propera, amica mea”. Finally, the West Coast premiere of the Credo from Uģis Prauliņš’ Missa Rigensis appears alongside the Credo from Frank Martin’s 1924 Mass for double choir.

About the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco
Recipient of the 2011 Chorus America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF), led by Artistic Director Zane Fiala, was founded in 2003. Named after the color of the Golden Gate Bridge, the International Orange Chorale is an auditioned volunteer-based chamber choir devoted to performing established repertoire of all periods, with particular attention to contemporary music including newly commissioned works by promising composers. IOCSF has performed world premieres of more than thirty choral works and has also presented regional premieres of four works including Milton Babbitt’s Music for the Mass, Thomas Ades’ Fayrfax Carol and the 2008 revision of Jake Heggie’s Faith Disquiet. IOCSF has collaborated with Frederica von Stade, Zheng Cao, Jake Heggie, and Nicolle Foland; appeared as part of the Noontime Concert Series at Old St. Mary’s Church and the Noe Valley Chamber Music Series in San Francisco; performed in collaboration with the Yale Glee Club at Grace Cathedral; participated in the Haiti Earthquake Relief Concert at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland; premiered several commissioned works for the 75th Anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge; and served as a Featured Ensemble, giving both performances and master classes, at the Chorus America National Conference. Since its inception, the group has been committed to performing free concerts featuring challenging and imaginative a cappella choral programming.

About Zane Fiala, Artistic Director, International Orange Chorale
Zane Fiala has been a member of IOCSF since 2007 and was named Artistic Director in 2009. During his time with the chorale, Mr. Fiala has collaborated on concerts and new works with composers including Jake Heggie, David Conte, Joseph Gregorio, Robin Estrada, Dominick DiOrio, and Shaffer McGee. In 2010, Mr. Fiala conducted IOCSF in the west coast premiere (and first ever unaccompanied performance) of Milton Babbitt’s ‘Music for the Mass’. As director for IOCSF, Mr. Fiala has also conducted a performance with the Yale Glee Club and has worked with guest clinicians including Ragnar Bohlin, Joseph Jennings, Ian Robertson, Magen Solomon and Vance George. His work with the ensemble has led to the premieres of ten compositions including his own, Es la mañana llena. Mr. Fiala received his M.A. in Choral Conducting from San Francisco State University where he studied with Joshua Habermann (Santa Fe Desert Chorale), and his B.A. in Jazz Studies from Columbia College Chicago.

6.17.2012 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “FRESHLY SQUEEZED: JUICY NEW MUSIC FROM TODAY’S PREMIUM COMPOSERS”

iocsf.admin — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 04:03:06 +0000

International Orange Chorale of San Francisco Zane Fiala – Artistic Director
www.iocsf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2012
CONTACT: 908-705-5989, nick@iocsf.org

INTERNATIONAL ORANGE CHORALE OF SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS “FRESHLY SQUEEZED: JUICY NEW MUSIC FROM TODAY’S PREMIUM COMPOSERS”

Solarium Public Space, 55 – 2nd Street, San Francisco
FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012, 5:00 PM
First Unitarian Church, 1187 Franklin Street, San Francisco
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012, 8:00PM ______________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco – The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF) presents “Freshly Squeezed: Juicy New Music from Today’s Premium Composers” on Friday June 22, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Solarium Public Space at 55 2nd Street in San Francisco, and on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at First Unitarian Church in San Francisco. The concert features world premiere a cappella choral works from a wide range of contemporary composers, including commissioned works by David Conte, Daniel Kohane, and Caroline Shaw.

Barbara Music, G. Schirmer, and Hal Leonard. In 2011, IOCSF released “Peace,” by Aaron Pike, the first offering of a new choral series partnership with Santa Barbara Music.

Admission is free, although donations are welcome. For more information, visit www.iocsf.org. About “Freshly Squeezed: Juicy New Music from Today’s Premium Composers”

The program in “Freshly Squeezed” includes works by David Conte and Dominick DiOrio composed in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Professor Conte’s piece, commissioned by IOCSF, sets Walt Whitman’s elegant poem Facing West. Mr. DiOrio’s piece, Chrysopylae, received first prize in IOCSF’s Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Composer Competition; it sets several texts including excerpts from poems by Joseph Baermann Strauss, the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge. Further commissioned works on the program include Daniel Kohane’s Sonnet and Caroline Shaw’s Fly Away I.

The performance will also feature selections from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Eighth Biannual Choral Composition Competition. IOCSF will perform the competition winner, Elliot Encarnacion’s We Sat Down and Wept, which juxtaposes the Latin words of the 137th Psalm, “Super flumina Babylonis”, with English poetry by Byron expressing the anguish of the Babylonian captivity. Works by Mari Valverde and Vasken Ohanian will also be on the program.

“Our premieres and commissions are in keeping with IOCSF’s tradition of bringing new choral works to Bay Area audiences,” said Zane Fiala, IOCSF’s Artistic Director. “We are tremendously excited to have so many new pieces this season written especially for us by both established and newly emerging composers.”

About the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco
Recipient of the 2011 Chorus America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF), led by Artistic Director Zane Fiala, was founded in 2003. Named after the color of the Golden Gate Bridge, the International Orange Chorale is an auditioned volunteer-based chamber choir devoted to performing established repertoire of all periods, with particular attention to contemporary music including newly commissioned works by promising composers. IOCSF has performed world premieres of twenty-five choral works and has also presented regional premieres of four works including Milton Babbitt’s Music for the Mass, Thomas Ades’ Fayrfax Carol and the 2008 revision of Jake Heggie’s Faith Disquiet. IOCSF has collaborated with Frederica von Stade, Zheng Cao, Jake Heggie, and Nicolle Foland; appeared as part of the Noontime Concert Series at Old St. Mary’s Church and the Noe Valley Chamber Music Series in San Francisco; performed in collaboration with the Yale Glee Club at Grace Cathedral; participated in the Haiti Earthquake Relief Concert at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland; and served as a Featured Ensemble, giving both performances and master classes, at the Chorus America National Conference. Since its inception, the group has been committed to performing free concerts featuring challenging and imaginative a cappella choral programming.

About Zane Fiala, Artistic Director, International Orange Chorale
Zane Fiala has been a member of IOCSF since 2007 and was named Artistic Director in 2009. During his time with the chorale, Mr. Fiala has collaborated on concerts and new works with composers including Jake Heggie, David Conte, Joseph Gregorio, Robin Estrada, and Shaffer McGee. In 2010, Mr. Fiala conducted IOCSF in the west coast premiere (and first ever unaccompanied performance) of Milton Babbitt’s ‘Music for the Mass’. As director for IOCSF, Mr. Fiala has also conducted a performance with the Yale Glee Club and has worked with guest clinicians including Ragnar Bohlin, Joseph Jennings, Ian Robertson, Magen Solomon and Vance George. His work with the ensemble has led to the premieres of ten compositions

including his own, Es la mañana llena. Mr. Fiala received his M.A. in Choral Conducting from San Francisco State University where he studied with Joshua Habermann (Santa Fe Desert Chorale), and his B.A. in Jazz Studies from Columbia College Chicago.

Eighth Bi-Annual Choral Composition Competition

iocsf.admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:17:43 +0000

Twelve new choral compositions by Conservatory students Kyle Hovatter, Sunny Shen, Mario Godoy, Danny Clay, Hyangrim Lee, Steve Kahn, Louis Cruz, Joseph Columbo, David Gottlieb, Mari Valverde, Elliott Encarnacion, and Vasken Ohanian performed by

The Conservatory Vocal Ensemble, David Conte, conductor
The San Francisco Choral Artists, Magen Solomon, conductor
The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, Zane Fiala, conductor

Saturday, May 5th, 2012 8PM – SFCM Concert Hall

Thanks to you, we “kickstarted” Babbitt!

iocsf.admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:01:56 +0000

We are so thankful that because of your generosity we were able to make this fundraising campaign a success! We are now in the editing phase of the recording. Zane tells us that all of the raw material sounds amazing.

Once we’ve finished with the editing, we’ll be sending the recording off to several labels to see if there is interest in a pickup. Otherwise we will probably self release the material. We are also looking into several artists to provide artwork — so stay tuned for more information on the project.

For those of you who are getting a tee-shirt or physical media from us, I’ll be sending out a survey to get your shipping information!

Thank you so much for your support. It means a great deal to the choir to have you in our corner. We hope you will not be disappointed!

Hot Off the Recording Session!

iocsf.admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:13:20 +0000

What a weekend! IOCSF just spent two days with a recording engineer up at the lovely and resonant St. Stephen’s Church in Tiburon, CA, singing our hearts out, and we’ve now got the raw material of what will become the first-ever recording of the Babbitt “Music for the Mass”.
We couldn’t be happier, and we couldn’t have done it without you. It was wonderful for 27 of our singers and our Artistic Director Zane Fiala to go into this weekend knowing that we had all of your support. The knowledge that you were behind us gave us the impetus to keep working as hard as we possibly could to bring life to this wonderful music. We can’t wait to take the raw tracks and turn them into an amazing CD!

The project has almost reached its goal of $5000, but we’re not done yet. First, we need to make up the small remaining difference in order to get any of the money. And second, even once we hit our goal, we can still use donations. Any donations above and beyond our $5,000 goal will go toward further expenses for this project, such as marketing and advertising, to make sure this incredible piece of music gets the attention it deserves.

Don’t forget that any contribution you’ve made is tax-deductible. Many of you may work at companies that will match any gifts to qualified 501(c)(3)s; please check with your HR department to see how you can get them to match any contribution you’ve already made. Please see our Donate pages for more details.

Thank you again for your love and support! We think Milton Babbitt would be proud.

We’ve been listed as a Kickstarter Staff Pick!

iocsf.admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:41 +0000

The IOCSF fundraiser for recording our first CD has been listed as a Kickstarter staff pick! Thank you all so much for supporting us. It’s been less than a week, but we’re almost there. Please help us by spreading the word to those who also support the independent choral arts!

For more information, please visit our Kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/twelvenotes/help-iocsf-record-milton-babbitts-music-for-the-ma/posts

IOCSF Announces Winners of Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Composer Competition

iocsf.admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:02:47 +0000

The International Orange Chorale of San Francisco is pleased to announce the winners of our Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Composer Competition, a competition for new a cappella choral works that set texts related to the Golden Gate Bridge and its surroundings. First prize is awarded to Dominick DiOrio for Chrysopylae, and second prize is awarded to Julian Mörth for Hymn of Victory. DiOrio’s Chrysopylae will be premiered by IOCSF on May 27, 2012 as part of the large public Waterfront Celebration at Crissy Field in San Francisco to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, hosted by The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Additionally, IOCSF will feature Chrysopylae as part of its regularly programmed concerts on June 22nd and 23rd, 2012. Both DiOrio and Mörth will receive a cash prize.

Mr. DiOrio, Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at Lone Star College- Montgomery, said, “I am so delighted to be the winner of IOCSF’s competition. I first heard the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco during the Chorus America National Conference last June and was blown away by their fine ensemble singing and dedication to contemporary repertoire. I wrote Chrysopylae with their distinct sound in mind, and I can’t wait to hear them bring my music to life as part of the Golden Gate Bridge celebrations in San Francisco.”

The title of DiOrio’s Chrysopylae comes from the journal of John C. Frémont. In 1846, Frémont wrote in reference to the strait now called the Golden Gate: “To this Gate I gave the name of ‘Chrysopylae’, or ‘Golden Gate’; for the same reasons that the harbor of Byzantium was called Chrysoceras, or Golden Horn.” DiOrio does not set these words in his work, but instead weaves together four different texts about the Golden Gate Bridge: an excerpt from the poem “Gold!” by British poet Thomas Hood; two excerpts from poems by Joseph Baermann Strauss, the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge; and the Latin phrase, “Lux ecce surgit aurea” ["Behold the light of gold rises"] by Prudentius.

Mörth’s Hymn of Victory also utilizes the poetry of Joseph Baermann Strauss, setting his poem “The Golden Gate Bridge”.

Milton Babbitt’s Music for the Mass

iocsf.admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:41:54 +0000

Well, I currently find myself immersed in the most ambitious season IOCSF has ever taken on! When I began planning for this fall, the central composition was already selected, and it is a doozey. Our program will focus on a glorious composition written by American composer Milton Babbitt, entitled Music for the Mass. What is special about this piece is that it has never before been performed as the composer initially intended. Written in 1938, this Mass without a Credo remained unpublished until 2010, and IOCSF will be the first chorus to perform it on the west coast! Not only a composer, Babbitt was also a mathematician, and his love for numbers is evident in the copious amount of serial music in his oeuvre. When he was asked to write a piece for the new music department at Princeton in the late 1930s, he set down his Dalton mechanical calculator and wrote something entirely different: a tremendous exercise in counterpoint and compositional technique, rooted in the old styles, but blossoming as a contemporary masterpiece of dissonance and consonance! This has got to be the most rewarding piece of music I have ever prepared. Looking at the notes on the page, you might think you were looking at something out of the 16th century, but once you factor in all of the accidentals and disjunct melodic lines, you are suddenly faced with a very modern thing of beauty. I’ll simply say this: you must hear this composition.

In addition to the tremendous feat mentioned above, we are also preparing a number of other works by American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, hence our theme: Prewar to Postmodern; Music for the Mass(es). We will be performing pieces by Irving Fine, Robert Moran, and Craig Hella Johnson, and will also be premiering three other works by Noah Luna (current SFCM student), David Harris (New York composer), and IOC’s very own Joshua Saulle. The concerts are to be held Friday November 19 and Saturday November 20, 2010. Details can be found on the concerts page of this website.

IOCSF will also be performing in Oakland this season alongside the San Francisco Boys Chorus. We will present a shortened version of our fall program, and will add to it David Conte’s beautifully unique version of “Silent Night.” Details about this performance can also be found on the concerts page of this website. Although IOCSF always offers its concerts free of charge, this event is being put on by the Boys Chorus, and so, we are subject to their policies for admission.

One final piece of news that we are very excited about is that San Barbara Music Publishers have decided to begin an International Orange Chorale publishing series! Beginning later in the fall, we will have our very own series of compositions published under the IOCSF name!! This is a huge step for our organization, and it is no doubt thanks to the tremendous support we have gotten from our audience over the years. Thank you!!

Well, here’s hoping you can make it to one of our concerts this season… they are sure to satisfy!!

Zane Fiala
Artistic Director, International Orange Chorale of San Francisco