Author Archives: MaryClare Martin

On August 10, Celebration Choir presented its 23rd Annual Spirituals Night at Monterey First Presbyterian Church. Connie Fortunato is so full of energy sharing the music in her soul with local audiences, but even more significantly with the vulnerable children in Eastern Europe. In Fortunato’s eyes, music is truly the universal language of working and creating together. With that in mind, the evening’s program, Walkin’ Together – Changing our World”  – began with Moses Hogan’s “Music Down In My Soul.” With the signature entry of “surround sound,” this choir of happy, smiling and singing faces set the tone as well as toes tapping and hands clapping while progressing to the stage. More of Hogan’s numbers followed, “Walk Together, Children” as well as “We shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace” toward the end of the program.

A chilly spring afternoon on March 24th hosted the warmth of Aria Women’s Chorus program, She Sings!, at Monterey First Presbyterian Church. Under the direction of Sean Boulware, this women’s group continues to provide some of the best of choral music. Greg Gilpin’s arrangement of Christopher Marlowe’s text, Come Live With Me, provided the opening with a lovely gentleness of fluid voices. Sunlight, by JW Keckly had the “choir weave in and out of harmonic structures” as explained by Boulware by way of introduction. With Michelle Galindo trading the piano for flute, there was an ethereal ghostly quality to begin to set the stage for the vocal weaving – done to great effect.

Out of a gloomy misty afternoon came a warm wealth of emotion as presented by The Camerata Singers program of Dona nobis pacem at First Presbyterian of Monterey. Without an exact admission fee, audience members were encouraged to donate as all proceeds will go to the Veterans Transition Center. Under the artistic and conducting direction of John Koza, these singers continue to evoke the best in their programing. This is also the program that features high school singers as part of the Camerata Futures. For the 19^thyear, young singers have had an opportunity to be side by side with seasoned Camerata singers as partners and mentors.