"United in Purpose" Choir Concert/Fundraiser

Spring '24

Join Saint Mary’s Glee, Chamber and Jazz Singers as we prepare to embark on our journey to the World Choir Games competition in Auckland, NZ, this July. Our students have been working all year long for this musical (and physical!) journey, and we can’t wait to share the fruits of our labor. Featuring music by Mozart, Hugo Alfven, Rollo Dilworth, Z. Randall Stroope, Duke Ellington, Tracy Wong, Moses Hogan, Stevie Wonder, Greg Murai, Björk, The Real Group, Al Jarreau, and even an Alaskan tundra wolf, there's something for everyone-we hope you enjoy! We are still fund-raising: please consider a contribution of any kind before, during, or after the event via this website: https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/choirgives

May 16 | FREE ADMISSION, contributions welcome

May 18 | FREE ADMISSION, contributions welcome

May 18's Choir Concert will also be livestreamed at 8pm: www.twitch.tv/smcmusic

DONATE HERE

Parking is available to the left of the guard's gate after you enter campus. It is 50 cents per hour via credit card only at the kiosk, and the concert will be less than 2 hours. Please arrive early in case there are other events happening at the same time on campus. You may drive around the Chapel lawn and drop off any passengers with limited mobility in front of the Chapel steps and then proceed to the visitor's parking area.

BIOGRAPHIES

Glee, Chamber, and Jazz Singers
In 2011, Glee and Chamber Singers were formed under the direction of Dr. Julie Ford to facilitate cross-training in a variety of musical styles across the globe (including classical, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, musical theater, pop, and folk music). Jazz Singers emerged as a subset of the larger groups in 2019, and become an academic course offering in Fall 2020. The ensembles consist mostly of non-music majors, and require a high level of commitment, musicianship, performance skills, citizenship, service, and team-building. SMC choirs are  a vital part of a non-genre-biased vocal program which centers vocal science training and pedagogy as its foundation. Our singers enjoy a breadth of performance opportunities—from Bruckner's Te Deum with the Oakland Symphony Chorus to the West Coast A Cappella Festival with Deke Sharon—as well as participation in regional, state, and international festivals and competitions. The choirs have received “First Place” (Jazz Singers, CA Jazz Championship, twice: ‘23 & ‘24), “Superior ratings” (Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, ‘19),  two Gold and three Silver Medals in Championship Categories at the World Choir Games (Cincinnati ‘12; Latvia, ‘14; Tshwane, ‘18), received state-wide recognition with invitation to perform at the CA State Music Educators Conference (San Jose, ‘18), earned Summa cum Laude and Best in Pop awards in the Laurea Mundi "Grand Prix of Nations” Choral Competition (Hungary, ‘16), and were invited to perform in a Carnegie Hall Saturday evening choral showcase (NYC, ‘15). The touring choir is an auditioned ensemble from the SMC choir program, and welcomes alumni and singers from Diablo Valley College Chamber Singers to be a part of our educational travel to New Zealand this summer.

Dr. Julie Ford (julieford.org), Director of Vocal-Choral Activities at Saint Mary’s College is a conductor, vocalist, and educator specializing in classical, early music, jazz, and pop/commercial vocal-choral styles. She holds a Doctorate in Choral Conducting (University of Oklahoma), a Masters in Conducting (Eastman School of Music), a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance (San José State University), and an Estill Master Teacher Certification (Estill Voice Training). At Saint Mary’s, she directs the Internationally acclaimed choral ensembles and offers courses in Estill Voice Training Vocal Science Pedagogy, Lyric Diction, and Conducting. She is a frequent featured presenter at international, national, and state conferences, recent examples include the Estill Voice Global Symposion, Vienna (Aug ‘23 & ‘21); National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference (Nov. 23, July 21); Music Association of California Community Colleges (Nov. ‘23); CA State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC) Jan. 24. She is in demand as a guest conductor (recent example as theBay Area CMEA Conference Middle School SSA Honor Choir Director),  lecturer and speaker (recent examples include Las Positas College, March ‘24; Chapman College ’23 & 22, Holy Names University ’21, and Vienna Live with Simeon Morrow’-22). Before joining SMC faculty, she directed the Oakland Jazz Choir (‘97-’02) with featured performances at Yoshi’s, and served as Director of Music at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (“LOPC,” ‘02-’13). During her tenure there, she directed the LOPC Chamber Singers at the American Choral Directors Association National Convention (OK, ‘09),  co-founded annual interfaith services with Temple Isaiah (Lafayette), and enjoyed frequent choral-orchestral collaborations with the Magnificat Baroque Orchestra. She currently also serves as Director of the DVC Chamber Singers, and enjoys singing professionally as a jazz vocal soloist.

Michael Blackburn ‘16 is active as a conductor, pianist, and vocal coach throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.  In addition to his BA from Saint Mary’s where he studied conducting with Dr. Julie Ford and Vocal Performance with Donna Olson, he holds a Master’s in Music with conducting emphasis from UC Santa Cruz where he studied with Bruce Kiesling. As a singer, he has performed across the country and around the world at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia, and the Laurea Mundi Competition in Budapest, Hungary. He has also held the positions of pianist, cantor, and music director at various churches in northern California and central Florida. While at UC Santa Cruz, he served as pianist and assistant conductor for productions of W.A. Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. In addition to working with all of Saint Mary’s choral ensembles, he teaches courses in beginning piano and sight-singing, accompanies the chapel choir at the community liturgies, and will direct Glee in Fall ‘23. 

Alanna Rantala (pianist) holds degrees from University of CA, Davis, (B.A. Music) and New England Conservatory (M.M. Piano Performance) where she studied with renowned pianist Leonard Shure. She has performed solo and collaboratively in several cities throughout the US, as well as in London and Australia. While living in MA, Alanna was on the faculty of Boston’s Community Music Center, Fitchburg State University, Worcester’s Joy of Music Program, and did vocal accompaniment for Holy Cross College. She recorded “Winter Music” by John Cage for MODE records, and performed in the US premiere of George Antheil’s 6-hand piece “Serpent Mecanique.” Her students have won awards for performance and composition. Having just relocated back to CA, she is now rebuilding her private teaching studio. Alanna also enjoys her hobby of composing, and she has released four albums of original piano music (2016-2023); the most recent ones were recorded at Berklee College of Music, engineered by her eldest son who is graduating from there this weekend.. Alanna’s music can be found on all digital platforms. 

Peter Horvath, contemporary jazz pianist, keyboardist, composer, and internationally acclaimed artist, serves on the faculty at the California Jazz Conservatory, Saint Mary’s College, and Stanford Jazz Consortium. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he attended the Bela Bartok Conservatory of Music. At age 17, he won the National Jazz Combo Competition in Hungary. He subsequently studied at the Vienna Conservatory of Music and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has since performed, recorded and toured globally with world-class artists, including jazz greats Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Richie Cole, Ernie Watts, Eddie Henderson, Charles McPherson, Benny Maupin, the Victor Bailey Group, Lenny White, Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Marcus Miller, Pee Wee Ellis Funk Assembly, Bob Sheppard, Craig Handy, Tiger Okoshi, Lalah Hathaway, Melba Moore, Ledisi, Keith Washington, Rosie Gaines, Ray Obiedo, Pete Escovedo and the Oakland Symphony.