Berlioz to be performed at Davies
What an exciting Season - First Davies Symphony Hall and then the Sydney Opera House!

On Friday evening, May 11, at 8:00 p.m. our singers will combine with the College of Marin Community Chorus, the San Jose Symphonic Choir, and the Peninsula Youth Orchestra in a grand performance of the Berloiz "Requiem" at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

This performance came about as an opportunity for all of the singers of Marin Master Chorale to experience the majesty of this grand French Romantic Masterwork, which will also be performed at the International Australian Music Festival, Sydney in July. As the work is never performed without extremely large forces (250 singers minimum), it requires a collaborative effort.

We are pleased that San Kraczek and the College of Marin Community Chorus, as well as both the San Jose Symphonic Choir, under the direction of Leroy Kromm, and the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, conducted by Mitchell Klein, have joined us in this venture. The San Jose choir and the youth orchestra will also be participating at the festival in Sydney where Mitchell Klein will be the guest conductor of the International choruses and orchestra.

This collaborative performance of a monumental work will be shared by the choral conductors. The beautiful tenor solo will be sung by Miguel Evangelista, featured soloist this past season with the Marin Master Chorale in "Scenes from the Holy Infancy" by Virgil Thomson.

The Requiem (Grand Messe des Morts, Paris, 1837) has acquired a certain notoriety because of its magnitude, with the addition of four brass ensembles stationed around the periphery of the auditorium, and up to 12 timpani on stage. Berloiz once said that, if faced with the destruction of all his works save one, he would plead for the survival of the Requiem. It is an extremely magical and compelling work.

Tickets go on sale the first week of April and are available through the San Francisco Symphony Box Office, (415) 431-5400.

Thank You, Marin Music Chest
The Marin Music Chest has awarded Choral Singers of Marin a grant in the sum of $1500 for the 2001 calendar year, in support of our efforts to bring the excitement of participation in choral music opportunities over and above those offered within the schools of Marin County.

The mission of the Marin Music Chest is to inspire, foster and give financial support to talented, promising, young students of classical music and ballet, and to assist other non-profit organizations with similar goals. Their principal areas of focus are to introduce the youth of Marin to the joys of music and ballet, and to develop a deep appreciation of the musical arts, to encourage the pursuit of a career in music, and to build a strong core of future patrons of the arts.

We applaud the Marin Music Chest in their goals, and deeply appreciate their recognition of our expanding training program in choral singing for the youth. The money will be used for scholarships to pay for tuition, as needed by those families experiencing financial hardship. We will never turn a child away who is eager to sing. We believe that all children have the capacity to be musical, and that the earlier the training, the faster the learning. Young Singers of Marin has three separate program offerings, covering the ages of 6-9, 10-12, and teens. Call our office for more information: 415-383-3712.

A Mesage from the Founder/Director - Jan Pedersen Schiff
What a privilege it is for me to conduct so many wonderful dedicated singers, who through their song are changing lives and making this world a better place. This may sound trite, but is the truth about what we do. What immense joy our choruses brought to so many over the holidays. Those happy moments just seem to cancel out the crazy hectic ones... and I know our concerts this spring will be doing the same.

Only last week, Wings of Song did it again. I know that I should stop writing about them in this column, as our other choruses get so jealous. However, when the women sang for the Alzheimer's Association, Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Feb. 7, they embodied our stated mission with their song - to touch the heart with beauty and uplift the spirit with joyful song! As the Kleenex was passed from table to table, we knew we were pulling a few heart strings. I stated to the audience that it is our deepest purpose to bring more than just entertainment to those for whom we sing. (which includes so many elderly and those suffering from Alzheimer's), but to bring life back to the often sleeping soul. A beautiful quote that was shared with me recently, expresses the same sentiment, and so I share it with you: "Melody is the wind chime of the soul.". I hope you will allow that little thought to tingle your spine and bring a smile to your face.