STEPHEN AND JANE HOCHBERG TO UNDERWRITE THE SECOND ANNUAL SANTA FE DESERT CHORALE COMMUNITY SING, SANTA FE SINGS!
CONDUCTED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR JOSHUA HABERMANN, THE PUBLIC EVENT IS ON SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017 AT UNITED CHURCH OF SANTA FE.
THE HONORABLE JAVIER M. GONZALES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SANTA FE, WILL JOIN THE CHOIR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Santa Fe, New Mexico, April 13, 2017: Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Community Engagement Chair of the Board of Directors, today announced plans for Santa Fe Sings!. A community engagement program of The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the community sing led by Music Director Joshua Habermann will occur one month from today.
Open to singers of all backgrounds, Santa Fe Sings! is a multi-generational community sing organized by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in fellowship with choral singers residing in New Mexico. The event will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm at United Church of Santa Fe (1804 Arroyo Chamiso, Santa Fe, NM 87505).
The repertoire to be explored includes works by composers: Hildegard von Bingen, William Byrd, Jake Runestad, André J. Thomas, and Viktor Ullmann. Nathan Salazar, a native of Los Alamos, returns as the collaborative pianist. The registration fee (which includes copies of the music and refreshments) is $5.00 for students and $15.00 for adults. For more information, please visit www.desertchorale.org or call (505) 988-2282.
At 1:30 pm, family and friends are invited to attend an informal showcase and reception. Admission is free for this portion of the event, but capacity is limited and reservations are required.
Last year’s community sing sold-out; one hundred and twenty-five participants ranging from 8th graders to amateur singers over 80 years of age joined together in a joyful exploration of choral music led by Music Director Joshua Habermann. (To watch an informative video of the inaugural Santa Fe Sings!, please click here.)
The consortium of sponsors for Santa Fe Sings! includes foundations, local businesses, and individuals. The Santa Fe Desert Chorale expresses its gratitude to underwriters Stephen and Jane Hochberg, and sponsors: Chocolate Maven, The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe, The Santa Fe New Mexican, and Whoo’s Donuts. Rev. Talitha Arnold, Senior Minister of United Church of Santa Fe, has donated the space for the community event. A Primetime Emmy Award Nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Informational Programming, Vincent Stenerson will lend his talent to filming Santa Fe Sings! in order to document the program and reach the broadest audience.
Santa Fe Sings! Committee Members include: Allegra Derryberry, Mary Ferguson, Stephen Hochberg, Lynn F. Lee, William Mullen, and Andy Ritch. Roxanne Howe-Murphy is the Chair of the Community Engagement Committee. Emma Marzen is the staff Community Engagement Liaison.
About the Santa Fe Desert Chorale:
Founded in 1982 by Larry Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the longest continually performing professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the most distinguished. The Chorale was a recipient of the 2006 Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and in 2016 was named the “Best Choral Group of Santa Fe” by the Santa Fe Reporter. Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News characterized the Chorale as presenting “stunning singing…incredible power.”
Now in his ninth season as Music Director, Joshua Habermann leads the 24-voice professional Chorale in repertoire spanning seven centuries, from medieval polyphony to contemporary works. The composition of the Chorale is truly national in scope and the ensemble is recognized among the finest American chamber choirs.
Throughout its history, the Chorale has maintained a commitment to give voice to music from Hispanic and Native American communities. Dedicated to advancing the composers of our time, the Chorale has commissioned twenty-two works by eighteen composers; three quarters of the composers commissioned have been American. In addition, another seven works have been given their world or American premieres by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.
The ensemble performs at historical sites in Santa Fe such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis and the Loretto Chapel, as well as other venues throughout the Southwest. A recent highlight was an invitational appearance at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Utah which was later broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale presents both summer and winter festivals of concerts featuring a wide range of literature from around the world. The 2017 Summer Festival Season will take place from July 19 through August 13, 2017. The 35th Anniversary Winter Festival program, “Home for the Holidays,” is scheduled from December 16 through December 23, 2017, with performances in Albuquerque, Los Alamos,and Santa Fe.
The Desert Chorale prides itself on its strong relationships within the community of Northern New Mexico, and enjoys artistic collaborations with Creativity for Peace, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, New Mexico History Museum, NDI-NM, Performance Santa Fe, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and The Santa Fe Opera among others. Community engagement is an integral part of the Desert Chorale’s mission.
