Bugs, Birds, and Blooms

The group enters its sixth year together with an eclectic program of a capella works spanning several continents and centuries, from 16th century madrigals to modern arrangements. Join them for a program of Summer music about poets and lovers, crickets and fireflies, wilderness and flowers. The group will be joined, as in previous years, by professional mezzo-soprano Jennifer Beattie.

The Mendonoma Chamber Chorus began in 2010 with informal music sessions under the direction of choral director Michael Bierbaum. The members soon realized that sharing their music through performance would make the efforts more meaningful and more focused. This led to a first outdoor presentation at Art in the Redwoods in 2011, followed by a series of semiannual performances under the LocalEyes series at Gualala Arts.

“These concerts have been well attended and much enjoyed for the excellent acoustics of the Gualala Arts Center Jacob Foyer and for the diverse high-quality music chosen in the programs,” notes music director Roland Stoughton. Current members of the group are Marjie van Gunten, Linda Eastman, Jane Schuler-Repp, Pat Wilson, and Stoughton. Aspiring singers who enjoy classical music and can read music fairly well are encouraged to contact the group via van Gunten at (707) 785-3408.

Joining the chorus again for this performance will be a guest vocalist, the professional mezzo-soprano Jennifer Beattie, who has sung with the Chorus for the past three years.

Based in Philadelphia, PA, Beattie has been a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Opera Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the National Chorale at Carnegie Hall, and has given recitals around the U. S. and Europe. She holds a Master’s Degree in Voice from the Manhattan School of Music, and has premiered many pieces written specifically for her by prominent composers.

Tickets

Tickets are $10 in advance, $5 more day of performance;
youth 7 – 17 admitted free with accompanying adult.

For advance purchase, visit Brown Paper Tickets or call them at 1-800-838-3006.
To purchase in person, visit the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin Gallery in Gualala.