Offerings and opportunities for amateur musicians.

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Hello Friends,

December brings SINGING! There are always great opportunities to sing together around the holidays. I've highlighted a few of them below and I hope you seek out more in your community and neighborhood - for instance, there's nothing like getting together with friends to go caroling.

Also looking forward to some wonderful events in the New Year. I hope you'll take advantage of them.

As always, check the website for ongoing ensembles - we keep adding to our listings!

Please forward this email to people who might want to join the list or might want us to list their ensemble or opportunity. Help grow our network!

Have a great holiday season, and see you in 2017.

Lolly Lewis
Founder, Amateur Music Network

THIS MONTH'S EVENTS

CHORAL READING ♦ VARIOUS

'TIS THE SEASON FOR SING-IT-YOURSELF MESSIAH

A sampling of the sing-along Messiah events in the Bay Area. Look for more in your neighborhood!

GOLDEN GATE SYMPHONY

DEC 12 ♦ 7:30 ♦ SF (MISSION DOLORES)

DEC 18 & 19 ♦ MESSIAH PUB CRAWL

http://www.goldengatesymphony.org

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF BERKELEY

DEC 18 ♦ 6 PM ♦ EAST BAY

http://uucb.org/events/sing-along-messiah/

SCOLA CANTORUM

50th Anniversary Messiah Sing: complete work
Schola Cantorum’s Messiah Sing was the first in the Bay Area. Maestro Gregory Wait directs a choir of you and your peers along with Sinfonia Schola Cantorum. Sing the piece in its entirety!

DEC 19 ♦ 7 PM ♦ SOUTH BAY

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

https://tickets.mvcpa.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=97

SING AND PLAY AT STANFORD

This annual “sing and play it yourself” celebration of Handel’s masterwork, conducted by Stephen Sano, is a favorite of campus and community! Orchestral parts will be provided, and singers may purchase scores at the door or bring their own.

DEC 16 ♦ 7:30 ♦ SOUTH BAY

Stanford Memorial Church

https://music.stanford.edu/events/annual-messiah-sing-play-along-1

READING ♦ DEC 18 ♦ EAST BAY

REALLY TERRIBLE STRING ORCHESTRA'S
8th ANNUAL HOLIDAY-SING-A-LONG-POT-LUCK

This is our once a year invitation to all RTSO members, families and friends and anyone who likes to sing! Those who play instruments other than strings and don’t need transposed parts are also very welcome.

Please bring food to share. Savory main dishes or vegetable are best, a bit of something sweet is always appreciated. We’ll provide drink, plates, and utensils.

Plan on some excerpts from the Messiah, (anyone care to sing an Aria? Let us know!) along with other favorite holiday tunes and carols, alternated with breaks to feast. Please come join in the merriment!

6:00 - 9:00pm
St. Clement's Episcopal Church
2837 Claremont Blvd., Berkeley CA

TO FIND OUT MORE: ww.rtso-sfbay.org

CHORAL / CLASSES ♦ SF

CANTABILE CHOIR at COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER

A message from choral director Martha Rodríguez-Salazar:

The CMC Cantabile Choir is offered as a class for singers who would like to study skills such as singing in a four-part choral setting, phrasing, pronunciation, tuning, dynamics, and stylistic nuances of choral repertoire from around the world. We began the choir last September and we have been singing a wide range of different styles and languages such as madrigals, Classical and Romantic choral pieces and Christmas carols, offering a great opportunity for interested choristers to sing beautiful Classical choral music at CMC.

The next quarter begins on Thursday, December 8 and interested persons need to schedule an audition directly with me.

We will have our end of the quarter recital TONIGHT, December 1 at 7pm at CMC and this would be a good moment for interested singers to come and check us out.

MORE INFORMATION and TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION:

http://sfcmc.org/classes/ensembles/#cantabile

FUTURE EVENTS PREVIEW

PERFORMANCE ♦ EAST BAY ♦ JAN. 20, 2017

VIREO - LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!

Be part of the final episode of Lisa Bielawa’s epic TV/internet opera VIREO! Vireo is unprecedented in that it is being created expressly for episodic release via broadcast and online media, in partnership with LA-based TV station KCET. All twelve episodes of Vireo will be released on KCET in spring 2017. Find out more at http://operavireo.com

You will be part of the on-camera Audience for the final episode of the series, and you will play in a short musical sequence in the climactic scene.

All portable, acoustic instruments welcome, all ages welcome, all skill levels welcome!

Location: Historic 16th Street Train Station in West Oakland Friday, January 20, 2017 2 - 8 PM

WORKSHOP ♦ SF ♦ FEB. 4-5, 2017
DEL SOL CHAMBERFEST

ChamberFest is an exciting, intensive weekend chamber music workshop for adult non-professional string players. Held in the intimate setting of an Ashbury Heights residence in San Francisco, this dynamic program features two days of hands-on coaching by the Del Sol String Quartet.

Ensembles will receive two days of coaching on their choice of repertoire (plus a short work by our resident composer) with members of the Del Sol Quartet. (Suggestions will be made for other short contemporary works to explore during the weekend.) In addition to the extensive coaching, participants will enjoy great food & drink, an intimate concert by Del Sol, and two intriguing, pragmatic workshops. (Workshops have included topics on: ensemble, rhythm, intonation, the physical aspects of playing , contemporary repertoire and more.)

TO FIND OUT MORE: http://delsolquartet.com/chamberfest/

WORKSHOP / READING ♦ EAST BAY ♦ FEB. 26, 2017
SIDE-BY-SIDE with the SF CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Calling all string players! On February 26, bring your instrument to our 3:00 Main Stage Concert at Berkeley’s lovely St. John’s Episcopal Church, and join us afterward for a fun, informal reading session with the fabulous (and friendly) players of your favorite chamber orchestra. It will be the very first in what we hope will be a series of side-by-side get-togethers, just for the musical fun of it.

During the performance, enjoy some beautiful songs by Canteloube, a brand new work by Berkeley’s own Peter Josheff, and a string orchestra version of Schubert’s thrilling Death and the Maiden quartet. A side-by-side reading session will immediately follow the concert, then join us for light refreshments at our post-reading reception.

Music (in case you feel like practicing) and event details will be available when you register.

TO FIND OUT MORE: tinyurl.com/sfco-sidebyside

WORKSHOP/CLASS ♦ SF ♦ April 4, 2017

OVERTURE WORKSHOP at the SF OPERA:
"ALL TOGETHER NOW"

Sing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus during this interactive workshop for adults. In this interactive workshop, the San Francisco Opera Chorus and Chorus Director Ian Robertson will demonstrate how many different voices can unite as one dramatic force. We will sit in on a rehearsal of the upcoming summer season repertoire and talk to Chorus members about their essential role in opera performances. Plus everyone will learn how a chorus operates firsthand when we sing all together under the baton of Maestro Robertson!

TO FIND OUT MORE: San Francisco Opera

ADD YOUR EVENT FOR OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER

We welcome listings of music-making opportunities for amateur musicians.
Visit our website to add your listing.
Please submit events before the 20th of the month to assure inclusion.

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