Pass Chorale Artistic Director Receives Honorary Doctorate

Pass Chorale Artistic Director, Ernest Siva was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by California State University, San Bernardino in a beautiful commencement ceremony on June 20. Read more about it at the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center blog.

First Rehearsal

The Pass Chorale came together for the first rehearsal of the Christmas Concert season. Two new tenors and one new alto joined us! New music was handed out, and everyone was excited to learn that our major work would be the Bach Magnificat.

Our faithful accompanist, Joan, was unable to come to this first rehearsal, but one of our altos, Robin, was kind enough to play parts for us. We spent most of the rehearsal struggling through the first movement of the Bach. It is quite difficult, with lots of complicated runs. There are also five parts (two soprano parts) as opposed to the usual four. It will take lots of work, but that’s what makes learning this music so great. We work very hard on it and get to know it really well.

Toward the end of the rehearsal we got a look at some of the Christmas anthems we’ll be singing during the second part of the program. We sight-read through a Norwegian carol, “I am so Glad,” and an Austrian carol, “Still, Still, Still” that has string, flute, and oboe parts as well. We had lots of fun with a Jester Hairston arrangement of “Mary’s Little Boy Child” and a shepherds carol, “How Far is it to Bethlehem.”

It was a good first rehearsal, good to be singing together again, good to see old friends and new.

There seems to be something special about Christmas music. Even in the middle of June, it gives you a good feeling. Join us and learn this wonderful music!

Singers Wanted

Attention Singers

During the hot, hot days of summer you could stay cool by singing Christmas music! The Pass Chorale, a community chorus in the Pass area, will begin rehearsing for its annual Christmas concert on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

The major work we’ll be learning is the Magnificat by J.S. Bach. This is a beautiful work with wonderful solos and choruses. The text is Mary’s song of praise. Bach added special “interpolations” especially for the Christmas season.

In addition, we’ll be learning several Christmas anthems and carols. The concert is scheduled for December 13.

If you love Christmas music and have singing experience, please consider joining the Chorale. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings, 7 – 8:30 pm, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 1320 W. Williams St., Banning. For further information, call Artistic Director Ernest Siva (951-849-4676.

Wonderful Concert, New Season

We are all still singing the Haydn Harmony Mass in our heads. It is always a bit sad in the days after the concert. We put so much rehearsal into each major work, and then we only perform it once. Rehearsals are always wonderful learning experiences where we get to know a composer and his work very well. We all wish we could perform it again, but it is expensive enough hiring the orchestra and soloists to perform it once. I'm sure other community choruses feel the same. I think the audience really appreciated the Indian music too. And the grand finale was a salute to the Armed Services for Armed Services Day. It was touching as members of each branch of the service stood as their song was sung.

So it is on to the Christmas season now. You might think it strange to be talking about Christmas when its still spring. But the Pass Chorale will begin practicing music for our Christmas concert on June 16. We know that we'll be rehearsing several beautiful Christmas anthems. Our major work will probably be the Bach Magnificat, but Ernest always reserves the right to change his mind.

If you are interested in singing in a community chorus, please check out the Pass Chorale. We meet on Tuesday evenings, 7 - 8:30 pm, Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Banning. Christmas concert rehearsals begin June 16.

For further information email us or call Artistic Director, Ernest Siva at 951-849-4676.

Pass Chorale to sing songs first sung centuries ago in the San Gorgonio Pass

BANNING — Every spring, the Pass Chorale performs a great classical work, accompanied by a full orchestra. This year, the Chorale is adding different classics to its May 17 concert: traditional American Indian music, including songs from the region’s Cahuilla and Serrano nations.

It’s a natural progression for the Pass Chorale artistic director, Ernest H. Siva of Banning. Siva, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and choral music from the University of Southern California, also is a Cahuilla and Serrano elder and a longtime culture bearer. He often shares traditional Indian songs with others as leader of the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, which saves and shares Southern California’s American Indian cultures, languages, history and music and other traditional arts.

Siva likes to tell the Chorale concert audiences that great music is like architecture, each composition to be savored in its details and artistry. The two dozen members of the Chorale, who hail from across Inland Southern California, have been practicing more than four months for this year’s planned performance of “Harmony Mass” by Franz Joseph Haydn. Siva’s wife, June, who sings soprano, said, “As the name implies, this Mass for soloists, chorus and orchestra is full of wonderful melodies and harmonies.” The Chorale plans performing this seldom-performed classical work as a special tribute to the famous Austrian composer on the 200th anniversary of his death in 1809.

The program’s second half will feature music that is older — much older. The Chorale will perform songs of American Indians of the Southwest, especially the local Cahuilla and Serrano nations. These include songs that teach, such as the “Little Bear Song” of the Serrano, and lullabies such as the Cahuilla, “Coyote’s Waiting,” sung in their original Indian languages.

These traditional songs from the First Cultures were among the music first heard in Inland Southern California countless years ago. Director Siva also arranged two songs, a Zuni Sunrise Song and a Cahuilla Bird Song, as anthems. The original versions of both will be sung first. No matter that his “tribal regalia” at the concert will be his Chorale director’s tuxedo. Siva said he sees an opportunity for all to share and enjoy this traditional music, part of our national heritage.

The concert is planned for Sunday, May 17, 2009, 2:30 pm at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1320 W. Williams St., Banning, CA 92220. Tickets are adults, $15; seniors and students, $10; proceeds help support the concert expenses, organizers said.

For more information call Ernest Siva, 951-849-4676, or e-mail siva@dishmail.net. The Pass Chorale is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been sharing great music since the 1950s with audiences of all ages. The full orchestra that joins the Chorale in its winter and spring concerts is comprised of professional musicians from throughout Southern California.

Concert, May 17

The Pass Chorale Spring Concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2009, 2:30 pm, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 1320 W. Williams, Banning, CA. Our featured work celebrates the 200th anniversary of the death of Franz Josef Haydn. The Chorale and Orchestra will perform one of his last works, the Harmony Mass. As the name implies, it is full of beautiful melodies and harmonies. But wait, there's more! The second part of the program features songs of American Indians of the southwest, especially the local Cahuilla and Serrano tribes. Artistic Director arranged this music for chorus. This is a rare opportunity to hear this music, part of our national heritage.
We hope you will join us at the concert (there's a nice reception afterwards too)!
Suggested donation: Adults - $15, Students and Seniors - $10
Further info 951-849-4676.

Singers still wanted

We have begun rehearsals of the Haydn Harmony Mass. We've only had a few rehearsals and we have several new singers that recently joined. There's still time to get in on the fun. In addition to the Haydn mass, we're learning some American Indian music from California and the southwest. We have a great time learning this wonderful music. Please consider joining us. We welcome all parts, sopranos, altos, tenors, basses! Call Ernest Siva or email for further info.