Pass Chorale Spring Concert

The Spring Concert will feature an early work by Haydn, the St. Nicolas Mass. It is new to the chorale and a real choral gem. Soloists are Penny Quinn, Soprano, Lynn Ivey, Alto, Rhonert Pascual, Tenor, and Monty Joham, Bass. Soloists, Chorale and Orchestra are directed by Ernest Siva.

The Concert will also include several settings of the Ave Maria, one by tenor Rhonert Pascual and another by Banning's own Bill Bell. Other composers include Franz Biebl and Morten Lauridsen. The concert ends with some patriotic music in honor of Armed Forces Day.

A reception follows the concert.

Sunday, May 17, 2015, 2:30 pm
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
1320 W. Williams Street
Banning

Adults:  $15, Students and Seniors:  $10

Wonderful Concert, Thank you Singers!

Director Ernest Siva rehearses the chorus before the concert.

The Pass Chorale Christmas Concert got us all into the Christmas spirit. The orchestra played brilliantly. Our concertmaster, Jeninne Hell, marked the scores of the string players so that their bowing would match the words the choristers were singing! It was a great experience to sing the Haydn Missa Cellensis, a marvelous work that was new to the singers and the instrumentalists. It took many rehearsals for the singers to master this difficult work. The soloists all had beautiful and difficult arias and ensembles.


Bass player waits while chorus rehearses before concert.

Our soloists for the mass were all from California State University, San Bernardino.
Stacy Fraser, soprano, heads the opera program at CSUSB. Tenor, Andrew Crane is head of choral music there. Alto, Danielle Perrault, and bass, Ulises Espinoza, are students in these programs. We are proud to partner with the fine musicians at Cal State, San Bernardino!

Christmas anthems were the second part of the program. These ranged from a 16th Century text, Remember, O Thou Man to a contemporary Brazilian carol complete with bongos, maracas, and claves. An Ave Maria by Franz Beibl was originally written for a firemen’s chorus in England. Those firemen must have been very accomplished singers! Andrew Crane and chorale member Monte Joham sang the solo parts.


Jill Trick prepares goodies. Her mother, Laura, helps in kitchen.

The concert was followed by a reception set up by Jill Trick and her mother, Laura Trick. They always provide beautiful decorations and arrangements. Volunteer Pat Murkland is always there to take tickets and hand out programs. We thank them!

We also thank our choristers who are all volunteers. They put in countless hours of rehearsals and home study to learn their parts. We get so deeply into this music that we come to love it and go through days of “withdrawal” when the concert is over. We are still hearing the music in our heads.


Joan Frost at the keyboard

We especially thank our accompanist, Joan Frost, who puts in as many hours as we do helping us to learn this music and playing in our concerts.
She is a true gem, and we couldn’t do what we do without her!

We thank all who attended the concert, supporting us with their presence. Thanks to donors who contributed as well.

First Three Rehearsals

Its summer and many are traveling, enjoying the summer. We’ve had three rehearsals of the Chorale and each time, some singers were missing. Most of our regulars attended at least one rehearsal, and got their music.

Our major work for the Christmas concert is Haydn’s Missa Cellensis. We will perform is as an “English Mass,” that is, the Kyrie and Gloria only. That leaves us more time for several Christmas anthems. The mass is beautiful, and difficult.

We’re working on several Christmas anthems.

A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells sets a 14th Century text. It has a beautiful baritone solo.

An Ave Maria by Franz Biebl was originally written for a Firemen’s chorus in England. It is for 8 parts and very beautiful. Those firemen were very talented indeed!

Past Three O’Clock is a song of a 17th Century London town crier. It is arranged for chorus and harp by Cary Radcliff.

Remember, O Thou Man is another 17th Century text, arranged by Robert Jordahl.

Popular choral composer, John Rutter, wrote the festive Rejoice and be Merry for chorus and hand bells.

Brazilian Christmas Carol, for chorus and percussion, is composed by Benjamin Harlan. We’ll sing it in English.

So far, the singers really like all the music. Come join us and keep cool by singing Christmas music all summer!

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.

Singers Wanted!

The Pass Chorale will resume rehearsals on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. We are changing our rehearsal location to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1320 W. Williams St., Banning. We will begin working on music for our spring concert in May. The featured work will be the Harmony Mass by F.J. Haydn. This is a beautiful work with lovely harmonies as the name implies.

The Chorale performs two major concerts per year, spring and winter, plus occasional performances around the community. We invite all parts, sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses, with special emphasis on tenors and altos. If you have singing experience (high school choir? Church choir?) please consider joining us. We welcome high school students and adults of all ages. Call or email for further information or come to a rehearsal and try singing with us. It is a wonderful experience to learn masterworks and then perform them. We have fun too!