The Santa Cruz Chorale, conducted by Christian Grube and accompanied by the Monterey Bay Sinfonietta, present the Chorale’s Christmas concert with musical gems from centuries past, as well as contemporary pieces.
Three Psalm settings from Claudio Monteverdi’s “Christmas Vespers” for choir, instrumentalists, and soloists, recreate the festive atmosphere of a Renaissance Christmas. “O Magnum Mysterium” by Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre’s transcendent “Lux Aurumque” bring us back to the twentieth century. The program also includes motets such as William Byrd’s “Haec Dies” and Mendelssohn’s “Jubilate,” as well as compositions by John Tavener, Ola Gjeilo, Maurice Duruflé and VaughanWIlliams. Carols old and new conclude the concert.
Founded in 1983 the Santa Cruz Chorale, a community based nonprofit organization, performs a wide ranging repertoire including works from the 14th century through music of our time. Some members of the Chorale are professional musicians and some direct musical groups of their own. But all volunteer their time and are amateurs in the original sense of that word: people who seriously pursue an art for the love of it.
The Chorale was founded by Mary Lynn Place Badarak, a Lecturer for the Department of Music at UC Santa Cruz, followed by Murray Walker, the late Gene Lewis, Paul Vorwerk and Eduardo Mendelievich.
Under the leadership of Paul Vorwerk, the Chorale went on two exciting international tours: the first to Northern Italy and Croatia, and the second to Spain. Since 2006, the Chorale has been directed by Christian Grube performing three concert sets per year in the beautiful acoustics of Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz. The Chorale has also attracted three of Santa Cruz’s best-known accompanists, Vlada Moran, Yalenda Listmann, and Maria Ezerova.
The Chorale’s current Artistic Director, Christian Grube, is emeritus professor of choral conducting at the Berlin University of Arts. His choirs are known for their exquisite sound, impeccable intonation, broad range of dynamic expression, and ability to interpret the most diverse styles.
Caption: Christian Grube, Artistic Director Santa Cruz Chorale
Photo Credit: Katja Zuske, Katzprints Photography