Last month, SDCC’s Chamber Choir joined Bach Collegium San Diego (BCSD) for exceptional performances of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor BWV 232 on March 21 at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church and on March 22 at All Souls’ Episcopal Church. The collaboration reflects SDCC’s commitment to high-quality performance experiences through unique partnerships like this one and creating opportunities for showcasing the artistry of professionally trained young singers. By being invited to perform with Bach Collegium, it also speaks to the trust in the quality of our training program that high caliber organizations have in SDCC.
Bach’s Mass in B Minor stands as a pinnacle of his musical achievement, and performing the final movement alongside Bach Collegium’s consummate professional musicians offered our young singers both a challenge (there were some nerves beforehand!) and an incredible opportunity for growth.
Collaborating with BCSD placed SDCC singers among some of the nation’s finest Baroque musicians in front of highly discerning audiences. In this setting, Chamber Choir rose to the occasion with confidence and artistry.
The response from singers, instrumentalists, and audience members was overwhelmingly positive. Feedback included praise of tuning, professionalism, and stage presence. One comment was that their performance surpassed many collegiate ensembles, and a well respected retired collegiate choral director noted that the “Ave Maris Stella, in particular, was perfect.”
More than milestone performances, this experience reflects SDCC’s role in developing the next generation of artists and arts patrons. Opportunities like these challenge young singers to rehearse more rigorously, further develop technical skills, and build confidence to perform alongside expert musicians – all by expanding their belief in what they are capable of achieving.
Join us for an upcoming performance, view our Spring performance calendar here to discover more unique opportunities like this one. Audiences have two additional chances to hear the set performed by Chamber Choir on March 21-22, at a free concert on April 26 at 4 PM at St. Mark’s United Methodist in Clairemont Mesa, and on May 30 at 4 PM as part of the SDCC Spring Concert at the Jacob’s Music Center – tickets go on sale mid-April.
photo credit: Gary Payne