Welcome! Here's the place to find out more than you might want to know about the UC Berkeley Sacred Harp weekly singing community. Everyone is welcome to comment. If you would like to be an author (so you can generate new posts) leave a comment requesting to be added as an author and I'll set it up.
All-California '11, the convention that keeps on giving! I'm remiss in not posting this beautiful artwork until now.
Both watercolor pieces by Joanie Mitchell, a local bay area singer who I had the pleasure of bunking with and getting to know better over the weekend. (Thanks for giving permission to post these!) Make sure you click to enlarge the images and check out her website. And if you're lucky you just might see her work in person at a convention near you...
3 years ago I couldn't make it to the All-Cal convention the last time it was held in LA, but I remember seeing photos and drooling. I'm so glad I made it a priority to attend this year, because it was utterly fantastic. It turned into a real singing retreat. I drove down in a van with some other bay area singers and stayed in the hostel on site. And when I say hostel, I mean this:
It was rented out just for singers - the mattresses were wicked uncomfortable and as squeaky as they come, which was pretty much the best recipe for insomnia I can think of, but it was otherwise completely free of your regular hostel hassles. The convention was obviously a well-oiled machine. Thank you especially to Laura Boyd Russell and everyone who did the behind of scenes work of welcoming out-of-town singers, and Rick Russell and others who did a very smooth job of arranging. It was kind of a perfect storm of an amazing class, obscenely gorgeous weather in an obscenely gorgeous place, and low-key quality time with new and old singing friends from the west coast and beyond (notably - Texas invasion!) In conclusion, if you haven't been to sing at Angel's Gate, I'm not sure what you're waiting for.
One of the last leaders called on Sunday, Stephen O'Leary, said all his choices had been used and he was feeling nostalgic, what with "the composer of a certain song" and his daughter present! What ensued was pretty much the ultimate 501 experience.
There's been a veritable spamming of this convention on youtube, so go check it out.
Nicoletta Rogers also recorded both days and has made them available for download! Saturday and Sunday.
This past Sunday, Baby Boy Joseph Roscoe and I attended the singing at the historic Church of Heaven on Probation in the now abandoned town of Preston, California, near Cloverdale in North Sonoma County. The scenery was beautiful, the church was stunning, the acoustics were ideal, and the sun was scorching. I sure hope some other folks got some good shots of the church and grounds around it, because my selection seems to be oddly Baby Boy-focused.(Edited to add: Of course someone did! Check out Chris Thorman's gallery.)
We sang:
Then Baby Boy Joe cooled off in the sprinkler:
Then Baby Boy Joe decided to pitch in with cleaning up:
Then we enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner on the grounds, under spreading oak trees. I took more photos of Baby Boy Joe (shocker!):
Baby Boy Joe had a good time, but he did do a little whining:
And then we sang some more:
Thank you for setting up and inviting us to this beautiful singing, Caroline!
Thanks to Suzanne Husky for including bay area sacred harp singers in her Rewilding project, which addresses global warming through music.
"As temperatures increase, significant percentages of the Earth's species may become trapped--like fish out of water--in habitats that have become too hot, too dry, or too something else for them." Based on that information, I'm asking a few musicians, to sing a song that belongs to their repertoire or that they create, that tells the creatures, plants to relocate, to move or go.
Suzanne's video is screening as part of Intersection for the Art's inaugural exhibition in their new space. It runs through July 3. And it's free!
Intersection 5M 901 Mission Street (@ 5th) San Francisco CA 94103
Wed, May 19 - Sat, Jul 3 | 12pm - 6pm | FREE Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 12 to 6pm First Thursdays: 12 to 8 pm
I just realized there's various videos from some of our singings on the YouTubes. Look - there's Greg at the Golden Gate Sacred Harp Convention in 2006!
And Ian leading Windham at the 2009 All-California: with the lyrics!
Ditto with Carolyn leading New Agatite: Thanks Jeremy for putting these up. That's pretty slick with the overlapping score.
Singing every Monday from The Original Sacred Harp (Denson Revision), 7:30-9:30 pm, except major holidays.
All Saints' Chapel, 2451 Ridge Rd., one block north of Hearst between Euclid and Scenic.
Mixed-Book singing every 1st Monday, 7-8 p.m. Cooper, Eclectic Harmony and Norumbega Harmony loaners available. You are also invited to bring photocopies of songs from other books or original compositions (15 copies should be more than enough).
