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Powering forward Together

Opening Hearts and

Minds throughHarmony

October 14, 2017 The Center at 2300

Sacramento Women’s ChorusUnder the direction of Robin Richie

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF SONG

Artistic DirectorROBIN RICHIE

Robin Richie brings a lifetime of musical experience to the Sacramento Women’s Chorus. She is known as a performer, educator, vocal coach and creative leader whose imagination has lifted the profile and expertise of SWC. She challenges each singer in the chorus to expect the best from themselves and to continually grow in technical ability and performance skills.

With a B.A. in Music Education from Mt. St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH, and a Master of Music in Music Education from University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Robin actively contributes to the Sacramento region’s musical future as an elementary school music teacher for band and orchestra in Rocklin.

AccompanistJANE STAVE-VIEMEISTER

Pianist Jane Stave-Viemeister recently rejoined the Sacramento Women’s Chorus to accompany the chorus for its 30th Birthday celebration. The timing couldn’t be better! Jane was previously a member and accompanist for six years When not working with the chorus, Jane is chair of the

Music Department at Sierra College, a composer and a poet. She has performed in the Midwest, Southwest and in the New England area as a soloist and as a chamber music artist. Jane has her DMA from the University of Iowa. She is hap-py to re-join the Sacramento Women’s Chorus and to support this happy, vibrant, fun chorus!

Featured Instrumentalists:

Casey Lipka on Bass / Chris Allan on Alto Saxophone, J. Steve Collum on Drums

Featured Instrumentalists:Casey Lipka on Bass / Chris Allan on Alto Saxophone,

J. Steve Collum on Drums

SWC…Did You Know We’ve Been Around for 30 Years?

Sacramento Women’s Chorus (SWC) is a vibrant community chorus and tonight it is celebrating its 30th Birthday. Yes, its true, SWC has been singing in the Sacramento area for 30 years! Women searching for a musical home join SWC to sing music selections that blend meaningful music with fun and to become part of a remarkable and welcoming community. We reach a broad community by addressing contemporary issues

while providing entertainment.

During this time we have grown and devel-oped to become a 90-voice, all inclusive, 501c3 nonprofit organization, while remain-ing true to our original goals – to honor peace, justice, social equality, and to cele-

andLGBTQ pride. Most recently SWC had the distinction of singing from the steps of the Capitol during Sacramento’s “Women’s March on Washington” of January of 2017.

brate the lives of all women. We strive for musical excellence while giving voice to women’s hopes and dreams as we open hearts and minds through harmony.

Since our first performance in 1987 at a fund-raiser for a women’s wheelchair basketball team, SWC has been recognized as an important part of the arts and activist community in Sacramento. SWC can be counted on to sing at events that focus on equality, peace and justice, women’s issues,

As examples of SWC’s commitment to its values, we have participated in Women’s History programs, Take Back the Night rallies, and events such as the California Commission of the Status of Women and the California State NOW Conference. Other performances have been in conjunction with YWCA, WEAVE, CARES, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center and at Girl Scoutactivities. In addition, we have raised our voices with the Placerville Season for Non-Violence, Holocaust Remembrance Service, World AIDS Day, PFLAG’s Services of Remembrance (honoring victims of violence against the LGBTQ community), and commemorative services sponsored by the Kaiser Hospice program. In addition, SWC has collaborated locally with the Gay Men’s Cho-rus, participate in the SAC SINGS! choral festival and have performed with nationally known women’s recording artists, Holly Near and Cris Williamson.

In July of 2016 SWC attended the GALA Choral Festival in Denver, Colorado, and achieved our organizational goal of attain-ing national recognition by being invited to perform at the GALA closing ceremony. This signifi-cant invitation was extended to

only three of the 171 choruses attending. SWC is now “on the map” as a wom-en’s chorus of national note! only three of the 171 choruses attending. SWC is now “on the map” as a women’s chorus of national note!

For more information about this remarkable group,

go to the SWC website at: www.sacramentowomenschorus.com

or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sacramento Women’s Chorus Presents Music from 30 Year’s of Songs and Singing:

SINGWords & Music by: Mitchell Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kevin Olusola,

Martin Johnson & Sam Hollander; Arranged by: Mark Brymer First Sung: Birthday Bash! – Fall 2017

IT’S A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGINGWords by: Oscar Hammerstein II; Music by: Richard Rogers;

Arranged by: Kirby ShawFirst Sung: Wilkkommen – Fall 2013

AMANI UTUPE (Grant Us Peace, Give Us Courage)Words & Music by: Patsy Ford Simms

Accompaniment - Djembe: Lily Andrews, Timbao: Ali Lippman First Sung: Why We Sing – Spring 2011

Happy Birthday 30 Years – First Altos

THE SMALL DIFFERENCEWords & Music by: Robin Riebsomer;

Arranged by: Robin Riebsomer & Pamela Blevins-HinkleFirst Sung: Celebrating Our Lives – Fall 2014

BIG DOGS, MUSIC, AND WILD, WILD WOMENWords & Music by: Ruth Huber

First Sung: Peace is Groovy…Again – Spring 2008

Birthday Round – Second Altos

BITTERSWEET TANGOWords & Music by: Eric Lane Barnes

Directed by: Merri Sue BrownFirst Sung: Pride Festival – Spring 2006

HERE’S WHERE I STANDWords by: Lynn Ahrens; Music by: Michael Gore;

Arranged by: Greg GilpinSolo by: Amy Browne

First Sung: Connections – Spring 2014

INTERMISSION

Hazard Warning: Balloons containing latex will be dropped

during the last song of this concert.

CELEBRATIONWords & Music by: Ronald Bell, Claydes Smith, George Brown,

James Taylor, Robert Mickens, Earl Toon, Dennis Thomas, Ronald Bell, & Eumir Deodato; Arranged by: Kirby Shaw

First Sung: CHOCtobefest – Fall 2015

MUSIC IN MY MOTHER’S HOUSEWords & Music by: Stuart Stotts; Arranged by: J. David Moore

First Sung: Pasta Feed – Fall 1994

1000 GRANDMOTHERSWords & Music by: Holly Near; Arranged by J. David Moore

First Sung: If It Weren’t For the Women – Spring 2005

Sound Off Birthday Song – First Sopranos

SEIZE THE DAYWords by: Jack Feldman; Music by: Alan Menken;

Arranged by: Kirby ShawFirst Sung: We Can Do It – Spring 2014

JOURNEY TO THE PASTWords by: Lynn Ahrens, Music by: Stephen Flaherty

Solo by: Amy Browne

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSICWords & Music by: BjÖrn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson;

Arranged by: Jerry EstesFirst Sung: Sing Out Sisters – Spring 2012

WHY WE SINGWords & Music by: Greg Gilpin

First Sung: Why We Sing – Spring 2011

A Short Song with Kazoos – Second Sopranos

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Good Morning to all / Birthday / Happy Birthday

Words by: Patty S. Hill, Music by: Mildred J. Hill / Words & Music by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney / Words & Music by: Stevie Wonder

Arranged by: Mark Brymer First Sung: Birthday Bash! – Fall 2017

Soprano 1 Donna Barrett, Emilie Bhe, Amy Browne, Sarah Daniels, Karen Dunn,

Jade English, Beth Hallmark, Kathryn Krull, Ali Lippman, Bobbie Morford, Anna Murphy, Caitlin Randall, Hayley Sharpe, Sharon Sprowls,

Claudia St.John, Caroline Stave-Viemeister, Kristina Towner, Pam Viray

Sacramento Women’s Chorus

Soprano 2Sarah Akinhead, Merri Sue Brown, De Calvert, Sheryl Cannon,

Genelle Dwyer-Palmer, Lorrie Hinton, Sue Hobbs, Katherine Keeney, Kathleen Kinney, Chris Kondo-Lister, Sandra Leahy, Maci MacCormack,

Lisa Mackay, Karen McCoy, Mary Moon, Polina Morozova-Diab, Sylvia Morris, Jessica Pellerin, Dru Richie, Rosemary Rupp, Jessica Scott,

Vicki Skeels, Tiffany Taylor, Sue Toppenberg, Sarah Troedson, Sharon Usher, Terry Weyna, Katie Zaiger

Alto 1Judy Ballester, Margaret Barrett, Kate Blagdon, Jan Burnham, Debbie Cole,

Karen Cook-Enlow, Jena Cooreman, Patti Evans, Gail Eve,Jenny Hoye, Elisabeth Kauffman, Nondra Khali, Mary Lassaline, Juanita Lyons,

Emily Nechvatal, Jeanine Perry, Pamela Platis, Kathi Riley, Jean Schultz, Pam Schulz, Roxanne Scull, Eileen Smith, Janeva Sorenson, Susan Sprague,

Juleen StenzelAlto 2

Lily Andrews, Sonia Burt, Peggy Cross, Camille Dartt, Toni Hansen, Debbie Hunter, Jane Means, Laura Menke, Carol Mitchell-Ratliff, Susan Muller,

Carol Paskulin, Leanna Pierson, Susan Simpkin, Sue Slagell, Trish Sliter, Marsha Strode, Anne Weitzel, Patricia Wentzel

Sacramento Women’s Chorus: On to the Next

Before we look to what future steps SWC may take as it moves forward, we must acknowledge the many members, volunteers, and supporters who have made our 30 year journey possible. We are deeply grateful for the support we have received through the years from our friends, fans, families and our wonderful volunteer support team.

“Thank you!” Without your participation, we could not have become who we are today. Last, but not least, a heartfelt, “thank you,” to the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s, Big Day of Giving (Big DOG) for helping to keep the lights on, the bills paid and all of us singing joyfully from the bottom of our hearts.

Creating a path forward will require vision and energy to determine the way. How difficult making specific discovery will be greatly dependent on the support of those who care. Might you be able to contribute toward helping us to find our way? Below are just of a few of organizational goals we envision that we will see along our path forward:

Increase the diversity of our membership and audience;

Establish a group of donors who provide small but ongoing support for specific chorus needs such as the purchase of music for our in-creasing membership;

Encourage community members to serve on SWC’s 501(c)3 governing board; and,

Raising additional money to provide support to mem-bers enabling their attendance at the 2020 GALA MusicFestival

If you see a way to enhance the SWC experience or contribute in any form, please contact us through our website: sacramentowomenschorus.com.

To each of you, “Thank you,” for supporting the performing arts in Sacramento; SWC looks forward to the opportunity to have you as a guest again in the future as we embrace our pledge to provide ever more skillful musicianship and enter-tainment for our audiences!

GALA: Remembering and Looking Ahead!

July 2016 found Sacramento Women’s Chorus in Den-ver sharing in the GALA Music Festival! The primary goal of the GALA Choruses Organization is to foster ar-tistic and administrative growth in its member choruses. Their festival, held every four years, is a premier event for choruses such as SWC. “Thank you,” to all the wonderful people who contrib-uted during our fund-raising campaigns, bought raffle tickets, participated in drawings, and made multiple contributions. As a result of your generosity, 43 mem-bers of SWC, many of whom would not have otherwise been able to attend, participated in this amazing event.

A few items of note about the GALA Festival: Approximately 175 choruses/ensembles performed with almost 7,000 gather ing to spread harmony, both musical and individual, while sharing nuanced vocal and choreographed technique.

SWC “wowed” our largest audience ever, 2,800, and received a standing ovation and major tribute from the GALA organizers. The GALA experience has provided targeted inspiration for SWC.

As a result of our performance, we are now counted among women’s choruses with a national reputation…an organizational goal set in motion years ago! We may be gone from Denver but not forgotten by the GALA Board, a representative attended SWC’s May 2017 concert to underscore our 30th year and presented $500.00 seed money for our attending again in 2020 when Minneapolis hosts. SWC preparations are already underway with a promise to do the hard work re-quired to bring as many of our members as we can to participate in this valuable and energizing experience. As always, your interest and support is a mainstay of our success.

Thank you! From all the members of the Sacramento Women’s Chorus

SWC Up Coming Events: