By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — “Sing Out!” San Diego Jewish Choir Festival with two distinct programs Sunday, April 3 at 1:00 and at 4:00 at the Lawrence Family JCC will bring together nine choirs with directors of outstanding backgrounds and accomplishments.
The final combined choirs will be directed by David Amos, the San Diego maestro who has 30 CDs with international orchestras to his credit. Amos is the conductor of TICO, the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra. He is also the one who donated Cantor Henri Goldberg’s Music Collection to the Astor Judaica Library, the collection that inspired this festival.
Rhoda Gaylis will be the accompanist for the combined choirs. She is the accompanist and arranger for the San Diego Jewish Women’s Choir/Sisterhood Shira, and this accomplished South African native was the founder of the San Diego Jewish Men’s Choir.
Cantor Arlene Bernstein, now in her twelfth year at Congregation Beth Israel, received her investiture as a cantor from the Hebrew Union College. A graduate of the University of Maryland and the New England Conservatory, the talented soprano was a professional bassoonist and Chair of the Woodwind Department at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School prior to entering the cantorate.
Bracha Crayk founded the San Diego Jewish Women’s Choir/Sisterhood Shira a year ago. The choir meets at Beth El Synagogue. With degrees in psychology and Jewish studies, she received musical training from several schools including Tel Aviv Universityand San Diego State University. She is an Orff specialist and has trained in the Waldorf Method. For two decades, Bracha was the music teacher for the San Diego Jewish Academy’s Lower School. Currently, she instructs San Diego City school teachers on integrating music in the classroom.
Cantor Lori Willinsky Frank has been the Cantor and co-spiritual leader of Temple Adat Shalom in Poway since 1982. She directs a diverse music program with four choirs. A native of Rochester, NY, she performed in musical theater and opera including the Starlight Civic Light Opera Co. After earning her BA in Judaic Studies and Music from SUNY, she completed the cantor certification program from Hebrew Union College in 2001. She is an active member of the American Conference of Cantors.
Judy Grant, director of the Solel Junior Choir and the J Company’s On the Town, has an extensive background in performance and teaching. A UCLA graduate, she sang in the Light Opera Company in Northern California which was founded by her husband, Hal Grant, had an extensive career on television, and was head of music education for the Las Virginas Schools in Los Angeles County.
Nancy Jones Johnson, director of Congregation Beth Israel’s Sabbath and Festival Choir since 1997, was first involved with the congregation in 1980, as a member of the professional Shabbat Quartet and High Holiday Ensemble. She has directed college opera workshops as well as college and church choirs. Her BA and MA degrees are in Vocal Performance.
Ruth Lopez-Yanez, director of the San Diego Men’s Choir, is a graduate of San Diego State University and Cal State Northridge. She has accompanied singers and instrumentalists in Canada, Mexico and Europe. She served as staff accompanist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, and was the pianist for the San Fernando Valley Men’s Choir, and for Opera Aguascalientes. Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member at Palomar College and at Miramar College.
Jane Masur, director of Temple Adat Shalom’s Adult Choir, is co-principal flute of the Palomar Orchestra and teaches flute at Ozzie’s Music Store in Poway, which she co-owns with her husband.
Other directors include David Garstang, a specialist with Barbershop Quartets, who formed Temple Adat Shalom’s Menschtones, and his daughter, Jennifer Garstang who directs the Temple Adat Shalom Youth Choir.
David Kroll, an attorney who often serves as cantorial soloist at the original Temple Beth Israel in Old Town and at Saturday morning services in the CBI chapel, will introduce the program. Kroll sang in Cantor Henri Goldberg’s choirs.
The exciting program will include a diverse repertoire from Louis Lewendowski’s “Hallelujah” written in 1879 to “Pharoah, Pharoah” a Pesach Rap. There will be pioneer songs from Israel, Debbie Friedman songs, Yiddish, Ladino and English songs. We will hear beautiful voices, youth and adult, nine San Diego choirs from our Jewish Community will “Sing Out!”
To reserve your seats, call the JCC Box Office: 858-362-1348
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Wingard is a former violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and is a freelance music writer based in San Diego. She may be contacted at eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com
It was a great performance. Very moving indeed….
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