Singer Sidebars, Virtual Concerts, and
Musical Works in Progress

Singer Sidebars, Virtual Concerts, and Musical Works in Progress are our way of staying in touch with all our patrons, friends, and former members during this socially distanced time.

Chorale Music Director Fred Graham and Accompanist Debbie Wagner share a few exciting details of our virtual 2020–2021 season.

Many of us have fond memories of singing silly camp songs at this time of year, and we feel for the young people who are unable to experience summer camp this year because of the pandemic. Dick Schacht, one of our basses, has made an uplifting video remembrance of one of his favorite camp songs. We hope you’ll gather the children and grandchildren around and sing along at home!

This Singer Sidebar introduces one of our newest members, Gail Reitenbach. As you'll learn in this video, our singers sometimes perform in special places under unusual circumstances!

Long-time Sangre de Cristo Chorale singers Annie Parks and Kent Williamson talk about their love of Hawaii—a popular vacation destination that may seem even more distant than usual. They share some special memories, photos, and songs as well as a charming story about a magical wildlife experience. The latter will convince you that humans aren't the only creatures that long to sing with others.

In the midst of both routine and extraordinary times, it’s easy to forget that the only thing harder than keeping an organization running is to get it up and running in the first place!
Karen Wells, a founding member of the Sangre de Cristo Chorale, describes how this chorale is unusual and where and when the idea of the group was hatched.

Thanksgiving 2020 promises to be nontraditional for many of us, but we remain thankful for so many things, including all of you—subscribers, former singers, friends, and all Sangre de Cristo Chorale supporters.

To ease the sorrow of separation this season, members of the Chorale recorded brief Thanksgiving memories, traditions, and gratitude lists. We've even included a sung table blessing. Perhaps you'll adopt one of our traditions as your own this year.

We wish you and those you love a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, as every year, we will celebrate the annual festivals of light. Whatever holidays you mark, we know that music has been central to this time of year. Though the Sangre de Cristo Chorale cannot provide in-person concerts right now, we can share memories of why holiday concerts have been special and sacred to us.

In this week's short video, long-time member Andrea Cassutt tells the story of why December concerts will always have a personal reverberation for her. It's a multi-generational story that reminds us of what matters most in this season of darkness. Don't miss the duet at the end!

As 2020 ends and a new year begins, we look back on a year that has been filled with loss for so many. Whether you have suffered loss of livelihood, loved ones, or just normalcy, we hope these periodic greetings from Sangre de Cristo Chorale have helped you feel that you are still part of a community.

Singing "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve is another tradition that got a new spin this year. In lieu of big public gatherings and house parties, we invite you to sing along with Chorale soprano Karren Sahler's performance of the song by clicking the video below. The Scots language title can be translated as "for old time's sake." While 2020 had its challenges, it has reinforced the importance of appreciating the new ways we can connect with others, cherishing those we love, and never forgetting both old and new acquaintances. Karren dedicates this performance to the memory of her cousin Jane Willard.

Valentine's Day approaches, so we thought it would be fun to share a story of how music can bring people together. In the case of Nancy (soprano) and Chris (bass) Wood, their shared passion for music played an instigating role in their own uniquely Sangre de Cristo Chorale love story. You can watch Chris and Nancy's video by clicking here or the photo below.

For more than two decades, the Sangre de Cristo Chorale has offered an Apprentice Program, which provides local high school students the opportunity to advance their musical skills by singing with the Chorale. To date, 43 young people have participated; many of them have pursued careers in music.

Ingela Onstad is one such former apprentice, and in a recent conversation with Music Director Fred Graham, she shared some key steps along her career path. It's a path that has led back to the Chorale! As she mentions in the video, Ingela will be leading a workshop for Chorale members later this month. Click on the image below to watch the interview.

For many Sangre de Christo Chorale members, singing has been a life-long activity. For some, like soprano and former voice teacher Annie Parks, it's also been an integral aspect of their careers. Annie recently shared a song sung during her college days. Since then, she's lived a life of song and has shared her love of music with countless others.

As you listen to the audio recording of Schubert's "Die Forelle," from Annie's junior recital at University of Redlands, you'll see photos of her many and varied performances in Santa Fe. Listen to Annie's performance by clicking the image below.

Music appreciation and performance often runs in families. The Bach and Beethoven families are just two famous examples, but I'm sure you know of many more among your own acquaintances. Throughout its history, Sangre de Cristo Chorale has seen singing parents introduce their children to the group, but in at least one case, the influence ran the other direction.

Randy and Laura Erickson had known and enjoyed the Chorale for several years before daughter Rachel became an apprentice with the group. At that point, the parents decided to audition and make choral singing a family affair!

To share the Ericksons’ experiences of singing in Sangre de Cristo Chorale click on the photo below. In the background you'll enjoy Rachel's solo in Elizabeth Poston's arrangement of “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree," as performed by Sangre de Cristo Chorale in December 2003 under the direction of Mary Badarak.

When you direct school or college choirs, you have a completely new group of singers every one to four years. That's constantly refreshing and challenging for a director; just when you feel you've created a true ensemble, the group's composition changes dramatically. By contrast, with community choruses like Sangre de Cristo Chorale, it's common to have many singers who've sung with the group for decades. Having a core of long-term members is wonderful, because it allows a music director to select repertoire that both suits and stretches the group artistically.

However, even groups like Sangre de Cristo Chorale benefit from personnel changes, as new singers contribute not just their voices but also their enthusiasm for choral singing. Among our new singers this year is soprano Angelique Reagan, a former student of Music Director Fred Graham's at New Mexico School for the Arts.

Fred interviewed Angelique before last night's rehearsal, which accounts for her face mask. We wish we all could see fellow singers' faces, especially because we communicate with our entire face. We eagerly look forward to the day when we can sing free of face coverings!

Click here or the image below to hear our one-minute interview in which Angelique talked about her musical passions and career goals.

Late October is full of celebrations that honor the dead and make fun of things that are scary. From Day of the Dead and All Hallows’ Eve to Halloween, it’s a time when many take advantage of the license to dress in costume. For some, the season is all fun and candy; for others it’s a time of reflection. For long-time Chorale member Nikki Cunningham, it’s a bit of both, because October has deep family resonance for her.

Nikki dressed for Day of the Dead to perform a special piece with Chorale Pianist Deborah Wagner before rehearsal last week. Here's the story behind her song and costume.

“October is full of great memories for me,” she explained. “In particular, Halloween was my mother’s birthday, and I’ve always loved to celebrate Halloween because of her. Because she passed in 2017, I also like to honor the Day of the Dead in memory of her. The song I picked, while not related to Halloween, is about October. My dad played the piano and played this piece by Barry Manilow, and my mother loved it, so it was something special between the two of them. So the song is for my parents, in memory of my mother; and for me, it recalls some of the memories I have of October.”

Nikki added another October memory: “Fifteen years ago, the Chorale sang at my wedding in October!”

To hear Nikki, click here or the image below.

Meet Kristoval (Kristov) Perez, a new baritone with Sangre de Cristo Chorale this fall! Kristov moved to Santa Fe from Logandale, Nevada, in 2008 and has been involved in music most of his life.

“I grew up singing in different choirs, and when I was in high school, our top-performing Encore Choir traveled and performed at Disneyland and elsewhere,” he explained. “For the last almost fifteen years, I’ve done contemporary music in church and have helped different churches with their music programs.”

When he moved to Santa Fe, Kristov encountered a variety of musicians who invited him to find and join a choir. And though he’s sat in with other groups along the way, this is the first time he’s officially joined a chorus. Kristov explained that when he was looking for a vocal coach, he called Music Director Fred Graham at the New Mexico School for the Arts where Fred teaches. Fred connected Kristov with a colleague for coaching but also invited him to audition for the Chorale. The rest is history.

When asked why he joined the Chorale and why he likes to sing, Kristov said, “I felt like it was time for me to get plugged in with other singers. It’s very healing. I think that right now, where we’re at in our world, this past 2020 and 2021 hasn’t been the greatest for some people. There’s power in music, and there’s healing that transcends even the written word—just the tones that you hear—and I wanted to get connected with that again.”

Kristov, who will be singing the solo in “Gesù Bambino” at our December holiday concert, says, “I’m excited about it.”

Virtual Concerts

A choir sings. It's as simple as that. But these days, nothing's simple.

When social distancing requirements made it impossible to sing together in person, Sangre de Cristo Chorale decided to sing together virtually. Under the leadership of Music Director Fred Graham, several Chorale members rose to a new challenge. We learned or refreshed our familiarity with the notes of a beloved piece; we practiced alone while listening to a master track, accompanied by Deborah Wagner; we recorded our individual parts, which required several takes. Then Fred spent many hours digitally stitching all of those tracks together.

For this first virtual concert piece, we present a Chorale and audience favorite: Gwyneth Walker's arrangement of the famous Quaker hymn "How Can I Keep from Singing?" quoted above. We hope you'll agree that the message is one that provides hope and comfort at this tumultuous time. We invite you to sing along!

Though we miss rehearsing and performing with each other in person, we can't stop singing! Watch for future virtual performances in the coming months.

Christmas without singing is inconceivable. Whether your favorite Christmas music memories include symphony chorus performances of Handel's Messiah, hearing—or singing in—church choirs during a candlelit Christmas Eve service, or impromptu party caroling round the piano, we know song has been part of the season every year.

This year is different. Instead of our usual December performances, we're offering something closer to a sing-along around the piano at home--which is where we are. By inviting you into our homes for this virtual performance, we hope to share the warmth and cheer of the season in spite of physical distancing.

Of course, this isn't the first time that so many have been prevented from celebrating Christmas with loved ones. Since 1943, one popular song has embodied the wistful longing for togetherness this time of year. You can listen to our 2020 version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by clicking the image below.

All of us wish you and those you love Happy Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Few music lovers associate choral groups with art songs. After all, the art song features a single vocalist and pianist. However, in keeping with the strange times we're living through, the Sangre de Cristo Chorale is pleased to offer something a bit unusual: an art song recital by the chorale's director and accompanist Fred Graham and Deborah Wagner.

As the Artistic Leadership Team, Fred and Debbie are accustomed to working closely together to plan and prepare concerts. Given our current performance limitations, they decided to collaborate on something different. Click on the image below and you'll hear a bit about what they have planned, as they share some of their earliest memories of art songs.

We're still more than three weeks away from the first day of spring, but many of us long for spring flowers. While we patiently wait for the first daffodils, the Sangre de Cristo Chorale offers you a musical bouquet —“Fleur des blés” by Claude Debussy. It's one of the selections from a 39-minute virtual art song recital Music Director Fred Graham recorded with the Chorale's accompanist, Deborah Wagner. The text of “Fleur des blés” mentions ears of corn, poppies, and cornflowers (in the photo below), which North Americans call bachelor buttons. You'll find a translation of the lyrics, a poem by André Girod, here.

Musical Work in Progress Update

Music Director Fred Graham recently conducted a short interview with Katie Kring, who has been chosen as the composer of a special commissioned piece for the Sangre de Cristo Chorale’s first post-COVID-19 live performance (date TBD). In the video below, you’ll learn a bit about Katie’s diverse creative career and what inspires her when she’s composing.

Katie is a delightful, positive person. We think she’ll be the perfect creative partner to help us all celebrate the joy of singing together in person — whenever that may be. Until then, stay well and enjoy our biweekly updates.

Since the announcement of the Chorale’s commission project in September, composer Katie Kring has visited with Chorale members via Zoom, reviewed the text ideas submitted by members, and begun to develop a sense of how the piece will capture the spirit of the group and this unusual time.

From Music Director Fred Graham’s recent conversation with Katie, you'll gain insight into how one composer approaches the creative process. You'll learn how she's combing the diverse text suggestions for material she can weave into the lyrics and how she's ensuring that the piece "speaks to" the Chorale and its audience.

Before you watch the video, see if you can correctly fill in the blank. Katie Kring says that, when composing a piece of music, "_______ is everything!”

In this week’s conversation, composer Katie Kring talked with Music Director Fred Graham about when and where inspiration appeared for the text of the commissioned work she’s writing for the Sangre de Cristo Chorale. You’ll recall that it’s a piece we plan to perform at our first post-COVID, in-person performance.

As Katie says, the crisis we are all living through is “a crisis of breath,” and breath and air constitute her main thematic component. As you’ll hear in the video clip (edited for length), Katie has offered the start of her text and is asking for input from our singers, audience, and supporters. Watch the video, read the text below, and, if inspiration hits you, please send your suggestions for how to fill in the blanks to Fred at sdccmusicdirector@gmail.com

“At the end and beginning of all things,
we who remain, who have breath to give in song,
stand in memory and in joy.
We have seen the shadows fall
over our _______ mountains,
and we mourn our ________”.

Seasonal rituals and rhythms give order to our lives and can be a source of stability in otherwise unsettling times. This fall, as students return to school, singers return to rehearsals. It's a routine that countless singers around the world missed last year and one we won't soon take for granted. As Sangre de Cristo Chorale begins working on the music for our first concert of the 2021/22 season, we want to give our supporters a preview.

Click the image below to watch a 3-minute conversation between Music Director Fred Graham and Accompanist, Deborah Wagner about a couple of special pieces we'll be including in our first concert. You'll hear a few bars of Katie Kring's "The End and the Beginning," commissioned by the Chorale last year. We also provide details about our updated rehearsal practices.

The Sangre de Cristo Chorale held its first in-person rehearsal in 18 months, and we are excited to be preparing both new and familiar music for our audiences! Gail Reitenbach, the Chorale’s publicity chair, conducted a short interview with Music Director Fred Graham. Click here for the interview to learn how our COVID adaptations present both challenges and pleasant surprises.