5th Anniversary Concert - April 2017

Chromatica, a regional chorus recently dubbed “the undiscovered musical jewel of the East Bay”, will celebrate its fifth birthday with four concerts: on April 20 at the Event Center at Rossmoor (Rossmoor residents and guests only), on Sunday April 23 at 4 pm at St. Perpetua Church, 3454 Hamlin Road, Lafayette, on Saturday April 29 at 7pm at Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton and on Sunday April 30 at 6pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3201 Camino Tassajara in Danville.

Chromatica began in 2011 in a small classroom at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville with 7 singers and an electronic keyboard. Says founding musical director David Huff: “If enthusiasm was anything to go by, I expected we'd still be around in five years. But realistically, it seemed unlikely…” Chromatica sang its first formal concerts in 2012 and ever since has sung two concert series every year in the spring and fall.

Chromatica is noted for the extraordinary range of its repertoire ranging in time from the 12th to the 21st century and in genre everywhere from classical to contemporary to (occasionally) show tunes. These concerts showcase some of our audience's (and our) most favorite pieces. Starting with Hildegarde von Bingen's lovely 12th century O Virtus Sapientiae, Chromatica will sing in Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish and English.

From opera comes Verdi's Va Pensiero, Offenbach's Neighbors' Chorus, Gounod's Soldiers' Chorus, and Mascagni's Easter Hymn, a huge audience favorite the first time Chromatica performed it. Chromatica will also sing Brahms' Zigeunerlieder and parts of Cherubini's stunning Mass in C Minor. Add Eric Whitacre's hilarious Animal Crackers and his stunning A Boy and a Girl as well as Andrea Bocelli's Con Te Partiro and this is a concert with something for everyone.

And the program includes much more — Billy Joel's lovely lullaby Goodnight My Angel, and Monte Vista graduate and commissioned composer Stacy Garrop's Love's Philosophy as well as Ticheli's extraordinary There Will Be Rest and Fauré's much loved Le Cantique de Jean Racine.