From cathedral classics to contemporary master works, the Bay Choral Guild offers a rich and varied repertoire that keeps the timeless experience of choral music alive for Peninsula audiences.
Now starting rehearsals for its 48th season, the Bay Choral Guild (BCG) is a 35-voice, auditioned chorus based in Palo Alto with singers from around the Bay Area. They have been led for 27 years by Artistic Director Sanford Dole, a conductor, composer and singer who has performed with, and had his pieces performed by, many of the region’s leading ensembles. The volunteer group puts on three programs a year and is known for offering well-produced programs at an advanced level with a variety of repertoire, Dole said.
“We are a wonderful community resource, both for singers and audiences interested in getting a thoughtful program produced at a high level that will be moving and inspiring,” he said.
“Advent of Light,” the group’s first program this year, will celebrate both the season of advent and the return of light promised by the winter solstice. Performances will be held Dec. 4 and 6. The program will feature settings of the seven” O Antiphons,” Gregorian chants of the Catholic church dating back to at least the eighth century, as well as works about light, including Eric Whitacre’s modern choral masterpiece, Lux Aurumque (“Light and Gold.”)
That span of more than 1,000 years is no accident. Dole said that over the course of an individual season, he tries to include pieces from as many eras as possible.
“For a group like this I like to hit all the different eras of music so both the singers and audience get a satisfying survey,” he said. “Early, Classical, Romantic, and a healthy dose of contemporary, by which I mean anything written in the last 50-75 years.”
For the March concerts, Dole was inspired by the period of the Spanish and Portuguese Renaissance and the incredible cultural mix of Christian, Jewish and Muslim influences of the period. Almost the entire first half of the pieces will be from the 1600s, while the second half will contrast them with contemporary pieces from living Spanish and Portuguese composers.
In June, their final program of the season will cover three mid-20th-century choral gems accompanied by organ, harp, and percussion: Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem,” Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” and Bryan Kelly’s “Magnificat.” These “Cathedral classics” are all beloved by singers and audiences alike, said Dole.
Before each concert, Dole offers a 20-minute talk illuminating the program and its inspiration.
Performance venues this year are the Campbell United Methodist Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto and the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto. For more information and to buy concert tickets, go to baychoralguild.org.
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