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Choral and Vocal
MASTERFUL GOOD FRIDAY CONCERT
by Terry McNeill
Friday, March 29, 2013
Good Friday concerts are always spiritual but often can be monotonous and overly long. Cantiamo and the St. Cecelia Choir’s exceptional program March 29 in Santa Rosa’s packed Church of the Incarnation was anything but mundane, and perhaps too short. Conductor Carol Menke fashioned a balanced eve...
Choral and Vocal
JAN. 13 OCCIDENTAL AND GUERNEVILLE PROGRAMS OPEN RIVER CONCERT SEASON
by Terry McNeill
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Russian River’s winter concert season began Jan. 13 with two events at nearly the same location and time, both programs packed with abundant vocal qualities. Sonia Tubridy’s River Choir performed their annual Winterfest concert in the Guerneville Community Church before 30 ardent listeners. The 12...
Choral and Vocal
A POPULAR INAUGURATION; THE DELIGHTFUL SUNRISE CONCERT AT WEILL HALL
by Phillip Beard
Sunday, September 30, 2012
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting setting than the Sept. 30 Sunrise Concert for the popular – as opposed to “elite” – inauguration of the palatial, pre-legendary Weill Hall in the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. You know something special is going on when you fill a 1,400-seat hall...
Choral and Vocal
TWICE IS THE CHARM AT RIVER CHOIR'S BACH CANTATA PERFORMANCE
by Terry McNeill
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
It’s pretty rare that an entire classical music program contains just one work, and just 22 minutes at that. Sonia Tubridy’s River Choir thought so much of Bach’s Cantata No. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden, that they sang it twice in a program April 19, and repeated the Cantata April 26. And ...
Choral and Vocal
TUBRIDY LEADS RIVER CHOIR IN FESTIVE HOLIDAY GUERNEVILLE CONCERT
by Terry McNeill
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sonia Tubridy, along with Carol Menke the late Nina Shuman, must be noted as Sonoma County’s most multi-tasking musician. In addition the playing the piano for chamber groups and in shows, singing, playing the accordion and leading Klezmer groups, Ms. Tubridy has found time to lead a first-rate cho...
Choral and Vocal
CIRCA 1600 CHORUS SINGS MAGNIFICENT SCHÜTZ WORKS AT HOLY FAMILY CHURCH
by Joanna Bramel Young
Saturday, November 13, 2010
A small but appreciative audience enjoyed a concert of vocal works by the great early Baroque master Heinrich Schütz Nov. 13 at the Holy Family Episcopal Church in Rohnert Park. Accompanying the fourteen singers, skillfully directed by Robert Worth, were John Dornenburg on the G violone and Susan Ha...
Choral and Vocal
MARY WILSON'S VIRTUOSITY SHINES IN AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS' MARIN CONCERT
by Joanna Bramel Young
Friday, April 16, 2010
The American Bach Soloists performed their final concert in the current series April 16 at St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere, and the large audience was treated to glorious works by Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Each piece showcased a soloist who performed with members of the ABS orchestra. Rather than ...
Choral and Vocal
LARGE MUSICAL FORCES CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS SEASON AT FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH
by Jim Harrod
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Redwood Empire American Guild of Organists joined other musicians for “An Afternoon of Carols, Noels and Variations” Dec. 6 at Santa Rosa’s Faith Lutheran Church. Participating were the choirs of three local churches, the Plein Aire Recorder Consort, and organists Evelyn Schlager, Leyton Heckman, H...
Choral and Vocal
GOOD FRIDAY GETS BETTER WITH HAYDN MASS
by Steve Osborn
Friday, April 10, 2009
Franz Joseph Haydn was not quite as prolific with masses as with symphonies, but he did he write 14 of the former nonetheless. For their annual Good Friday concert on April 10, the St. Cecilia Choir joined forces with Cantiamo, the Incarnation Orchestra, four soloists and conductor J. Karla Lemon to...
Choral and Vocal
MOSTLY MOTETS SINGS AT VESPERS
by Joanna Bramel Young
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Mostly Motets, a North Bay a capella vocal ensemble, presented a Vespers concert January 25 in Petaluma’s First Presbyterian Church. Director Steve Moore conducted the well-rehearsed ensemble, consisting of twelve singers, in sacred works by Byrd, Dufay, Josquin, Tallis and Victoria – all leading c...
CHORAL AND VOCAL REVIEW
River Choir / Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sonia Tubridy, director. String ensemble musicians TBA

TWICE IS THE CHARM AT RIVER CHOIR'S BACH CANTATA PERFORMANCE

by Terry McNeill
Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It’s pretty rare that an entire classical music program contains just one work, and just 22 minutes at that. Sonia Tubridy’s River Choir thought so much of Bach’s Cantata No. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden, that they sang it twice in a program April 19, and repeated the Cantata April 26. And they performed it twice each time, and I’ll return to that later.

In the Guerneville Community Church before 35 listeners on the 26th the 13-person choir was joined by violinists Peter Wehausen and John Konigsmark, violist David Hill, cellist Valerie Marshall and Ms. Tubridy directing from the piano and supplying ardent continuo.

An early Leipzig-era Cantata from 1724, the Easter day work originally was played with three trombones and trumpet as well as strings and continuo, and adding brass instruments would have stretched the sonic limits of the small church space. As it was the strings often overpowered the soloists, though Gael Reed’s rich soprano carried well. Joining Ms. Reed in solo parts were Jean Ashley, alto, Tom Lowrie, tenor, and bass Dan Fein.

What about the two performances at each concert? Tactfully excluded from the first performance, the audience was invited to stand with the choir and soloists for the repetition, raising Bach’s “Soli Gloria Deo” with hearty voices. Several did, making this wonderful music under Ms. Tubridy’s sure hand all the more resonant.
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