Ragazzi Boys Chorus Joins Forces with The Peninsula Girls Chorus for SIBLINGS IN SONG

Resuming their long-standing history of collaboration, Ragazzi Boys Chorus will join forces with the Peninsula Girls Chorus in Siblings in Song, a rousing concert celebrating the dynamic performance skills of both groups. This concert will showcase Ragazzi's Young Men's Ensemble, and Peninsula Girls Chorus' Ensemble choir, concluding with an exciting finale featuring the combined voices. Siblings in Song will be presented at 3pm Sunday, May 1 at the Burlingame United Methodist Church, 1443 Howard Avenue, Burlingame. For tickets ($20-$25) and more information, visit ragazzi.org or call (650) 362-4425.

To kick off the evening, Peninsula Girls Chorus will captivate listeners with Camille Saint-Saëns's Ave Maria. They will also sing Richard Ewer's expressive O Nata Lux; a breathtaking a cappella rendition of Kentucky folk hymn Bright Morning Stars are Rising, arranged by Jay Althouse; Frank La Rocca's beautiful The Pure, the Bright, the Beautiful; Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's whimsical and witty Taylor the Latte Boy, arranged by Mac Huff; and the spiritual This Little Light of Mine, in a stylized arrangement by Robert T. Gibson.

Then, Ragazzi's Young Men's Ensemble (YME) will perform Ola Gjeilo's stirring a cappella Ubi Caritas as well as In Meeting We Are Blessed, a peaceful song of friendship and unity with music by Troy D. Robertson and text by R. Gatsnahos and John Donne. YME will also share traditional Kenyan song Wana Baraka, arranged by Shawn Kirchner; Morten Lauridsen's emotive a cappella arrangement O Magnum Mysterium; Stephen Foster's Hard Times, a contemplative song about perseverance arranged by Nick Johnson with rustic charm; and Tim Osiek's flowing arrangement of the traditional spiritual Like a River in my Soul.

The evening will conclude with an exciting finale featuring the combined voices of Ragazzi and Peninsula Girls Chorus. Together they will sing Eugene Butler's upbeat Don't Let the Music Stop, ending the concert on a high note.

Founded in January 1994 by Cathy Doyle and continuing under Artistic Director Karyn Silva since 2011, the Peninsula Girls Chorus has evolved from an organization serving just 11 girls into a premiere arts education and performance organization. The Peninsula Girls Chorus strives toward a high level of musicianship paired with sensitive interpretations of music from a variety of genres. In its quest to become global citizens of the 21st century, the PGC performs both locally and abroad. PGC provides a valuable resource to its local community through assorted outreach performances and it participates in prestigious domestic and international music festivals. In addition to musical benefits, the PGC offers opportunities for the development of leadership skills, higher-order thinking, discipline and self-esteem.

Peninsula-based Ragazzi Boys Chorus is one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premier music and performance organizations for boys. Ragazzi has returned to in-person rehearsals and performances. The award-winning chorus kept busy during the past two years with virtual and in-person streaming rehearsals and performances, utilizing groundbreaking remote music-making technology from JackTrip Labs. During the 2019-2020 school year, more than 250 boys from over 100 schools in 30+ Bay Area communities participated in the program. Ragazzi means "boys" in Italian and is the term used in opera to refer to children's voices.

Ragazzi has performed with the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera, Symphony Silicon Valley, Masterworks Chorale, and the Stanford University Symphonic Chorus among others. The group has toured throughout the United States and internationally. Ragazzi was honored for its contribution to the San Francisco Symphony's triple Grammy Award-winning recording of Stravinsky's Perséphone, and has five CDs available: A Holiday Collection, Canciones de Alabanza, Magnificat: My Spirit Rejoices, Splendors of the Italian Baroque, and I Dream A World.

Photo Credits: David Allen

Pictured: Continuing their long-standing history of collaboration, Ragazzi Boys Chorus will join forces with the Peninsula Girls Chorus in "Siblings in Song," May 1, 2022 at Burlingame United Methodist Church.

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