Ragazzi Boys Chorus to Join Peninsula Girls Chorus for SIBLINGS IN SONG Concert

Continuing their long-standing history of collaboration, Ragazzi Boys Chorus will join forces with the Peninsula Girls Chorus for their sixth 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 choruses, concluding with an exciting finale featuring the combined voices. Led by Ragazzi Artistic and Executive Director Kent Jue and Peninsula Girls Chorus Artistic Director Karyn Silva, Siblings in Song will perform 4pm PST Sunday, May 7, 2023 at Valley Presbyterian Church, 945 Portola Valley Road, Portola Valley. For tickets ($20-$30) and more information the public may visit Ragazzi.org or call (650) 362-4425.

Siblings in Song features a thrilling repertoire from both choruses. Young Men's Ensemble will open the program with the joyful South African greeting song Hlohonolofatsa, arranged by Daniel Jackson. They will also perform Ola Gjeilo's haunting setting of Ave Generosa; Tim Y. Jones' humorous and lyrical Pirate Song; Z. Randall Stroope's Starry Messenger using text by Galileo exploring the discovery of new planets and moons; and Daniel Elder's evocative Ballade to the Moon, which communicates the wonder of a June evening with a clear night sky dominated by the light of the moon and stars.

Among the songs sung by the Ensemble chorus is Sarah Quartel's buoyant and lush a cappella Sing, my Child, with text evoking a call for strength despite troubles that may come. Ensemble will also perform Josu Elberdin's resonant Cantate Domino (Kanta Jaunari Kantu Berria), with text in English, Basque, and Latin; Xabier Sarasola's stunning Pater Noster; Eva Ugalde's peaceful Kulun-kulunka; and the beautiful country pop song of unity Crowded Table by The Highwomen (Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna & Brandi Carlile), arranged by Andrea Ramsey. Ensemble will share Dorothy Horn's arrangement of the chart-topper Rolling in the Deep by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, and Susan Brumfield's outstanding setting of the traditional camp meeting song No Time.

The two ensembles will then unite to perform William Boyce's exquisite Alleluia Round, arranged by Richard Proulx, and close the concert with the dynamic, swinging spiritual Shine on Me, arranged by Rollo Dilworth.

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. Currently, more than 200 boys from over 100 schools in 30+ Bay Area communities participate 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.

 

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