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TRANSCRIPT
A religious hymn is a great blessing for everyone.
It constitutes praise to the Most High, honor for His holy people,
worldwide harmony, an eloquent proof of the Church's unity. It expresses
the voice of the Church, its confession. It brings about a complete spiritual
uplifting and absolute peace and joy in redeemed hearts, with the triumphal
hymn and song of happiness. It drives away hardness of heart. It chases away
disturbance. It dissolves and dissipates despondency. . . The voice sings the
soul's joy, while the spirit delves into the mysteries of the faith.
Saint Ambrose of Milan
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Christos Anesti!
These words of Saint Ambrose of Milan encapsulate the power of hymnology in our
Church. Music transcends other forms of communication, for it is a pure offering
from oneself in praise of our Lord and carrying the message of salvation in Him.
Your continued efforts to learn and grow as church musicians clearly demonstrates
your understanding that, while you may be volun-
teers, you carry a tremendous responsibility in
your ministry.
I am pleased to see the format for your
gathering in June – the Summer Music Forum By
the Bay – which provides a variety of educational
opportunities to enrich your music ministry. I look
forward to welcoming you to the Metropolis
House for dinner on Friday evening, and being
with you as my schedule allows on Saturday to
participate in your events and activities.
While this Forum may not be what many
of you are used to, I hope that you will embrace it
with the same enthusiasm as you have your other
summer conferences. The work of the Federation
is of the utmost importance and I am certain that
your support and attendance at this Forum will be a musically and socially enriching
experience.
May the grace and peace of our Lord always be with you, and may He give you
strength to always raise your voice in praise and honor of His Most Holy Name!
With Love in Our Risen Lord,
+Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
SUMMER CONFERENCE TAKES
DYNAMIC NEW FORMAT
The “Summer Music Forum by the
Bay” will take place in San Francisco at the Ca-
thedral of the Annunciation on June 17-18,
2011. The format will be quite different from
what has been done for many years. With dy-
namic guest presenters such as Ragnar Bohlin,
who is conductor of the superb San Francisco
Symphony Chorus, there will be workshops,
clinics, and New Music Read-Throughs. The
hotel is right in the heart of downtown San
Francisco from which it will be easy to do all
things San Francisco in free time.
The planned schedule has the Business
Meeting on Friday afternoon and then dinner at
the Metropolis House with His Eminence
Metropolitan Gerasimos. Saturday’s session
will run from 10:00am to 5:00pm
(approximately) and include breakfast and lunch.
Ragnar Bohlin will be the keynote speaker as
well as clinician. Other clinicians include Laura
Kakis, choir director of Ascension Church in
Oakland (on youth music), Dr. Ted Bogdanos,
and Father Aris Metrakos of Holy Trinity
Church in San Francisco.
At the 2011 Winter Business meeting
in January, Metropolitan Gerasimos challenged
the Board and representatives to update the
model used for the annual summer conference.
An ad hoc committee was appointed to provide
new ideas for consideration by the Board. The
committee met via teleconference several times
with each other and members of the Board to
develop an alternative model that better sup-
ports the goals of the Federation. The end re-
sults of that process have been incorporated
into the structure of this summer’s gathering.
"Look elsewhere in this newsletter for registra-
tion form. Hotel information and complete
schedule are on the back page."
HOPE TO SEE YOU IN SAN FRANCISCO!
SPRING 2011
Photo Credit: Costas Petrakos
2
The In-Choir-Er A publication of the
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of
San Francisco
Church Music Federation
Honorary Chair:
Metropolitan Gerasimos
of San Francisco
President:
Kathy Meck
760-729-6061
sfchurchmusic
@sanfran.goarch.org
Vice President:
Elizabeth Levy
925-243-1611
Secretary:
Athena Anastos
480-614-6696
Treasurer:
Daralyne Baddour
619-280-7741
Regional Administrators:
Northern California:
Dr. Chris Vitakes
510-582-9691
Southern California:
Costa Kourtis
562-597-5191
Central California:
Margarita Jakovas
916-716-9003
Southwest:
Kiki Kyriakakis
520-241-4682
Music Minister:
Dr. Tikey Zes
408-723-0640
Membership Chair:
Mario DiGiovanni
510-654-5266
In-Choir-Er Editor:
Fareeda Christ
FOR INQUIRIES AND
SUBMISSIONS, CONTACT:
Fareeda Christ at 2467-16th Ave,
San Francisco, CA 94116
415-564-8481
(To fax, call in advance)
Tikey is holding chalice that was presented to St. Nicholas Church in his honor. Looking on
are Federation President Kathy Meck and Fr. John Asimocopoulos of Blessed Memory.
Winter Business Meeting participants during a break.
DINNER HONORING Tikey Zes FOLLOWS
WINTER BUSINESS MEETING
Dear Fellow Church Musicians,
Christos Anesti!
Please join us for the 2011 Summer Music Forum by the Bay sponsored by the Greek Ortho-
dox Metropolis of San Francisco Church Music Federation. We have prepared a new and
exciting format for our summer gathering that will include a lot of opportunities for good music,
learning, fellowship and fun! San Francisco is a great place to spend a weekend, and we hope that
you will join us for this enriching musical experience. Details are elsewhere in this edition and
your prompt response will be appreciated. In addition to some of our own talented church musi-
cians like Dr. Tikey Zes and Dr. Ted Bogdanos, we will all benefit from the professional pres-
entations by Ragnar Bohlin of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and Laura Kakis Serper of
the Crowden Music School in Berkeley, CA and the new conductor of the Ascension Cathedral
Choir in Oakland. Don’t delay….register today!
In His Service,
Katherine Loukatos Meck
By Athena Anastos
This year the Metropolis of San Francisco Church Music Federation Winter Busi-
ness meeting was held on January 29 and was, once again, held in San Jose, California. It was great
to see and chat with fellow church musicians and
catch up on their latest happenings. Our main focus
this year was the planning of the Summer Confer-
ence. To this end, a Steering Committee was
formed to plan the summer session.
Later that evening, the church of St.
Nicholas in San Jose was honoring Dr.Tikey Zes
for his 40 years of service as a choir director. Dr.
Zes has written many of the hymns we sing and hear
in our very own churches, so it was an honor to
attend this momentous event. After our business
meeting concluded, we were all invited to rehearse
with the St. Nicholas Choir to work on the choral
homage being planned as part of the evening’s fes-
tivities!
Over 350 guests attended the event which
included family, friends, and many church musicians
from all across the Metropolis! It was so nice to see
some old friends and meet new ones. Among the
guests was Dr. Vicki Pappas, who is the Chairperson of the National Forum of Church Musi-
cians. She had given a brief report during our meeting earlier in the day. She is such a dynamo and
very enthusiastic about church music and its future. Several guest speakers spoke and/or roasted
Tikey and all of his many accomplishments. Our Metropolis Church Music President, Kathy
A NOTE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT
3
On March 17, 2011, our Metropolis was saddened with the passing of Father John Asimacopoulos of the St.
Nicholas Church in San Jose, California. He was born in Greece in 1931. He served at the Assumption Church in Price, Utah
and the Annunciation Church in Modesto, California. He also served at St. Spyridon Church in San Diego, California. He had
been at St. Nicholas Church since 1987. Father John served the Church tirelessly all his life. He was
known as a compassionate and loving spiritual father who served God’s people with an enthusiasm that reflected his faith
in God. He is survived by Presvytera Maria, their children,
Dr. George and Antonia Lendaris, Nicholas and Stepha-
nie Tziavaras, George Asimacopoulos, and grandchildren Nicholas and Maria Lendaris.
When asked about Father John,
Tikey Zes, the choir director at St. Nicholas said, “Fr. John thought
very well of the choir. Occasionally he would come up to the loft and speak
to us, usually complimenting us on our singing for the liturgy. And he
had a keen sense of humor which we all appreciated. He was quite musi-
cal and would find the pitch to match the choir’s tonality during the liturgy
and so it was enjoyable doing the liturgy with him.” Aionia I Mnimi
Many joined in to sing "Soma Christou" at dinner honoring Tikey Zes
FATHER JOHN ASIMACOPOULOS FALLS
ASLEEP IN THE LORD
Meck, on behalf of our Federation, presented Tikey and the par-
ish of St. Nicholas a beautiful new chalice and paten in honor of
Tikey. The inscription read “Soma Christou, Metalavete”.
Once the speeches were completed, those who had re-
hearsed earlier gathered together to sing three of Tikey’s favorite
hymns: “Tis Theos Megas” “Osi is Christon”, and “Soma
Christou”. When we got to the last piece, the director turned to
the crowd and invited all church musicians present to sing our
beloved “Soma Christou”. It was an emotional moment. There
wasn’t a dry eye amongst the singers. Many singers commented
on how honored and humbled they felt by the whole experience.
Tikey’s music will continue to lift our prayers to Heaven for many
generations to come. Truly an evening to remember.
Nick Tarlson, a San Francisco Bay Area Greek Or-thodox man received a Master of Arts degree in Theology
with a specialization in Orthodox Christian Studies at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) at Berkeley, California on
May 12, 2011. The degree program is offered under the auspices of the
Patriarch Athenagoras Ortho-dox Institute (PAOI), a “center of
distinction” at the GTU, the largest and most diverse partnership of semi-
naries and graduate schools in the United States. The PAOI is a
“patriarchal institute” under the Ecu-menical Patriarchate of Con-
stantinople and the only Orthodox presence on a major university cam-
pus in the United States. In addition to his studies at the GTU, Tarlson serves
as the Director of Music at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco, on the Board of
Trustees of the PAOI and as its secretary. According to Tarl-son, “As a proponent of the M. A. program and a believer in
lifelong learning, I felt that a good way to support the program would be to enroll in it.” Normally a two year full time pro-
gram, Tarlson took seven years because of his full time work schedule as a CPA and California Probate Referee. His thesis
topic was “Greek Orthodox Liturgical Music in the late 20th Century Western United States.”
Congratulations Nick!
NICK TARLSON RECEIVES MASTERS IN
THEOLOGY/OTHODOX STUDIES
May His Memory Be Eternal
4
As can be seen from the list below, of the 56 parishes that could realistically be expected to con-tribute to the Church Music Federation of the Me-tropolis we have received dues from 25. As of April 17, the total dues and stewardship receipts for the fiscal year stood at $8,475. This is composed of $2,195 in dues and $6,280 in stewardship. The total is approximately 75% of the 2008-09 total of $11,165. In 2008-09, 37 parishes paid dues totaling $3,265 with $7,900 in stewardship. It will be a real challenge to match these totals in 2011 without your help. As of April 5, 2011, these twenty five Par-ishes have paid dues for 2010-2011: St. John the Baptist - Anaheim, CA, Holy Transfiguration - An-chorage, AK, Holy Cross - Belmont, CA, Resurrec-tion - Castro Valley, CA, St. Demetrios - Concord, CA, St. Paul - Irvine, CA, SS Constantine & Helen - Lancaster, CA, St. John the Baptist - Las Vegas, NV, Assumption - Long Beach, CA, Nativity of Christ - Novato, CA, Ascension Cathedral - Oakland, CA, St. George - Palm Desert, CA, Holy Trinity - Phoenix, AZ, St. Katherine - Redondo Beach, CA, St. Anna - Roseville, CA, Annunciation - Sacramento, CA, St. Spyridon - San Diego, CA, Annunciation - San Fran-cisco, CA, Holy Trinity - San Francisco, CA, St. Nicholas - San Jose, CA, St. Barbara - Santa Bar-bara, CA, Prophet Elias - Santa Cruz, CA, Assump-tion - Scottsdale, AZ, Asumption - Seattle, WA, St. Demetrios - Tucson, AZ Listserv The e-mail list used for rapid contact with our fellow church musicians has been replaced by six regional lists covering each region/vicariate. This is transparent to the e-mail recipient and means only that we send the message to 6 lists rather than one. This allows targeting messages to those in a region for events, regional rehearsals etc.
The Federation is organized into 6 regions covering the same parishes as the Vicariates of the Metropolis. One exception is the Northwest region that incorporates the Vicariates of Oregon and Washington. The regions, the parishes within them, and the contact information for the regional admin-istrator for each region are listed below. Northwest Regional Administrator- VACANT • Bellingham, WA: ST. SOPHIA • Seattle, WA: ASSUMPTION • Seattle, WA: ST. DEMETRIOS • Shoreline, WA: HOLY APOSTLES • Spokane, WA: HOLY TRINITY • Tacoma, WA: ST. NICHOLAS • Anchorage, AK: HOLY TRANSFIGURATION • Beaverton, OR: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST • Eugene, OR: ST. GEORGE • Portland, OR: HOLY TRINITY • Salem, OR: MISSION • Pasco, WA: ST. NECTARIOS • Goldendale, WA: MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN
THE BAPTIST Bay Area Dr. Chris Vitakes Bay Area Regional Administrator 1353 C Street Hayward, CA 94541 510-825-9105 [email protected] • Belmont, CA: HOLY CROSS • Castro Valley, CA: RESURRECTION • Concord, CA: ST. DEMETRIOS • Novato, CA: NATIVITY OF CHRIST • Oakland, CA: ASCENSION CATHEDRAL • Salinas, CA: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST • San Francisco, CA: ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL • San Francisco, CA: HOLY TRINITY • San Jose, CA: ST. NICHOLAS • San Jose, CA: ST. BASIL • Santa Cruz, CA: PROPHET ELIAS • Vallejo, CA: SS. CONSTANTINE AND HELEN
Dues and Stewardship Corner: REGIONS AND REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS
5
Eastern California Ms. Margarita Jakovas Eastern California Regional Administrator 5802 14th Avenue Sacramento, CA 95820 916-716-9003 [email protected] • Modesto, CA: ANNUNCIATION • Sacramento, CA: ANNUNCIATION • Elk Grove, CA: ST. KATHERINE • Fresno, CA: ST. GEORGE • Roseville, CA: ST. ANNA • Stockton, CA: ST. BASIL • Reno, NV: ST. ANTHONY • Redding, CA: ST. GEORGE • Dunlap, CA: MONASTERY OF THE THEOTOKOS Los Angeles Mr. Costa Kourtis Los Angeles Regional Administrator 1645 Clark Ave. Unit 115 Long Beach, CA 90815-3807 562-597-5191 [email protected] • Anaheim, CA: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST • Bakersfield, CA: ST. GEORGE • Camarillo, CA: ST. DEMETRIOS • Covina, CA: ST. NECTARIOS • Downey, CA : ST. GEORGE • Lancaster, CA: SS. CONSTANTINE AND HELEN • Long Beach, CA: ASSUMPTION • Los Angeles, CA: ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL · Northridge, CA: ST. NICHOLA • Pasadena, CA: ST. ANTHONY • Redondo Beach, CA: ST. KATHERINE • San Bernardino, CA: PROPHET ELIAS • San Luis Obispo, CA: ST. ANDREW • Santa Barbara, CA: ST. BARBARA • Upland, CA: ST. SPYRIDON
San Diego Kay Harkins San Diego Regional Administrator 3305 Granada Avenue San Diego, CA 92104-4525 619-295-4722 [email protected] • Cardiff by the Sea, CA: SS. CONSTANTINE AND
HELEN • El Cajon, CA: ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA • San Diego, CA: ST. SPYRIDON • San Juan Capistrano, CA: MISSION • Palm Desert, CA: ST. GEORGE • Irvine, CA: ST. PAUL • Temecula, CA: ST. NICHOLAS • Honolulu, HI: SS. CONSTANTINE AND HELEN • Maui, HI: Mission Southwest Ms. Vasiliki (Kiki) Kyriakakis Southwest Regional Administrator 424 East Cactus Mountain Drive Vail, AZ 85641 520-241-4682 [email protected] • Chandler, AZ: ST. KATHERINE • Flagstaff, AZ: MISSION • Peoria, AZ: ST. HARALAMBOS • Phoenix, AZ: HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL • Prescott, AZ: MISSION • Sierra Vista, AZ: MISSION • Scottsdale, AZ: ASSUMPTION • Tucson, AZ: ST. DEMETRIOS • Ely, NV: ST. ALEXIOS • Las Vegas, NV: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST • McGill, NV: ST. BARBARA • Florence, AZ: MONASTERY OF ST. ANTHONY
6
Held March 31st – April 2nd This year’s Presidents’ Meeting, presided over by Na-
tional Forum President, Vicki Pappas in Indianapolis, Indiana, had representation from all nine Metropolises’ throughout the
United States. During the three day meeting, several issues were discussed including the financial status of the National Fo-
rum and the federations, Stewardship updates and concerns, CMI updates, Website updates, Church Music Sunday, choir
recruitment, youth music programs and President Vicki Pappas’ meeting with the Holy Synod.
Overall, the presidents felt that progress is slow in many areas, especially with the recruitment for both adult and
youth choirs. Nationwide, the Federations face many of the
same concerns. The need of financial support from the churches, choir members and chanters is needed. With this
stewardship, the federations, along with the support of the Na-tional Forum, will be able to continue assisting in training, re-
cruitment, CMI’s and youth programs for the future of our church. The presidents all agreed, it is a necessary need.
By Dr. Tikey Zes, Music Minister I believe strongly that hymnology should be an essential part of
the Church School instruction. I believe so because the hymns of our Church contain the entire core of our faith and can serve
as teaching tools to enrich our Orthodox experience and un-derstanding. Therefore I am proposing a plan to integrate hym-
nology into the Church School program.
The plan will work as follows:
1. Grades 1 through 4 will initially be involved in the program and will each receive instruction in the hymns of the liturgy for
30 minutes immediately following the liturgy in the choir loft (or
wherever the adult choir may sing). Immediately preceding musical instruction, the students will receive instruction in their
individual classrooms on the meaning of the hymn of the day.
2. In addition to liturgical hymns, additional music of a lighter
non-liturgical nature will be included.
3. Eventually, at an appropriate time, Grades 1 and 2, and 3 and
4 will be combined which will allow for musical instruction twice a month for each grade, instead of only once a month per
grade. This will increase the efficiency of learning the music.
4. After the first year of this program, instruction for the next two to three years will continue, with review of the first year’s
hymns and new music – liturgical and non-liturgical.
5. At the end of a two or three year cycle of this program, the
combined grades of 1 through 4 will be able to sing for an entire liturgy.
6. After three or four years of this program, a volunteer youth
choir will be formed and will be able to sing for a liturgy.
7. Later this program will be extended into the upper grades.
Hopefully this plan will be approved by the Metropolitan and he will strongly recommend that it be used by all the parishes of
the Metropolis. I want to acknowledge and thank Mrs.Teena
Claudatos, our Church School Supervisor, for assisting me greatly in developing this plan for Hymnology in the Church
School. I also wish to thank Eva Canellos who also assisted in the development of this program.
NATIONAL FORUM’S COUNCIL
OF PRESIDENTS MEETING
HYMNOLOGY IN THE
CHURCH SCHOOL
Nominations Being Accepted
Nominations for the officers of the Church Music Fed-
eration for the 2011 - 2013 term are now being accepted. Elec-
tions will be held at the Summer Business Meeting on June 17,
2011 in San Francisco, California. Please submit your nomi-
nations for the offices of President, Vice President, Sec-
retary and Treasurer to your Regional Administrator by
June 10, 2011. You may submit your own name for nomina-
tion or submit the name(s) of other candidates. Nominations will
also be accepted at the Summer Business Meeting prior to the
election.
The members of the election committee are Dr. Chris
Vitakis, Bay Area Regional Administrator; Meg Jakovas, Eastern
California Regional Administrator; Costa Kourtis, Los Angeles
Regional Administrator; Kay Harkins, San Diego Regional Admin-
istrator; and Vasiliki Kyriakakis, Southwest Regional Administra-
tor. Note that the position of Northwest Regional Administra-
tor is vacant. Contact information for the members of the Elec-
tions Committee are listed on Page 2 or Pages 4 and 5.
Please provide the following information on the nomi-
nees you are submitting:
1. Nominee Name, Parish, Parish City
2. Previous Federation Involvement (committees, offices held,
attendance at conferences and Federation meetings, Church
Music Institutes, etc.)
3. Church Leadership Experience (Parish Council, committees,
etc.)
OFFICER ELECTONS IN JUNE
7
ON WORDS and MUSIC By Yiorgos Vassilandonakis
The majority of my composi-
tional and conducting work takes place in the instrumental genre.
Whether orchestral, chamber, or solo, composing for instruments is
very attractive to a composer. There are vast possibilities and expressive
power to be explored in modern instruments in the hands of extremely well-trained musicians who are able and willing to
push the envelope, and actually seek out new, challenging works
by contemporary composers. In addition, instrumental music exists in an abstract, non-verbal realm, which has universal
power and accessibility. Composing vocal music is challenging in several ways, technical and creative. One of my favorite com-
position teachers (and a superb vocal composer himself) used to compare the technical challenges of writing for the voice to
those writing for a toy piano, referring to limitations in register, agility and power. Vocal (especially choral) music poses several
technical issues to the composer: limited length of phras-ing (singers do need to breathe), harmonic vocabulary (there
are usually only 4 parts), timbre that shifts drastically with each vowel and register, problematic consonants (which produce
percussive, non-pitched sounds), not to mention dealing with
singers, who are typically not as well trained musically, rhythmi-cally challenged (sorry friends…), slower learners, and often
terrified when asked to sing new material that they cannot yet hear in their inner ear. Then there’s dealing with text and all of
its associations, technical, rhythmic, linguistic, philosophical and theological. Not for the faint-at-heart.
Yet, composing vocal, especially choral music is one of
the most satisfying musical endeavors I have ever embarked on (and I’m not the only one), and I experienced a strange uplifting
feeling of joy when earlier this week I realized that the next composing project on that thick to-do pile of projects on my
desk was to be a choral piece, after a long string of instrumental
pieces I have been commissioned to compose this past year.
Vocal music is not only the earliest music of the West-ern canon, but also the earliest form of human communication
altogether. Recent studies reveal that humans communicated by singing to one another before they invented words to speak to
one another. Thankfully, singing has stayed with us and re-mained as relevant today as it was then in both liturgical and
secular context. We usually take the influence of song or hymn for granted, but the symbiosis of words and music is quite intri-
cate and operates on several levels. Words, especially inspired or sacred words provide context and concrete meaning to oth-
erwise abstract sounds. Sounds elevate words to a different
temporal and physical space, and the result amounts to infinitely
more than the sum of its parts.
Language is in itself music. Words have their own
sound, rhythm and tone quality. When combined, they form
streams of sound with contour, acceleration and deceleration, pitch arcs and solid structure. Each language has its own idio-
matic cadences, rhythmic patterns, its own characteristic rise-and-fall contours, certain diction and clearly a unique combina-
tion of consonants and vowels that give each language its own “sound”. In the words of a skilled craftsman, language becomes
poetry, verse, music. The composer setting text has to unveil and explore the inherent musical properties of the text itself
before imposing any of his own music to it. Good vocal music always respects the “sound” of the text. In my own experience,
I have found that sometimes all I have needed to do is “amplify” and enhance the music of the words, rather than compose new
music to match the words.
Music also has its own “language”. Besides the organiza-
tion of pitches, rhythms and sound colors, there is musical grammar, syntax, phrasing and dialectic, which when appropri-
ately superimposed to the words, can add tremendous power to the meaning and weight of the text. In addition, music has
the ability to manipulate the listener’s perception of the passage of time. By changing how time is articulated musically, via the
relative presence or absence of pulse, the composer has the power to create illusions of time standing still, or time racing by.
Music can also articulate and segment the text into words, or even into discreet phonemes, and emphasize important parts,
or obscure or obliterate less important ones, thus imposing
another layer of syntactical organization and meaning. Contra-puntal procedures provide texture, and create further depth
and temporal lengthening or shortening of the delivery of the verses, giving the composer control over the impact of the text,
from powerful unison statements to more subtle staggered and fragmented iterations. Harmonic and timbral treatments add yet
another vertical dimension to the words, by “coloring”, “highlighting” and creating a three dimensional space in which
text comes to life.
When the two worlds of text and music are success-fully combined, the result is not only enhancement of the verse,
but also a novel way of communicating the meaning and mes-
sage of the text, which can be very powerful, revealing and in-spiring. Each composer has his or her own subtle and personal
ways and processes of treating and delivering text, and each composer adds his or her own personality, ethos and personal
understanding through their setting. Successful choral works have tremendous emotional power, and often times it’s impossi-
ble to imagine the same text sung in a different setting.
All these thoughts are running through my mind, as I’m about to embark on my new choral piece. I always strive to
approach the text with respect, care, and an open mind, in or-der to reach a deep understanding of the intentions and an ap-
preciation for the thoughts of the author, whether secular or
divine. I am taken by a sense of responsibility and awe as I gain
more and more insight into it, and I try to maintain perspective
and control over the musical processes that unfold and trans-form words into song. I can only hope that the listener will be
affected in some way from the result.
COMPOSER’S CORNER
8
Summer Music Forum by the Bay Annunciation Cathedral, San Francisco, CA
Schedule of Events
Friday June 17, 2011
Saturday June 18, 2011
3:00 pm Registration begins at Cathedral
3:00 pm Transportation from hotel to Cathedral
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Business Meeting check-in
4:00 pm – 5:45 pm Summer Business Meeting and Elections
5:45 pm Transportation to Metropolis House
6:00 pm Reception followed by Dinner at 6:45 pm for
participating registrants
9:00 pm Transportation to Parc 55 Hotel
7:00 am Transportation from hotel to Cathedral
7:30 am – 8:30 am Registration and Breakfast
Morning Program
8:30 am – 10:00 am Fr. Aris Metrakos, Speaker
10:00 am – 11:15 am New Music read through with Dr. Tikey Zes
11:15 am – 11:30 am Break
11:30 am – 12:45 pm Dr. Ted Bogdanos, Speaker
12:45 pm - 1:45 pm Lunch
Afternoon Program
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm Laura Kakis, speaker
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Break
3:00 pm – 5:30 pm Ragnar Bohlin, keynote speaker/workshop
5:30 pm Transportation back to Parc 55 Hotel
All are invited to participate/sing with the Annunciation Cathedral Choir
Guest Director: Kristen Bruskas
Divine Liturgy starts at 10:00 am
Transportation is on your own
Sunday June 19, 2011
Our hotel is The Parc 55 Wyndham San Francisco-Union Square,
www.parc55hotel.com
It is located at 55 Cyril Magnin Street, Market at Fifth, San Fran-
cisco, CA 94102 “A Truly Unique Choice among Down-
town San Francisco Boutique Hotels.”
Escape to a luxurious oasis nestled in the heart of Union Square -
the heart of the financial district. This exceptional San Francisco
boutique hotel offers a decidedly different experience from typi-
cal chain brands.
To book a room, call the hotel at 415-403-6627. The spe-
cial rate is $139.00 per night, single or double. Ask for
the Church Music Federation rate when booking. Cut-off
date for reservations is June 9th.
COME TO THE
SUMMER MUSIC
FORUM BY THE
BAY
HOTEL INFORMATION