Buy SDWC Merchandise
Concert Tickets
Stay tuned for news of our holiday concert in the fall!
Music
For the Record
10 songs • About 30 minutes
$12.50 including shipping & handling
Directed by Christopher Allen • Piano accompaniment by Deanna Hastings.
Recorded at Mira Mesa High School. Recording, mixing, and mastering by Dominic Pesce of Audacity Productions. Cover art and graphic design by Extreme Digital.
LINER NOTES:
Ave Maria Written and arranged by SDWC's artistic director, Christopher Allen, 2003.
How Could Anyone? Words and music by Libby Roderick,1988. www.libbyroderick.com.
Harriet Tubman By Walter Anderson, 1997. A mystic railroad without tracks wound its way across American over one hundred and fifty years ago. This way of travel was neither underground nor a railroad—it was a secret codeword invented for the method of transporting slaves to freedom from the South into the north, or Canada, through a secret network of people, houses, tunnels, and roads set up by abolitionists and former slaves. Born a slave on the eastern shore of Maryland, Harriet Tubman fled north to freedom. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made it illegal to help a runaway slave, but that was of little consequence to a woman who not only traveled alone through forests at might, but risked beatings and death by returning to the area where she herself had been a slave. Tubman earned her nickname when slaveholders posted a $40,000 reward for the capture of the “Black Moses.” Stating her motto, I can’t die but once,” Tubman returned to the south at least 19 times, bringing out her relatives and as many as 300 other slaves. Harriet Tubman continued her courageous exploits during the civil War. She became a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union armies. In one campaign, she personally led 750 Southern slaves to freedom.
I Ain’t Afraid Words and music by Holly Near, 2001. www.hollynear.com. In our world today, where stories of fanaticism and terror are found in each day’s news, “I Ain’t Afraid” bravely confronts the illusion of righteousness while pleading gently for tolerance. it is an anthem to hope when confronted with the worst that fanaticism has to offer. “I believe, in the name of all the loved ones who lost their lives at the WTC and The Pentagon an don the planes as well as those who have lost their lives allover the world as a result of war, poverty, abuse, and genocide, we can find a higher ground…I believe that we can move towards being a world community, a world family, that we can resist ‘them and us’ thinking.” Holly Near, October 2001. Holly wrote and performed “I Ain’t Afraid,” for her album, “Edge,” a year before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
1000 Grandmothers Words and music by Holly Near, arranged by J. David Moore.
When We Speak Words by SDWC member Karen Avossa, arranged by Mark Carlson, 2000. In Karen's words,"This selection... has a unique place in the hearts of both the SDWC members and myself. In 2000, the SDWC commissioned a composer from UCLA to write a song that would be published for the chorus. An additional step was taken to personalize the song by asking the chorus members to produce worlds or lyrics in collaboration with the composer. By committee and ultimately by the decision of the song writer, Mark Carlson, one person’s words would be chosen to accompany the music. I was that lucky person. It makes me proud to know that this song had its premier performance at GALA during the summer of 2000 in San Jose ... It is emotional and ironically difficult to put into words how I feel about witnessing the songwriting process… How words... my words… ultimately become a song so wonderfully interpreted by Chris Allen and SDWC. I hope you agree. 'When We Speak' is simply an alternate view of an ordinary conversation between you and the person you love."
Adiemus by Karl Jenkins, 1995. Recorder solo by SDWC member Karen Avossa. Notably, the song's lyrics are not real words in any language.
Daisy Bell By Harry Dacre, 1892. Conducted by SDWC accompanist Deanna Hastings.
The Poet Sings The text for this beautiful song is based on the poetry of Richard Le Gullienne (1866-1947). Dr. Stroope presently lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where he is a Professor of Music and Kayser Professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University. He also conducts Bel Canto, a well-known youth ensemble in the U.S.
When I Come Back Words and music by SDWC member Lena Anderson-Guerrera (CM Anderson, 1992), arranged by SDWC artistic director Christopher Allen (2004). Many years ago, Lena wrote this song after realizing her great good fortune in being born free of any physical disability. The different dreams of variously-abled folks about what they might find in the next live illustrate a simple concept: that our abilities are merely filters through which we perceive experiences. Chris Allen’s graceful and evocative arrangement fills the piece with a richness and warmth that the chorus has taken to heart as an expression of our Mission Statement.
Special thanks to those who sponsored each song in order to pay for the rights to record them. Sponsor names are indicated on the back panel of the CD case.
Cookbook
Dishin It OUT
$12.50 including shipping & handling
What do Joan Baez, Suzanne Westenhoffer, The Derivative Duo, Pam and Maggie, and Karen Marshall all have in common? Each of them has contributed a recipe to our cookbook: Dishin' it OUT . We were even lucky enough to get Hillary Clinton's recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from a contest that she entered with Barbara Bush! (Hillary won, of course.)
All proceeds from sale of this book help to keep the music alive!