A FESTIVAL OF FINE MUSIC CELEBRATING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH OF THE INCARNATION’S CASAVANT ORGAN, OPUS 3759

A benefit concert featuring music of Widor, Handel, JS Bach and Howells, and an array of  choirs and instrumentalists joining together to celebrate the 32-rank Casavant organ (1886 pipes), played by Harold Julander and Leslie Dukes, organists. Choirs include the St Cecilia Choir, the Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus, Cantiamo and the Alleluia Choir.

$15 General Admission

(This concert benefits the music program offered at the Church of the Incarnation by Numina, so of course we accept donations above and beyond!)

Friday, November 30, 2007 8 PM

Church of the Incarnation    Directions

Musicians:

Harold Julander, organist  

Dr. Leslie Dukes, organist

Leslie Dukes, DMA, is a pianist specializing in chamber music and solo repertory from the 19th and 20th centuries;  and Mozart and Haydn too. When playing the pipe organ and harpsichord, Leslie prefers music of the Baroque era, and Messiaen.  Leslie is a vocal coach/accompanist at Santa Rosa Junior College, where she also teaches piano.

Carol Menke, choir director

Well known to Bay Area audiences, soprano and choral director Carol Menke studied at the Franz Schubert Institute in Austria and developed a passion for German lieder.  Ms. Menke holds her M.A. in Vocal Performance from CSU, Chico. She is a member of the music faculty at the Santa Rosa Junior College and directs the choir at the Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa.  She also directs the choral ensemble Cantiamo, and is Artistic Director of the Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus.

Melissa Craig-Morse, choir director 

The Choirs: 

The St. Cecilia Choir is a dedicated group of singers with choral experience.  Directed by Carol Menke, they sing at the 11:15 a.m. service at the Church of the Incarnation. They are known for their annual Good Friday Concerts where they, together with orchestra and soloists,  have performed such works as Mozart’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Mystical Songs, Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Chandos Anthems, and several of Haydn’s Masses.

The Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus was founded in 1984 in order to create a professional level nondenominational chorus for the children of  Sonoma County.  Selected by audition the children meet once per week for vocal training, sight-singing, and music theory.  Once fundamentally prepared, they advance through the levels by audition to the Concert group, where they concertize and tour annually.

Cantiamo Sonoma is a 16-voice choir directed by the acclaimed soprano Carol Menke. The choir has an expansive repertoire and sings in both secular and ecclesiastical settings. In addition to their busy concert schedule, they sing Evensong services in churches throughout the Bay Area.

Alleluia Choir

Click here to view drawing of the Organ by Melinda Harris