Peninsula Women's Chorus Sends Spirits Soaring with Holiday Concert December 4, 2010

This December, the Bay Area's award-winning Peninsula Women's Chorus (PWC) presents a dynamic, exuberant holiday choral program. The PWC will perform in its most popular venues: St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park on Saturday, December 4, at 4:00 pm, and at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto on Sunday, December 5 at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 11, at 2:30 p.m.

The Peninsula Women's Chorus blazes new paths with contemporary choral repertoire while remaining in close touch with classic works. This season's holiday concerts, titled Magnificat, celebrate a rich cross-cultural tapestry of sacred songs and poetic settings. Dedicated to the performance of high-caliber music under the guidance of artistic director Dr. Martin Benvenuto, the PWC skillfully interprets a wide range of repertoire. In these concerts, a North-American Eclectic Mass leads to a glowing triptych of Magnificat settings, featuring the lush harmonies of the Busto, the ethereal intertwining of flute and piano in the Vaughan Williams, and a crossroads of Japanese color, Gregorian chant, and early modern Western influences in Paul Chihara's landmark setting. Also featured is the world premiere of composer Judith Shatin's "The Jumblies," a PWC-commissioned setting of Edward Lear's fanciful poem. The haunting "Lauliku lapespoli" by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, inspired by the composer's childhood memories of learning to sing, heralds the release of PWC's new CD, Nature Pictures. A striking array of poetic settings and holiday favorites round out the program.

Conductor Elena Sharkova has written about the PWC, "...such a beautiful, flexible, and intelligent ensemble...!" Experience the power and moving musicality of this group. The dynamic Peninsula Women's Chorus offers music to feed your soul, touch your heart,and usher in the season - an experience not to be missed!

Official Website: http://www.pwchorus.org