Choir & Guest Musician Schedule
Choir rehearses on Sunday at 9 AM in the sanctuary and sings at the 10 AM worship service. No ongoing commitment required - sing when it works for you!
June 28
"Love Bade Me Welcome" from Five Mystical Songs, by R. Vaughn Williams
Classical | easy: Beginning music-reading skills would help you learn this in our single rehearsal, especially if you've looked at the music and listened to the recordings ahead of time.
Love Bade Me Welcome audio | voices only
Love Bade Me Welcome music & audio | original version
Music notes:
'Love Bade Me Welcome' was originally written as a baritone solo (the choir enters near the end to hum a chant tune). The words depict a conversation between the unnamed protagonist and 'love,' though it's not always obvious who's speaking. To address this issue, the men will sing the protagonist's part, the women 'love' (the entire choir will sing the words that aren't part of the dialog). All of this in unison, there's no harmony in the voice parts.
Cellist Vic Spain is an avid chamber musician and a champion of hidden gems in the repertoire for string quartet or piano trio. Vic also loves playing in the pit orchestra for operas and musicals, having played with Berkeley Opera (now West Edge Opera) and Concert Operetta Theater of Philadelphia. Vic is retired (for now?) from his career as a veterinarian, farm-animal-welfare researcher, public health epidemiologist, and certified scientific muckraker. When he's not playing music, you may find Vic hiking or backpacking in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.
July 12
"Thy Word" by Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith
Details TBA
Albert Sammons, Jr. has been singing for over 60 years. He is a bass-baritone with a love for singing Negro/Black spirituals. Albert says, “I’m honored to be asked to sing at Foothills. I’m a chorister at heart. Singing is my joy.”
July 19
Choir enjoys a summer break July 19 - September 6.
Verlene Schermer is a prolific performer, both solo and in various ensembles. Since 2003 she has been a hospital musician at Stanford Hospital and Cancer Center playing soothing harp music for patients at their bedsides.
July 26
Choir enjoys a summer break through September 6.
August 2
Choir enjoys a summer break through September 6.
The Rounder Circle is a Bluegrass/Americana band from the SF Bay Area. Formed in 2024 by current members Hilary Nelson, Thomas Hatcher, and Ilan Ladabaum, TRC's sound is rooted in strong instrumentals, tight vocal harmonies and original songwriting.
August 9
Choir enjoys a summer break through September 6.
Jef Caers is a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford. He holds a PhD in applied statistics. He studied at the Performing Arts Academy in Belgium, his birth country. He has been playing and performing flute for 40 years and regularly performs in San Francisco. He especially enjoys Bach and the romantic repertoire.
August 16
Choir enjoys a summer break through September 6.
Doug Young is an instrumental fingerstyle guitarist from Mountain View, who enjoys composing and arranging music for the guitar. He performs and teaches mostly around the Bay Area, and also focuses on recording himself and others in his home recording studio. All of the solo guitar pieces he'll play during the service were arranged by Doug and are published in books so other guitarists can perform the music as well.
https://dougyoungguitar.com