"…In the silence your heart is singing.
Dream deeply, listen well.
Know the single point of stillness
Where all things are born."
—"Winter Song" by Debra White
On Christmas eve in 1978 people drove from their homes in the hills surrounding Occidental, California and gathered in the center of town around a campfire to sing carols. We didn’t want to go home, so we started a choir.
Since 1978, we’ve grown into a group of singers, composers and musicians, writing and performing our own music. Our writing styles range from fugues and folk to madrigals and classical, from reverent to irreverent and everything in-between. Described affectionately by the media as “heartfelt, irreverent and quirky”, we generally perform two concert series a year of our original music. Subject matter can range from raccoons, Ford automobiles and therapy, to the cosmos and love.
The Occidental Community Choir has been fortunate to have had talented leadership throughout the years. In the beginning, Philip Rolnick was the director. Alaudin Mathieu took the helm for 10 years and led us on several adventures to San Francisco to join in exciting performances at Grace Cathedral and Davies Symphony Hall with Paul Winter and his Consort. Mr. Mathieu encouraged the composing process among interested choir members. His flamboyant conducting style and superior piano skill and composing inspired a higher level of musicianship.
Doug Bowes became our next director, leading us for 16 wonderful years. He refined our ears and voices into a well-oiled, tuned, and blended group. His composing talent was showcased in each and every performance.
In 2004, Daniel Canosa became our director. Once again we had in our midst, a talented conductor and composer. Mr. Canosa brought vocal training and passion to each rehearsal. His enthusiasm for the music we sang and the people in the group lifted us up into a larger sound and a feeling kind of experience. Daniel continues to play a prominent role in the Bay Area music scene. He conducts the California Redwood Chorale, the Mayflower Community Choir, the San Francisco Rainbow Orchestra, and the California Camerata.
In 2009, our former assistant conductor, Sarah Saulsbury, became our fifth director. Sarah is taking the helm of the chorus at an exciting time in the history of the West County arts scene. The choir is now working in partnership with the Occidental Center for the Arts to realize the dream of finally creating a permanent home for the OCC—and a venue for all the arts—in the town of Occidental. The dream is taking tangible shape day by day at Harmony Village, the former site of Harmony School, now being developed into live/work units by developer Orrin Thiessen, who generously donated a portion of this property to the OCA. Renovations are well underway on what was formerly the Harmony School cafeteria, and the choir is looking forward to inhabiting a new rehearsal and performance space there, perhaps as early as spring 2010. Donations of time and money toward bringing this project to fruition are always warmly accepted. To lend a hand, and help bring a thriving arts hub to life in West County, please visit the OCA web site.
Mission Statement
The Occidental Community Choir creates, performs, and promotes choral music composed primarily by its members. Our music reflects a wide range of personal experience and represents an authentic connection we have with one another and the community at large. We mentor and support one another in developing our skills as singers, lyricists and composers. We strive to share a meaningful musical experience with our audience community.
SINGING UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN AND MOON
(click above to view photo album)
In June 2005, The Occidental Community Choir flew to Tuscany to join 18 other choirs from around the world in a choir festival. The Tuscan International Choir Festival takes place every year in Montecatini Terme in the heart of Tuscany. It is a non-competitive festival with an emphasis on friendship. This is the first trip the OCC has made since it was formed in 1978. Thirty two singers, director Daniel Canosa, and family and friends made a full contingent of 45.
The OCC did extremely well at the festival. We sang at the selected venues as well as spontaneous locales such as streets, restaurants, porticos, and even in cathedrals, including the Duomo in Florence! In between singing at every opportunity, the choir rehearsed to keep sharp…even rehearsing one hot afternoon in the hotel pool. We were a happy group eating gelato every day and putting our taste buds to a rigorous daily workout. This was a truly bonding adventure for us. We want to thank all of you who supported our effort to make this happen.
HALLOWEEN FUN!
