A few months back, SFCV reported on the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Choirs and how, under the leadership of Todd Wedge, they have gone from problem to frontline organization. The proof of that now comes with an invitation from Distinguished Concerts International New York City to perform in New York’s Carnegie Hall, in January, 2014. The SOTA choirs will join with the DCINY chorus to perform the U.S. premiere of the latest work by Karl Jenkins, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Said Dr. Jonathan Griffith, the artistic director for DCINY, “The San Francisco School of the Arts Choirs received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers and the exceptional recommendation given by Chanticleer’s Music Director Emeritus, Matt Oltman.”
For most choristers, this will be the first experience of New York, and in addition to rehearsing, they’ll be taking in some of the offerings in the nation’s cultural capital. The five-day trip will be expensive, of course, and therein lies the problem for the public school program: There aren’t the funds to send the chorus to New York.
Among other fundraisers, the chorus is asking for donations to its IndieGoGo campaign, which ends on August 1. You can make a donation by following this link to help send SOTA to Carnegie Hall. They’re halfway to their $10,000 goal.