Choral

Forty-nine minutes into our chat about the San Francisco Symphony Chorus’ Spring Concert, Music Director Ragnar Bohlin addresses what makes him tick.

“All we conductors have a vision of how the music should sound ideally,” he says on the patio of the near idyllic, precariously perched Berkeley hills rental he shares with his cellist wife and children.

In March, San Francisco Renaissance Voices presents its initial concert (titled “Songs of War and Peace”) in a series of three programs that present music inspired by war.

2010 isn't even two months old, and already it's shaping up to be a banner year for Claudio Monteverdi, thanks to the 400th anniversary of the composer's towering Vespro della Beata Vergine. But if you take your Monteverdi a little less monumental, the California Bach Society's next concert set may be just the ticket.

With an abundance of choices for choral music this season, you might want to mark your calendar for “Canción de Navidad,” the Dec. 12 and 13 concerts of Clerestory, a relative newcomer to the Bay Area’s choral scene.

Traditional December choral concerts, with their well-worn carols and holiday themes, can be great for lifting the spirits. But for concertgoers who want more than just another sing-along, San Francisco Choral Artists’ upcoming program, “Old Chestnuts, New Fire!,” offers a tantalizing alternative.

We Americans often find the concept of an established church difficult to grasp. As our fellow citizens debate school prayer, crosses in public parks, and vouchers for religious schools, official state support of the church remains de rigueur in other lands and is an integral part of state education.

With a fraternal nod to Julie Andrews, the men of Clerestory are set to open their fall season with more than a few of their favorite things.

The time has come. After 13 years as music director of the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus (GGMC), Joseph Jennings has announced his retirement. Jennings’ farewell concert, which will showcase his ever-adventuresome choice of repertoire and his penchant for pushing his singers’ limits, comes on the heels of his departure as longtime music director of Chanticleer.