San Diego Women's Chorus

Exciting news - we have a new website! Click the link below to check out one of the features, news and blog posts! Featured is our Artistic Director, Kathleen Hansen, Vocal & Performance Coach, who summarized her reflections on our most recent concert. https://www.sdwc.org/sdwc-news/

We are so proud to announce that we are a 2022 Spirit of Stonewall awardee! Thank you, San Diego Pride, for choosing us to be the inaugural recipient of the Larry T. Baza Arts & Culture Award. Every year San Diego Pride accepts nominations from the community for the annual presentation of the Spirit of Stonewall Awards. The awards recognize individuals or groups who contribute significantly to the LGBT community through their leadership, activism, and fundraising efforts. Th...e Larry T. Baza Arts & Culture award is in honor of the legacy of Larry T. Baza and is awarded to a visual or performing artist or organization who elevates the LGBTQ community in service of education, advocacy, visibility, justice, and joy. Thank you again for the honor. We can’t wait to celebrate Justice with Joy during the upcoming Pride festivities, including our own Pride concert! Tickets to be released shortly.

Thoughts as we remember the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on this MLK Day. Letters from Birmingham Jail: We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every... Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied... #mlkday #thearcofjusticeislong #martinlutherkingjr

We are beyond excited to share that we have been selected as an invited performing chorus for this year’s American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) virtual National Conference! The 2021 conference focuses on the richness of diverse choral communities, and we are incredibly honored to be one of only three GALA Choruses- and the only SSAA group- selected for this prestigious event! We’ll be virtually performing one piece from our previously recorded repertoire and one brand new combined virtual choir piece with Austin Gay Men's Chorus and OurSongThe Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chorus. #acda #acda2021 #galachoruses

We’re honored to be included in this Justice Concert in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr weekend and the continued work toward equality and justice. Tune in tomorrow at 11am PST/2pm EST.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

SDWC is so pleased to be a part of the GALA Choruses two-part holiday concerts, airing online tomorrow and Sunday evenings! The concerts feature performances from more than 25 LGBTQ+ choruses. We’re in concert #2, but we encourage you to watch both- they’re free and will be full of festivity and cheer! Free to all - subscribe at YouTube.com/galachoruses. Dec 17 at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET & Dec 20 at 2pm PT/5pm ET

The second of GALA Choruses’ two-party holiday concert premiered earlier today and is now available to watch! If you’re looking for a little extra holiday cheer from a variety of choral organizations from around North America- including ours- check it out!! It’s an hour of fun and joy! https://youtu.be/TZmKRJtWhuw

Thank you to everyone who helped add some happiness and joy during this unusual holiday concert season by tuning in to our We Are Lights concert this past weekend! We loved getting to watch with you all together from the safety of our own homes. If you missed it- or just want to watch again- you can! The Facebook concert is linked below and you can watch the full concert (with added bonus song) on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/z0OOPSpoS_o. Share this widely with your frie...nds and family so they too can experience a little holiday magic! As a reminder, there is no cost to view the concert, however we ask you to please consider making a donation to SDWC if you are able, to help support our future music making. Click the donate button below, go to www.sdwc.org/donate/donate-online or text SDWC to 44321 to make your contribution.

No matter how you celebrate the season, we all deserve some extra joy, silliness and cheer, especially this year! The San Diego Women's Chorus presents a virtual concert "We Are Lights," a joyous, fun, thoughtful show filled with holiday magic! Enjoy quality choral music, familiar seasonal songs and goofy selections that you've come to expect from SDWC. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, Festivus, all, or none of the above, you'll enjoy hearing songs like "Jingle Bells," "Let It Snow," "The Hanukkah Song," "In Dulci Jubilo," and "Solstice Carole," and some surprises from our special guests! No cost to attend, but donations gladly accepted to help us continue creating music together to share.

Together Apart: Connecting Our Voices in the Age of a Pandemic. A virtual concert by the San Diego Women's Chorus Sunday’s Encore streaming concert! Watch live here Sunday at 4pm PDT!... This moving performance premiered on YouTube on Saturday October 24th and is live streaming right here on Sunday October 25th at 4pm PDT. Join us for a live virtual chat! Members of the San Diego Women’s Chorus will be joined by additional vocal contributions from the Phoenix Women's Chorus, San Diego Chorus, Cincinnati Men's Chorus, and various dancers and movement artists.

Thank you for everyone who joined us for the premiere of "We Are Lights" last night!! We had SO much fun and hope you did too!! And guess what? We get to share it all again with you this afternoon at 4pm. PLUS, we have a special surprise for today’s broadcast - a BONUS song not featured last night! Tune in here on Facebook at 4pm Pacific! https://www.facebook.com/97263582166/posts/10157399357177167/?d=n

The countdown is on! Click here NOW to watch the entire We Are Lights premiere live with us!! https://youtu.be/z0OOPSpoS_o

Buddy the Elf invites you to join us for family-friendly, holiday fun at tonight’s concert! Premiering in just 3 hours at 7pm pacific: https://youtu.be/mBYyWTGicBQ See you there!! #SDWCWeAreLights #virtualconcert #ElftheMusical #sdwc #sdwcconcerts #elfmedey #supportlocal

It's just about time!! Hop over here now- https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoWomensChorus/posts/10157296873967167 - to join the encore streaming of Together/Apart!

Missed the premiere of Together/Apart last night? Want to watch it again? Well you can!! Today at 4pm (pacific) right here on Facebook! You'll have the chance to live chat, tag your friends, have a watch party, and use those reaction icons so desperately missing on YouTube! Click here now to set a reminder to watch and then come back to FB at 4pm to join us! https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoWomensChorus/posts/10157296873967167

What a JOY it was to share the premiere of Together/Apart with you tonight!! Thank you for all of you who were able to join us live! It’s not the same as being together singing in person for you...but it is also incredible to share with so many people around the world!! If you missed tonight’s premiere, you’re in luck!! We’ll be steaming the entire concert tomorrow here on Facebook at 4pm pacific!!

It's time!!! Head over to YouTube NOW for the live premiere of our very first all virtual choral concert, Together/Apart! Click here to watch with us: https://youtu.be/aFRYHbeep7A

Tonight is the night! Set a reminder to join us LIVE at 7pm Pacific for Together/Apart on our YouTube channel! Our very first number in the concert is one of our member favorites - and you won't want to miss it!! Head here to set your reminder and attend: https://youtu.be/aFRYHbeep7A

We hope to spend some time with you this weekend at our Together/Apart concerts (streaming live on YouTube Saturday at 7pm PDT, with an encore showing on Facebook Sunday at 4pm PDT). In the meantime, please enjoy this highlight reel from the concert! We are so excited to see you! Tune in Saturday 10/24 at 7pm Pacific here: https://youtu.be/aFRYHbeep7A Or Sunday 10/25 at 4pm Pacific here: www.facebook.com/97263582166/posts/10157296873967167... We always appreciate your support. To help us continue to bring you content, we invite you to donate to SDWC: http://www.sdwc.org/donate

One of the coolest aspects of operating virtually is that the barriers to collaborating in song with other organizations near and far don't exist in the ways they do when we sing together in person. We're beyond thrilled that we're singing "with" members from the Phoenix Women's Chorus, San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines, and Cincinnati Men's Chorus for Together/Apart! If you're joining for the live premiere Saturday night, you can set a reminder now on the direct view link!

Faces of SWDC: Meet Alto 1 Mara, member since 2014 Mara says: I had to leave SDWC when I moved away from San Diego for a job, but I’m so excited for this opportunity to be back! I’ve been surprised and impressed by how well the Zoom rehearsals and recordings capture the heart of the SDWC experience. Despite being physically apart, these creative strategies, as well as the talent and devotion of the artistic directors and other leadership, are magically allowing me and others ...outside of San Diego to be together with the chorus once again. Fun Fact: My roller derby name is R2-Destroyer! I started playing last year, and I've found that roller derby is also an amazing, inclusive community of women supporting each other in our personal growth. #SDWC #galachoruses #FACESofSDWC

This past weekend was the GALA Choruses Leadership Symposium, an annual opportunity for artistic and administrative leaders from choruses around the country to meet up, connect, and learn. This year, like most things, the Symposium didn't happen in person and occurred virtually, which actually gave some of our singing members the chance to participate in the various wonderful sessions. But really, we're sharing this with you because the truly great thing from the weekend is that a handful of Artistic Directors from various GALA choruses put together a virtual Beer Choir. And we get to share it with you now...because who DOESN'T need a super goofy, costume-filled, silly group of ADs singing a polka to add some levity and joy to their Wednesday afternoon? #galachoruses #queerbeerchoir #virtualchoir #pandemicsinging

Faces of SDWC: Meet Alto 1 Alisandra, our SDWC Community Organizer. Alisandra says: It was 2016 and I was interested in putting live music back into my life. Janis Ian had just released I’m Still Standing, a song that would become my anthem for the next couple of years. I bought a ticket to see Janis perform at the San Diego Women's Chorus concert and it was wonderful. I looked into joining SDWC that night. The Pulse Nightclub shooting happened the next month. I was very di...straught, so I went down to the San Diego LGBT Center to be with others who were also sickened by what had happened. After a few speakers talked, a huge crowd wandered to the LGBT Flag, where an ensemble from SDWC was singing. I was deeply moved and I said to myself - these are my people. I joined the chorus the very next season. #sdwc #galachoruses #FACESofSDWC

Lately we have all been learning to do old things in a new way, and SDWC has risen to the challenge. Virtual rehearsals and performances have been a way for us to safely connect and sing, together but apart. And while it's not the same as singing and being together, it has been a genuine joy to share the virtual choirs and cabarets we’ve created. During our fall season, we've been busy rehearsing, recording, and editing, preparing to share our music and our mission with you. ... This weekend, we are so proud to present Together/Apart, A Virtual Concert, the culmination of these efforts. We hope that you will join us this Saturday 10/24 at 7pm Pacific on YouTube for the live premiere, or for our repeat streaming Sunday, 10/25 at 4pm Pacific on Facebook. Both showings of the concert will be ASL interpreted. The concert is FREE to attend. Donations are happily accepted at http://www.sdwc.org/donate

Faces of SDWC: meet Alto 2 Crispy. Photo features Crispy, wife Celeste, and baby Christopher. A year ago today we featured Celeste in faces of SDWC, now you get to meet the whole family! Crispy says: I seem to have a knack for lazy gardening. Last year my wife and I threw our Halloween pumpkins into an unused garden bed, and this year we have a pumpkin garden! Then, our neighbor gave us some soil and a month later we have a thriving cherry tomato plant! Next, I’m going to ...throw in some random jalapeno peppers and see what sticks! :-p I am a registered nurse. My specialty is behavioral health & psychiatric care, and I work with people who suffer from substance abuse and have a mental health diagnosis. I love seeing my patients regain confidence, become empowered to speak up for themselves and their needs, and watch them become themselves again. There is a huge stigma that surrounds mental health, and I hope that by opening the conversation around mental health I can help lessen that stigma. #galachoruses