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The Davis Chorale is an auditioned choral ensemble of thirty to forty singers from Davis
and the surrounding areas. Regular rehearsals are held Monday nights from
7:00-9:30 p.m. at the Davis Community Church Choir Room,
September through December, and January through June.
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The Davis Chorale with Founding Director Rachel Kessler and former Assistant Director
Tracia Barbieri.
Photograph by David Rocke, Photoshop technique by Tracia Barbieri
Click photograph
for high resolution version [1853x1374, 1.6MB].
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The Chorale was founded in 1978 as a community chorus to provide an opportunity
for adults to sing oratorio, sacred, and secular works. Since then, the Chorale
has performed in numerous special events, along with its regular performances
in the Fall, Winter and Spring under the direction of Founding Director Rachel Kessler
and its assistant conductors. Director Alison Skinner assumed the baton in 2010.
The Chorale has performed with other instrumental and vocal groups, such as the Sacramento Youth
Symphony and the UC Davis Symphony and Chorus.
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The Davis Chorale accompanied by chamber orchestra players.
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Since 1994, the Chorale has also sung internationally in Vienna, in the Czech Republic
and Germany, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Italy. The Chorale will tour Portugal in 2010.
Guest conductors have included Richard Brunelle, Robert Kusminiski,
Mel Olsen, Roger Wagner, John Rutter, Jean Berger, D. Kern Holloman,
Jeffrey Thomas, and Andrew Carter. Assistant conductors have included
Tracia Barbieri, Nathan Reinking, and Alison Skinner.
The Chorale's regular accompanist is Ellen Schinnerer Deffner.
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Chorale members Susie Boyd and Don Kessler
scoop ice cream sundaes for patrons
at the Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social.
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The Davis Chorale performs many themed concerts in a variety of venues. The
Chorale's varied repertoire ranges from a capella
works from the Renaissance through orchestral works with chorus by modern composers.
These can range from serious requiems in the Davis Community Church, to
concerts with orchestra at the Sacramento Community Center, to light and
festive ice cream socials featuring patriotic songs or the beloved music of Gilbert & Sullivan.
For many years in mid-December, the Chorale hosted a Weihnachtfest at the E Street Plaza in Davis.
Mugs of hot cider, holiday treats, and handmade ornaments were sold while holiday
shoppers enjoyed performances by the Davis Chorale and the Davis Children's Chorale.
More recently, the Davis Chorale and Davis Children's Chorale perform mini-concerts
of their Christmas repertoire at a Saturday Davis Farmer's Market in early December.
The Chorale and Children's Chorale also perform selections from their Christmas repertoire
in the State Capitol Rotunda in Sacramento, usually on the Monday before Christmas at Noon.
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If you are interested in singing in The Davis Chorale, please contact Alison Skinner at
(530) 574-8419 or by e-mail to schedule
an audition. Auditions are by appointment, and singers are asked to
come prepared to sing a rehearsed piece and exhibit both range and sight-reading ability.
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Former Davis Chorale members
Pamela Cummings and Jeri Ohmart
rehearsing for a concert.
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Alison Skinner, Principal Director, is also the music director at
Elevation of the Holy Cross Church in Sacramento. Before returning to her
hometown of Davis, Alison lived in Philadelphia, where she was the Artistic
Director of the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware for the 2007-2008 season.
In addition, Alison taught high school music at Germantown Friends School.
In the 2006-2007 season, Alison was the assistant conductor of Philadelphia's
Choral Arts Society, directed by Matt Glandorf. Alison graduated with honors
from University of California Santa Cruz, with an emphasis in vocal performance.
She holds the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Temple University,
where she was a student of Alan Harler. In addition to Professor Harler, she has
studied conducting with Tram Sparks and Nicole Paiement, and voice with Julianne
Baird and Patrice Maginnis. As a participant in conducting master classes at
Temple University, Eastman School of Music and the Oregon Bach Festival, she has
conducted for Joseph Flummerfelt, William Weinert, Tom Somerville, Dale Warland,
and David Hayes.
Alison served as Assistant Director of the Davis Chorale during 2008-2010, prior
to becoming its Principal Director in mid-2010.
A California native, Alison is happy to be back in Davis, making music!
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Ellen Schinnerer Deffner, Accompanist, began specializing in piano
accompaniment in London, where she was a student of the Guildhall School
of Music. She subsequently became a professor at the Guildhall.
While in Europe, she was an accompanist and coach for master classes
given by Pierre Bernac and Gerard Suozay at the Academie Internationale de
Musique de Maurice Ravel in France. She now gives workshops in this country
on French Art Song.
Since returning to the USA, she has been on the faculties of UC Santa Barbara,
and of Reed College and the University of Portland, both in Oregon. Ms. Deffner's
broadcast performances have included appearances on British and French television,
as well as Minnesota Public Radio.
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Rachel Day Kessler, Founder and Director Emeritus of the Davis
Chorale, received a Master's degree in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting
at Indiana University. In 1983, she was selected as a guest conductor at the
Chorale Institute sponsored by the Association of Professional Vocal
Ensembles, held at Lake Placid, New York. She has participated on the
faculties of the CSUS summer Choral Workshop and the annual Zephyr Point
Summer Sing sponsored by the Sacramento Presbytery, and served on the
faculty of the 1994 Albuquerque Music and Workshop Conference sponsored
by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.
In Davis, Ms. Kessler retired in 2001 after 31 years as the choral music
teacher for Emerson and Holmes Junior High Schools in Davis. That same year,
she also retired after 30 years as the director of the Chapel and Chancel Choirs
at the Davis Community Church. In mid-2010, she retired after 32 years as director
of the Davis Chorale. She continues to direct the Davis Children's Chorale,
and maintains a private vocal studio in her home.
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