The members of the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus who traveled to and performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, February 26, 2004, did us all and Cabrillo College proud. We were honored with the attendance of composer Eric Whitacre, who visited Cheryl Anderson and members of the chorus backstage before our performance to wish us well. Following our performance of his i thank You God, Cheryl acknowledged him in the audience.

After the beautiful and ethereal a cappella i thank You God, we proceeded to knock everyone back against the Guardian Angel’s church pews with our entrance to Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Apparantly, bringing along a professional orchestra is an unusual event at ACDA conventions! What a moment! We definitely roused them from the lull between numbers!

Our soloists, Jennie Odryna, Dinah Phillips, John Hughes, Paul Trigg, and especially boy soloist Tarek Chakib, shone. Tarek brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience as he sang The Lord is My Shephard in Hebrew accompanied by Harp. One of those so moved was Interim Cabrillo College President Claire Biancalana, on hand to introduce the chorus. In fact, some of us in the chorus had difficulty recovering our emotions and voices following Tarek’s beautifully rendered solo.

The audience responded to the Amen with a standing ovation. Bravo!

What is ACDA?
ACDA is the American Choral Director’s Association, the largest organization of choral conductors in the world. They hold regional and national conventions on alternating years. We attended the Western Regional in Las Vegas on February 25-28, 2004. Cantiamo and Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus last performed at Regional ACDA in Pasadena about eight years ago.

What’s so special about the ACDA conventions?
ACDA conventions are not like any other convention. They consist of non-stop concerts all day for four days by the best choirs in the region or in the nation! Choirs get in through a rigorous audition process (via CD). You get to hear great groups, meet composers, hear wonderful music, including at least one masterwork with orchestra, and between concerts there are choral reading sessions where you get a packet of music and sing through about 30 pieces in an hour or two – with a bunch of choral conductors! Most conventions include at least one world premiere by a contemporary composer, like Morten Lauridsen or Eric Whitacre. You can also browse and shop at great exhibits for music and music paraphernalia including fabulous CDs by the groups you hear!

Who attends the convention?
Choral directors and conducting students attend from the Western region, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii. Singers represent children’s, high school, college, community, church, and even professional and international choirs.

What does it mean to “open the convention”?
The most prestigious spot in the ACDA convention is in the opening concert, because everyone who is anyone attends it! To open the first concert at the 2004 Western Regional Division Conference was a great honor for us!

How did we prepare to sing at ACDA?
First of all, we worked hard to learn the music, including memorizing it. Each group has twenty-five minutes to perform, no more, no less. As always, we were professional!

How can I find out more about ACDA?
ACDA has a website and a monthly magazine, Choral Journal. Ask Cheryl to borrow a copy. As a student, you can become a student member of ACDA for $20, and it will be one of the unexpected pleasures of your life if you do.