25 years of musical memories

Oriana Chorale continues holiday performances
”
Christmas Memories
”
is the theme for Oriana Chorale’s Christmas concerts this year.
The members are having a lot of fun preparing a program of music
the whole family will enjoy.
Oriana, the only local community chorus in San Benito County, is
enjoying many happy memories as it celebrates its 25th anniversary
and ushers in the Holiday Season for hundreds of people again this
December.
Oriana Chorale continues holiday performances

“Christmas Memories” is the theme for Oriana Chorale’s Christmas concerts this year. The members are having a lot of fun preparing a program of music the whole family will enjoy. 

Oriana, the only local community chorus in San Benito County, is enjoying many happy memories as it celebrates its 25th anniversary and ushers in the Holiday Season for hundreds of people again this December.

According to members of the choir, many audience members have said the Christmas season has really begun once they hear the choir sing. 

A favorite venue has been the historic San Juan Bautista Mission with its beautiful sound created by the high ceilings and stone floor. This year’s Mission concerts will be Dec. 1 and 7, at 7:30 p.m. 

The Sunday matinee performance will be Dec. 5, at 3 p.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Both churches provide a wonderful setting and quality acoustics for concerts.

As Oriana celebrates its 25th anniversary, members said they hope their audience will  experience a flood of memories as they listen to some great classic Christmas songs from the movies. Among others, they will hear “Silver Bells” from “The Lemon Drop Kid” and”White Christmas” from Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn.” Oriana Chorale is known for its versatility and wide range of music, and this year’s program will also include traditional Christmas songs such as “Lo! How a Rose E’er Blooming.”

The “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “The Messiah” is always a tradition, as is the chance for the audience to sing along with favorite Christmas carols.  

Oriana is especially proud to welcome back Nettie Fields as one of its singers.  She is a graduate of Julliard School of Music, a co-founder of Oriana and Oriana’s first director. 

From its modest beginning, Oriana has grown to a 45-member chorus whose sound has grown and developed dramatically under the direction of Bruce Olstad the last three years. 

Mr. Olstad is well known in the field of opera and has served as chorus master or assistant conductor for opera companies throughout the Bay Area. 

Rachel Romina, the chorus’ exceptional pianist, has also thrilled audiences with her beautiful soprano solos at several concerts in the past.

Ticket Information

25th Anniversary Christmas concerts are Dec. 1 and 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the San Juan Bautista Mission, and Dec. 5, at 3 p.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Hollister. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and children under 13 are free.  Tickets will be sold at Visions of Christmas, in San Juan Bautista, and at Mars Hill coffee shop and Postal Graphics, in Hollister, at the door, or online at www.orianachorale.org.