Previous UPW

The Sacred Summer Music Series invites choirs from around the Bay Area to Stanford Memorial Church each year to share their gifts and talents in a town and gown worship that celebrates the rich cultural heritages of the Bay Area. Each week we will host a different choir with sacred readings and prayers in worship and rejoice together in our Summer of Sacred Joy!

• June 22: Juneteenth Worship featuring the Oakland Jazz Choir
  • The Oakland Jazz Choir, (OJC) a non-profit, has been an East Bay institution for over 30+ years. During this span the group has taken many shapes, sizes and forms but the common denominator has been the same: Joy of expression, using the voice to communicate the triumphs, as well as the turbulence, of the human spirit. They are committed to bringing vocal jazz performance and education to under served audiences in the Bay Area and beyond.
  • 6/22/2025 Bulletin
  • 6/22/2025 Youtube
• June 29: A-Sharp Chorus
  • A-Sharp Chorus is one of the largest Chinese choral groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was established in 2000 and now has over 70 members. They come together every week to practice singing under the training and guidance of professional conductors and vocal singing artists. The Chorus is dedicated to facilitate American and Chinese cultural exchange and linking Chinese and Western cultures through music.
  • 6/29/2025 Bulletin
  • 6/29/2025 Youtube
• July 13: Star Valley Choral Center
  • Star Valley Choral Center is a non-profit organization under the direction of Sherlin Chan, a renowned soprano. Since July 2022, the center has been running a Women’s Choir and an  Ensemble Choir. The members are Bay Area Chinese Americans who  share a love of choral singing. Combining the richness of traditional  Chinese music with western vocal techniques, the choirs have  showcased concerts that promote cultural understanding and social  integration through language of music.
  • 7/13/2025 Bulletin
  • 7/13/2025 Youtube
• July 20: Sudo Choir
  • Founded in 2024, Sudo Choir is a vibrant mixed-voice Chinese choir based in the South Bay. Our members are from various professions across the Bay Area, united by a strong musical foundation and a shared passion for music. Embracing a wide range of styles and languages, Sudo Choir has already performed classical, folk, contemporary, and pop works in its first year, striving to transcend boundaries and explore diverse musical cultures.
  • 7/20/2025 Bulletin
  • 7/20/2025 Youtube
• July 27: Illuminare Singers
  • Illuminare Singers is an ensemble of vocalists from across the Bay Area who came together to perform Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare at Carnegie Hall in June 2025 under the direction of Clement Cano. This special performance united a diverse group of singers, including youth from the Cantabella Children’s Chorus, members of the Hillbrook Upper School Choir (San Jose), singers from St. Justin’s Church in Santa Clara, Colorado’s Evergreen Chorale, and longtime friends and family with whom the director has shared musical experiences in college and community choirs over the years.
  • 7/27/2025 Bulletin
  • 7/27/2025 Youtube
• August 3: SPARC Choir
  • SPARC Choir originated from the Northern California Taiwan Normal  University Alumni Choir, the Northern California Taiwan First Girl High School Alumni Choir, and the Northern California Hakka Association Choir. We had our first concert in 2006, and have performed regularly thereafter. During the pandemic years, under the leadership of our conductor, June Lee, we moved our weekly practice to Zoom. Beginning in 2022, we returned to weekly in-person practices, and performed in different events since then.
  • 8/3/2025 Bulletin
  • 8/3/2025 Youtube
• August 10: Maestro Stars
  • Maestro Stars was founded in Cupertino, California, United States in 2013. Maestro Stars Academy aims to inspire and empower young minds through multidisciplinary, creative programs that nurture curiosity, foster innovation, and cultivate a lifelong love for learning. We envision a vibrant community where students explore diverse fields, from music and the arts to sciences and math, developing essential skills and discovering their unique passions in a supportive environment.
  • 8/10/2025 Bulletin
  • 8/10/2025 Youtube
• August 17: COSMO/Silicon Valley Community Chorus
  • COSMO is a welcoming community chorus open to everyone—no prior vocal experience  required. Founded in 1998, we bring people together to explore a wide range of musical  genres, from sacred and classical to Broadway, jazz, American standards, and opera. We  frequently sing in multiple languages—past performances have included songs in  Japanese, Mandarin, Latin, Spanish, German, Italian, and French.
  • 8/17/2025 Bulletin
  • 8/17/2025 Youtube
• August 24: Enlightened Chorus
  • The Enlightened Chorus was founded in late 2023 by a group of passionate amateur music lovers, many of whom are retired or approaching retirement. Our members come from a wide range of professional  backgrounds and have achieved great success in their respective fields.
  • 8/24/2025 Bulletin
  • 8/24/2025 Youtube
• August 31: Mixed Chorus Kakehashi
  • Mixed Chorus Kakehashi has its origin in a parent chorus group of the San Francisco Japanese School  which started in 2007 and performed annually at the Japanese school’s special event. They normally  met for only a few months of the year. In Spring 2011, many members who wished to continue singing  throughout the year gathered and extended their activities beyond the Japanese school. The new  group was named Mixed Chorus Kakehashi. Kakehashi means a bridge connecting two sides with differences, such as people, countries, and cultures.
  • 8/31/2025 Bulletin
  • 8/31/2025 Youtube
• September 7: Bay Area Persian Choir
  • Bay Area Persian Choir is a community choir which serves the larger San Francisco Bay Area and strives to preserve, cultivate and promote the rich heritage of Persian music. The group hopes to be able to strengthen the connective tissue in the community through music. The repertoire of choir is comprised of new choral arrangements of all-time classics of Persian music as well as Persian folk and spiritual songs. Naser Sheikhzadegan is the music director of the Bay Area Persian Choir.
  • 9/7/2025 Bulletin
  • 9/7/2025 Youtube
• September 14: Spring Women's Choir
  • Spring Women’s Choir may take you on a musical journey across the world. Beautiful melodies may include classical choral masterpieces, contemporary compositions,  folk songs, spirituals, and even arrangements of popular or traditional tunes. The choir’s performances  encompass a diverse range of musical genres and styles in many different languages: English, Chinese, Latin, Japanese and Portuguese. The repertoire is carefully selected to showcase the vocal prowess and versatility of the Spring Women's Choir.
  • 9/14/2025 Bulletin
  • 9/14/2025 Youtube