University Public Worship
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University Public Worship gathers weekly for the religious, spiritual, ethical, and moral formation of the Stanford community. Rooted in the history and progressive Christian tradition of Stanford’s historic Memorial Church, we cultivate a community of compassion and belonging through ecumenical Christian worship and occasional multifaith celebrations.
Doors open at 10:30 am.
Sacred Summer Music Series, June 23 - September 15, 2024 @ Stanford Memorial Church, 11:00 am
Join us weekly in community at Stanford Memorial Church at 11 am as we celebrate in worship with curated sacred sounds of joy. 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 23: Cantabella Children's Chorus
- Cantabella Children’s Chorus, founded by Director Emeritus Bee Chow in 1992, serves more than 200 children in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Italian words “canta bella” translate to “sing beautifully”, words which describes the founding vision of the organization. Cantabella is focused on fostering choral artistry through the performance of quality repertoire from all genres, the creation of foundational music literacy using the Kodály approach, and the development of healthy vocal technique through mastery of classical and contemporary compositions that reinforce taught pedagogical standards. Most of all, Cantabella’s singers learn to cherish the joy of singing together.
- 6/23/2024 Bulletin
- 6/23/2024 Youtube Link
- June 30: Ensemble Continuo
- Ensemble Continuo is a classical chamber choir based in Mountain View, California. The choir was founded in January 2023, but several of its members have sung together in previous projects since 2016. Performances in the past have brought the choir to the Sunset Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco and the International Performing Arts of America Festival at California Theater in San Jose. In May 2024, the choir performed Duruflé Requiem in Oakland Cathedral with renowned organist David Jonies.
- 6/30/2024 Bulletin
- 6/30/2024 Youtube Link
- July 7: Star Valley Choral Center
- Star Valley Choral Center is a non-profit organization under the direction of Sherlin Chan, a renowned soprano. Currently, the center is 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.
- 7/7/2024 Bulletin
- 7/7/2024 Youtube Link
- July 14: University AME Zion Choir
- The University AME Zion Church Choir is a diverse ensemble that mirrors the inclusive spirit of the church. Members come from various backgrounds, bringing unique cultural influences that enrich the choir’s sound. This diversity reflects the universal appeal of the music of the Black Church and the church’s commitment to welcoming all who seek spiritual solace and communal joy.
- 7/14/2024 Bulletin
- 7/14/2024 Youtube Link
- July 21: A-Sharp Chorus
- A-Sharp Chorus is one of the largest Chinese chorus groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was established in 2000 and now has over 70 members, mostly from Mainland China. They are businessmen, scientists, teachers, and technical professionals in many fields, often with masters or doctoral degrees. They come together every week to practice singing under the training and guidance of professional conductors and vocal singing artists. The Chorus has been doing a great job facilitating American and Chinese cultural exchange and linking Chinese and Western cultures through music.
- 7/21/2024 Bulletin
- 7/21/2024 Youtube Link
- July 28: WSingers
- WSingers was established in 2010 with the mission to enjoy singing and create beautiful choral harmony through strong bonds of friendship. In addition to local performances, WSingers brought choral music to Los Angeles/San Diego in 2017, Oklahoma and Taiwan in 2019 and presented at Stanford UPW in July 2022. WSingers challenge ourselves with a diverse selection of music from around the world. We are so honored to present our 2024 repertoire at the summer UPW.
- 7/28/2024 Bulletin
- 7/28/2024 Youtube Link
- August 4: 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. They had their first concert in 2006, and have performed regularly thereafter. During the pandemic years, under the leadership of their conductor, June Lee, they moved their weekly practice to Zoom. Beginning in 2022, they returned to weekly in-person practice, and performed in different events since then. Their repertoire covers a variety of languages, and different forms of music, including classical, artistic, and modern. In addition to English, they also sing Latin, Mandarin, Hakka, and Taiwanese songs. They hope you enjoy the music they present for Stanford Memorial Church Summer Sacred Music Series this year.
- 8/4/2024 Bulletin
- 8/4/2024 Youtube Link
- August 11: COSMO Chorus
- Founded in 1998, COSMO/Silicon Valley Community Chorus enjoys singing many genres of music including sacred music, Broadway musicals, American standards, jazz opera, etc. We often sing in multiple languages– past repertoires included songs in Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, German, Italian, and French. Although COSMO is open to all ages, many of our members work 9 to 5.
- 8/11/2024 Bulletin
- 8/11/2024 Youtube Link
- August 18: The 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.
- 8/18/2024 Bulletin
- 8/18/2024 Youtube Link
- August 25: 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 always been the same: Joy of expression, using the voice to communicate the triumphs, as well as the turbulence, of the human spirit. We are committed to bringing vocal jazz performance and education to underserved audiences in the Bay Area and beyond.
- 8/25/2024 Bulletin
- 8/25/2024 Youtube Link
- September 1: Spring Women's Choir
- The Spring Women’s Choir was established in October 2017 by artistic director Wenbo Deng. The choir embodies over two decades of his dedicated choral education. The choir meets weekly to embrace and practice choral singing with their diverse collections of music. Throughout its brief history, the choir actively participated and hosted various concerts and events, earning accolades while competing in them. Additionally, the choir has consistently secured first place in several international music competitions. The choir's most recent outstanding performance at the 2023 Idaho International Choral Festival has garnered international acclaim. Invited twice to perform at Stanford University, they received praise from the local community. The Spring Women's Choir believes in the unifying power and joy of music, while also leaving a lasting impact with their outstanding performances and commitment to showcasing diverse music from different cultures.
- 9/1/2024 Bulletin
- 9/1/2024 Youtube Link
- September 8: Arts Silicon Valley & Liya's Voice Studio
- Liya’s Voice Studio was founded by Ms Liya Fang in San Jose, which has been in operation for over 20 years. In 2015, she also founded her own children’s choir. On top of vigorous training in singing and acting, Ms Fang adds monthly master classes, offering her students a platform to sharpen their artistic skills by presentation, listening, watching, and critique.
- 9/8/2024 Bulletin
- 9/8/2024 Youtube Link
- September 15: Mixed Chorus Kakehashi
- Mixed Chorus Kakehashi (Pronounced: Kah-keh-ha-she) 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. 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. Kakekashi is a non-profit organization registered with the State of California, aiming to spread the pleasure of choral music and to introduce Japanese music and culture in order to help promote cultural exchange in the local community.
- 9/15/2024 Bulletin
- 9/15/2024 Youtube Link
2024 Sacred Summer Music Series Performing Choirs
Cantabella Children's Chorus
Ensemble Continuo
Star Valley Choral Center
University AME Zion Choir
A-Sharp Chorus
Wsingers
SPARC Choir
COSMO Chorus
Oakland Jazz Choir
Spring Women's Choir
Liya's Voice Studio
Mixed Chorus Kakehashi
Black Church University Praise & Worship @ Stanford Memorial Church, 1:30 pm
Black Church is held on select Sundays during Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters and is in the format of a worship service that is led by Rev. Dr. Sys and the Stanford Gospel Choir.