Founded in 1976, the chorale’s mission is to inspire and enrich our community through high-quality and diverse choral performances. Photo courtesy of the River City Chorale

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - For five decades, a local community choir known as the River City Chorale has performed locally and abroad, from venues in Sacramento to various venues in European countries since 1976.

Choir members are now preparing for their Christmas concert on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. 

Mary Balkow said she and her husband, Bob Balkow, formed the group after being unable to find an organization to join in the Sacramento area. The Balkows were previously with the Santa Clara Chorale in the Bay Area in the Bay Area in the late ’70s. Mary Balkow said the Santa Clara Chorale joined River City Chorale on its first international tour during the organization's formative years, spanning three countries across Europe.

“I am so amazed and proud that what we started has lived this long,” Mary Balkow said. “It went from a choir of 32, which is what we started with, to about 102, and now it's beginning to get smaller again. (The director is) having a hard time finding men to sing. So we need to get that back out into the community to get that going again.”

Current chorale director David Vanderbout said that he started with the group in 2019, completing two concerts before the COVID-19 Pandemic. At least one of the first chorale members, Pat Junod, still sings with the group. 

The chorale has a long rich tradition in the Sacramento region, Vanderbout said, as one of the longest standing choirs in the community. He said the choir has performed countless tours, premiered works from notable composers and seen numerous successful directors. 

With members fresh out of high school and others who have been retired for decades, including members in between, Vanderbout said, the group connects over music and as human beings, working together for a common goal. 

“Elevating the way we work together, the way we are together, the types, the variety of people that are in our organization in terms of age ranges, backgrounds and whatever it may be to truly create a community choir,”Vanderbout said.

For the organization’s 50th year, Vanderbout said that this season is about a celebration of the choral experience. This season’s musical selection features music from the ’70s, folk music, rock ’n’ roll, and Broadway tunes. Vanderbout said he tries to foster deep connections thematically through his music selection, describing a concert he arranged in the past, consisting of Italian compositions in the Italian language. 

Junod, while raising her three children, joined the chorale after the group’s concert in spring 1977. When she auditioned for the group, Junod was drawn to the high-level of organization regarding rehearsals and concert production.

“We had a good following because we were young members and everybody had family and friends, so usually all the family and friends came together and it was very exciting to be able to sing in a group,” Junod said. “I had sung in groups before, so I had some idea of what I anticipated what that was going to be like and it was the same thing: an enjoyable group, well-disciplined and we worked hard.” 

There has been a fine line between paying tribute to the work that the chorale has done for the past 50 years, Vanderbout said, and staying true to the works and ideas he brings as the group’s director. Every concert this season will be a celebration of the singers, the audience and communities that all play a role in making the choral experience possible, according to Vanderbout. 

Choosing the music is what sets groups up for success, Vanderbout said, so he spends a significant amount of time planning, cycling through several hours of different musical selections to build the foundation for a fruitful season. 

“(Music selection) is like creating a good blueprint to a house,” Vanderbout said. “If the blueprint is messed up, the house is probably going to get messed up, no matter how good your carpenters are. And I think choral music is the same way.” 

To help the organization run smoothly, multiple chorale members and community members perform many tasks, such as creating fliers and working on advertising, Vanderbout said. During the chorale’s 50 years, the organization has experienced “various peaks and valleys,” Vanderbout said, and the organization “could have dissolved during any one of those valleys but the consistent effort of members over the years led to the continuation of the Sacramento choral experience.”

Welcoming in the holiday season, River City Chorale Board President Trisha Uhrhammer said, “Sacred selections of the season include Handel’s ‘And the Glory of the Lord,’ a mesmerizing interpretation of ‘Mary, Did You Know,’ and an energetic and percussive African Noel. On the secular side, you’ll be humming along to a medley of Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ and ‘Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas,’ among others.”

The River City Chorale’s Holiday Concert has two performances scheduled: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish, 3235 Arden Way, Sacramento; and 4 p.m. Dec. 6 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 7869 Kingswood Drive, Citrus Heights. 

Tickets, starting at $10, can be purchased online at the chorale’s website, rivercitychorale.org/tickets. Tickets purchased online include a $2 service fee. 

To learn more about the River City Chorale, visit online rivercitychorale.org.