The Alpine Sun: San Diego Neighborhood Newspapers

Holiday concert one of many for Alpine Chorale

By Chris Mac Kenzie
For The Alpine Sun
     ALPINE — When Don Mildrum and Shari Roth belt out the lyrics to There’s No Place Like Alpine on a Sunday afternoon, the audience will quickly recognize, not only a familiar tune, but also that their favorite singing group, the Alpine Chorale, is having fun again.
The Chorale has been having fun ever since the group formed back in 1995. They love to sing, and love it so much that they accept the very high pay of...nothing.
     This Sunday, it will perform its annual holiday concert, at 2 p.m. in Boulder Oaks School auditorium.
     “It’s for our families, first of all, because they seldom get to see and hear us when we are performing for organizations and groups,” said director Shari Roth, “but it’s also our Christmas gift to the community, so everyone is invited.”
     The Sunday concert is one of 14 concerts they’ll give between Nov. 18 and Dec. 19. “We’ll sing for anyone who asks,” they said.
Most of their appearances are on weekends, but occasionally, they’ll make a daytime appearance as they did this past week when they entertained at the Christmas party for community center volunteers. At winter performances, the members all wear white turtleneck shirts with bright red vests and black pants.
     It all began in the fall of 1995, when Doris Lamping recruited a group of singers.
     “It started with only five of us at first,” she said, “but it soon grew. We’ve had as many as 50 singers some years. We did our first concert during the Christmas season that year.”
     Since then, they have always done Christmas season concerts and then another concert in the spring.
     “The Chorale is one of the few chances that adults can sing popular music just for the sheer pleasure of it,” Lamping added. And they do.
     They sing a few of the usual carols of course, but lots of other kinds of holiday music, upbeat stuff, even a bit of calypso — and they do their own lively version of Jingle Bells.
     The spring season is even more varied, with the Chorale bursting into Broadway musicals, familiar melodies from the past, traditional songs, and even a little rock.
     Lamping served as director for eight years before, as she says, she burned out and handed the baton to then assistant director, Shari Roth. The new director said she had never done anything like this before. She is a piano teacher by profession.
     “In fact,” she said, “I had never sung a solo before I joined the Chorale. Now they insist I do a solo every now and then, because when I’m directing, I can’t sing with the group.”
     Members who will do solos Sunday, include Sheila Cochran, Linda Stewart, Pam Ennis, Carol Monsen and Don Mildrum. The two newest members are a teenaged brother and sister from Pine Valley, Bethany and Josh Pontsler.
     Other members include Barb Kingery, Carol Park, Chuck Ferguson, Deacon Johnson, Diane Francis, Gaylord Paulson, Grace Frasco, Jim Moffett, Kathleen Fuchs, Ken Jolliff, Leslie Robard, Linda Stewart, Luana Koerzendorfer, Margaret Bennett, Mary Bowman, RJ Espinoza, Tina Castle, Ty Monsen, and Wendy Yoshinaga.

Chris Mac Kenzie/The Alpine Sun
The Alpine Chorale, created only 10 years ago by Doris Lamping: Barb Kingery, Carol Park, Chuck Ferguson, Deacon Johnson, Diane Francis, Gaylord Paulson, Grace Frasco, Jim Moffett, Kathleen Fuchs, Ken Jolliff, Leslie Robard, Linda Stewart, Luana Koerzendorfer, Margaret Bennett, Mary Bowman, RJ Espinoza, Tina Castle, Ty Monsen, Wendy Yoshinaga Sheila Cochran, Linda Stewart, Pam Ennis, Carol Monsen and Don Mildrum, Bethany and Josh Pontsler.

Chris Mac Kenzie/The Alpine Sun
Judy Smazel and Peggy Barnum demonstrate the proper bell ringing tecnique for other members of the new Bell Choir which will play the Carol of the Bells at ACC on Sunday morning.

Music and drama large in ACC Christmas celebrations

By Chris Mac Kenzie
For The Alpine Sun
     ALPINE — Christmas week, which started a little early with the Dec. 11 children’s pageant, will be celebrated with more music and drama at the Alpine Community Church this Sunday, Dec. 18.
     During the morning worship, at 9:30 a.m., the Bell Choir, making its first appearance in many years, will perform the Carol of the Bells as the introduction to an all-musical program. The Bell Choir will be directed by guest conductor Marcia Walter in the absence of its usual director, Claire Donovan of Descano.
     Following that, the Chancel Choir, augmented with guest singers from the Alpine Chorale, will present the cantata, Call Him Jesus. Music Director Stewart Simon serves as both choir director and organist. The Christmas concert, an annual event at the church, is anticipated with pleasure each year.
Sunday evening, at 6 p.m., brings the Lamb’s Players Touring Group presenting Heaven and Nature Sings, a lighthearted musical version of the Christmas story expected to both entertain and inspire. The presentation has been sold out for many weeks, so no seats will be available at the door.
     Following the show, the Guild is hosting a reception in Fuller Hall. The cast will be the guests of honor, ready to welcome and greet their audience.
     On Christmas Eve, the church offers a choice of candlelight services. The 7 p.m. service is planned for families and informal caroling. Even young children will be allowed to light their own candles with their parents’ help and guidance. At 11 p.m., the traditional and beautiful candlelight communion service perpetuates a custom that dates back to the congregation’s very early days in the 19th Century.
     Regular Sunday morning worship will be held on Christmas morning at 9:30 a.m. The public is cordially invited to share in all these services.
     Christmas week had an early start this past Sunday, Dec. 11, when the children and youth presented their own Christmas program, Sing a Song of Christmas, featuring the children’s Spirit Choir, with the Sunday School children enacting the nativity story. Juliana Miller played the role of Mary with Andrew Casis as Joseph.
     The play opened with Kendall Havener, as mother, and Norma Broderick came onstage to finish decorating a family Christmas tree.
Narrators were Geordan Miler, Michael White and Jordan O’Neal. The three wise men were Kyle and Ryan Silvia and J. J, Kearley, while the shepherds were played by Anthony McNeiece. Joseph Toth and Jordan Janak. Completing the cast were the little angels, Dillon Janak, Cameron McNeiece and Luke Havener.
     The show was ably directed by Ludwig and Joanne Ginkel.

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