SIERRA SINGERS
Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church of Oakhurst, California
The Sierra
Singers are the adult choir of the SVPC. The group presently
consists of 25 singers. Catherine Walker is the director and
Analyse Johnson the accompanist. The choir sings a variety of
traditional anthems by the masters and also enjoys contemporary
anthems by the best of our living composers. They participate
in worship from September to June, singing in the 9:00 am service.
They rehearse on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm at the church.
The Sierra Singers
present a special concert at Christmas, usually adding instruments.
There is usually one other event of choral music. Once a year
the choir will participate in a choral workshop which will lead
to a concert with The Vocal Choral Artists of Fresno and other
choirs. Every summer members of the choir participate in a program,
at Lake Tahoe, called Summer Sing. This program envolves members
of choirs from around the USA and England who join together to
sing church choral music under the direction of well known choral
composers and directors.
Catherine Walker
is the director of the Sierra Singers
and the organist of Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Walker
has been involved in community and church music events in Fresno
and Oakhurst. She has been a long-time member of Fresno Community
Chorus, currently serving as their accompanist. She holds the
Colleague Certificate earned through the American guild of Organists.
She is also director of the Oakhurst-based choral group, Mountain Arts Chorale.
Call Catherine Walker if you would
like to sing with the Mountain Arts Chorale this summer. MAC
is a summer non-audition choir that sings recreational type music
with a concert in the Fall.
our goal to strengthen church choirs
March 17-19, 2006
Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church, Oakhurst, California
History of Choral Festival
The idea of a choral clinic in the mountain area was floating around for a long time but never actively pursued. When Orval Robertson a member of the Oakhurst choral community died in 1998 the Sierra Singers took the lead, with other singing groups, in commissioning a choral piece in his honor. This composition, In God's Glory, and its composer, Allan Petker, became the spark that ignited the fire. Since Orval died we have lost two more beloved members of our group Bill Lohuis and Al Henderson.
Allan Robert Petker has over 250 published works, and his conducting books, "Choral Questions and Answers" have become staples as resource material. Allan holds degrees from California State University of Northridge, specializing in viola (BA), voice and choral conducting (MA), in 1977 he became the Director of Publications for Fred Boch Music, a post he still holds. In 1989 he established his own company, Pavane Publishing. Allan frequently serves as a guest clinician or conductor. He conducts both the Consort Chorale, an acappella ensemble of 30 selected voices from the San Francisco Bay area and the 60 voice Santa Clarita Master Chorale. He currently directs the choir at Marymount College, Rancho Palos Verdes, and is the Minister of Music at the San Pedro Presbyterian Church in California. Allan is a past President of the National Association of Church Musicians. Allan's compositions have been performed all over the US, including a commissioned piece premiered at the American Choral Directors Association's 25th National Convention.
PO Box 2403
Oakhurst, CA 93644
If you have any questions about the Clinic, please call;
Catherine Walker, CAGO (559) 683-6742 or Bob Frembling at (559) 642-2435
Spend a moment in the Word, Psalm 8.