Asilomar,
Refuge by the Sea
Asilomar Conference Grounds was designed almost 100 years
ago by the legendary American architect Julia Morgan who,
among her many achievements, was also an architect of Hearst
Castle. Her original buildings at Asilomar were built as the
YWCA Western Regional Conference Center in 1913 on a
spectacular ocean-front site on the Monterey Peninsula. The
buildings are situated under the pines, clustered around an
open clearing, directly across the dunes from the beach.
All of your meals and three nights' lodging are included
in the cost of the program. Most housing will be in shared
doubles. All rooms have private bath.
Our housing is all on the main grounds, but there is
walking between buildings and some stairs to negotiate. If
you need special assistance, an Asilomar van is on call for
transportation. Some rooms are handicapped-accessible. If
you need one, please note that on the registration form.
Meals are taken together in Crocker Dining Hall. The food
is plentiful and varied, and special dietary needs can be
accommodated with prior arrangements. Again, please note if
you have dietary restrictions or prefer vegetarian meals.
Facilities at Asilomar for your free time include a
swimming pool, bikes for rent, sand volleyball court, pool
tables, ping pong table, gift store, nature trails in the
dunes and the beach! Nearby are the Seventeen-Mile Drive,
the shops of Carmel, and Monterey with its historic
buildings, marvelous aquarium and Cannery Row. Since free
time during the workshop is quite limited, you might want to
plan to arrive early or stay late to enjoy the local
attractions. Fireworks over Monterey Bay on the Fourth are
always impressive.
If you live too far away to drive,
Monterey
airport is served by several airlines.
Transportation from the airport to Asilomar is available
on a public bus, taxi or the
Monterey/Salinas
Airbus.
Photos and information are available at
Asilomar's
website.
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Singer Qualifications
This program has been designed as a valuable experience
for seasoned choral singers who currently sing with a chorus
and rehearse regularly. Everyone must be familiar with the
pieces when they arrive, having learned the notes. Thus, the
rehearsal sessions will be dedicated to interpretation and
musical refinement, not to note learning. We intend to do
credit to these great compositions and arrangements, while
providing an enjoyable experience for all. An open
performance will be staged at Merrill Hall at Asilomar on
Monday evening and a recording will be made and mailed to
all singers.
Participants in a similar program in 2006 found the
setting to be ideal, the presence of the composer inspiring
and the whole experience to be a highlight of their singing
"careers."
Your Hosts
The Angeles
Chorale, one of the premier choral organizations in
Southern California, is a chorus of 120 auditioned volunteer
voices, most of whom have significant musical
resumés. The group was founded in 1975 and has
enjoyed eleven years under the baton of Donald Neuen,
current Artistic Director.
The Chorale regularly performs the major works of the
choral literature, typically together with one of the many
symphonic orchestras in the area. Once a year they join
forces with the UCLA Chorale to mount a chorus of 200
singers to perform a large work at Royce Hall on the UCLA
campus. This year it will be the Brahms Requiem on
June 7, 2008.
Photos
Pictures on these pages were taken at our choral workshop
in September 2006. Photo credits to Ray DeTournay and
William Domb.
Pines and the sea
Merrill Hall
Mealtime at Crocker Dining Hall
Rehearsal in Merrill Hall
Bonfire after the concert
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