Thank you for Supporting the Sacramento Women's Chorus!
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We are planning to attend the Quadrennial Gala Choruses Festival in Minneapolis in July of 2024 along with the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus!
Thanks so much to Robin Richie for a wonderful 13 years as SWC’s Artistic Director! They have improved our musical quality and helped us grow in leaps and bounds as a chorus!
We wish them all the best as they retire from teaching middle school in the Rocklin Unified School District. Embrace your freedom!
Our Music Professionals continue to lead us to new musical heights and our large cast of volunteers keep us moving forward.
Special thanks to all our donors, our grant writers, our music professionals, our board of directors, and all our members; for together, this wonderful village enables the Sacramento Women’s Chorus to reach for the stars!
June 2023
Warm regards,
Carol H. Paskulin
President
As we celebrate our 36th year singing in the Sacramento area, we take a moment to
reflect on our many achievements over the last 12 months.
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In November of 2022 we welcomed our first Non-Singing Board Member, Dr. Linda
Matlock. In April of this year, we hired our first Fund Raising Manager, Michelle
Casciato. -
This Spring we have created a small ensemble, Inner Harmony, led by Associate
Artistic Director, Dr. Cindy Chaffee. -
Because of our generous donors:
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we were able to purchase new choral risers in April
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and in May, we awarded 2 $1,000 scholarships to female identifying high school
seniors active in the performing arts, Kylie Huang of Mira Loma High School, and
CJ Herman of El Camino High School! Congratulations!
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On May 6th at our Spring concert, we sang to a full house at the Sofia Theatre!
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On June 4th we performed for a huge, fabulous audience at Davis Pride.
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In mid-June, ten of our Sopranos were guest singers with the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus for their Pride concert, Queens for a Night, where they sang 3 Queen songs in 4 sold out performances.
Mission Statement
Sacramento Women’s Chorus builds community through song.
We sing to honor peace, justice and social equality, and to celebrate the lives of all women.
We strive for musical excellence as we give voice to women’s hopes and dreams,
opening hearts and minds through harmony.
We Love to Sing!
History
With a humble beginning of less than a dozen singers, the Sacramento Women’s Chorus has grown to an over 75 member, all inclusive, 501c3 nonprofit organization. We strive for musical excellence while giving voice to women’s hopes and dreams, opening hearts and minds through harmony.
Since its inception in 1987, the SWC has become recognized as an important part of the Sacramento art and activist community. The SWC sings at events that focus on equality, peace, justice, women’s issues and LGBTQIA pride. In 2020, the SWC became a GALA Choruses Best Practices Chorus, an honor that recognizes our dedication to our organization and its mission.
The Sacramento Women’s Chorus is an inclusive chorus that welcomes all adults who sing in the soprano/alto (treble) range, including but not limited to women, gender expansive, nonbinary, and transgender people.
Women searching for a musical home join the Sacramento Women’s Chorus to sing pieces that blend meaning with fun, only to find that they have become part of a remarkable, welcoming community. The SWC attracts a diverse community by combining compelling social issues with inspiring and entertaining performances. The members of the SWC are kindred souls singing in a warm, safe, and inviting environment.
ABOUT US
MERRI SUE BROWN
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Assistant Director/Accompanist
Merri Sue is a retired K-8 music teacher. She earned a single subject music credential and a multiple
subject credential from the state of California. Merri sue says retirement is grand, especially if you can
still contribute your skills to something you love.
CINDY L CHAFFEE, ED.D.
Associate Director
Cindy is a retired educator, having taught and coordinated both choral and instrumental music programs from Vermont to Southern California. Dr. Chaffee holds a California Music credential, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree from the University of Vermont. Cindy also holds a master’s degree from CSULB and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne.
Dr. Chaffee has directed and marched high school bands in competitions from the International Festival of Music in Montreal to the televised Chinese New Year’s Parade in San Francisco. She has coordinated district music programs from the GATE music program for Garden Grove School district, to the choral music program for the Centralia School district.
In addition to Cindy’s 40+ years in education, she is a veteran, having served in the Vermont National Guard 40th Army Band, and then as Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles 300th Army Reserve Band.
Cindy joined the Sacramento Women’s Chorus after relocating from Long Beach to the Sacramento area in 2022. When asked about her passion for music, she refers to her singing experiences as a young child in church, as well as professional opportunities like being the children’s lead in “The King and I” when she was ten years old. Basically, Cindy says, “Music feeds my soul.”
VUTU NGUYEN
Piano Accompanist
Vutu is an award winning collaborative pianist and piano pedagogue. Joining the Sacramento Women’s Chorus in 2020, he is inspired to deliver compelling performances and contribute to the empowerment of community through music. Vutu has performed internationally as a classical pianist, including solo concerts at Salle Cortot in Paris, Old First Concerts in San Francisco, and the Music at Noon Series in Sacramento. Other notable performances include choral concerts at the World AIDS Day, Fresh Meat Festival, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
A Bay Area native, Vutu attended San Francisco State University where he established himself as an award winning piano teacher, and earned both his MM and BM in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Chamber Music. He is now nearing completion of his PhD in Musicology from the Claremont Graduate University in Pomona, California, and is finishing his dissertation on 19th century piano methods. Vutu continues to teach private piano lessons at his home in Sacramento and at the San Francisco Community Music Center. In addition to his musical pursuits, Vutu enjoys spending time with family and is a dedicated soccer coach.
SWC Clip Package 2023
GET IN ToUCH!
contact
PO Box 661705
Sacramento, CA 95866
We hold rehearsals every
Monday: 6:30pm - 9pm
Frequent Guest Nights
St. Mark's United Methodist Church
2391 St Marks Way
Sacramento 95864
(Near Watt and El Camino Aves.)