Peninsula Women's Chorus
Encyclopedia
The Peninsula Women's Chorus is an award-winning female choir based at Palo Alto, California
.
In 1966, after a decade of involvement with local musical ensembles, Marjorie Rawlins of Palo Alto founded the American Association of University Women
Midpeninsula Chorus, with 17 members. She soon recognised the limitations of working within the AAUW graduates' organisation, and abandoned the affiliation; the choir was subsequently renamed the University Women’s Chorus. The principles established from the outset were that, although the choir was informal, its aims would be ambitious. In particular, members were expected to sing all pieces from memory, and the repertoire was to be ambitious, with many pieces sung in foreign languages.
When Mrs Rawlins left in 1975, the members, by then increased to over 50, appointed 25-year-old Patricia (Patty) Hennings as their new director. Under her leadership the choir, soon rechristened the Peninsula Women's Chorus to emphasise its inclusive recruiting policy (though it maintained an association with Foothill College
), continued to increase its standards, and in 1982 was selected by Stanford University
for a project to record vocal scores written from memory in a Second World War prison camp on Sumatra
by Margaret Dryburgh
and Norah Chambers, as recorded in the TV documentary Song of Survival. This was such a success that the Chorus performed in Europe in 1984.
Patty adopted a policy of commissioning new works to suit the Chorus, in addition to scouring the musical histories of cultures throughout the world. In both 1999 and 2003, the Chorus received ASCAP awards for adventurous programming- the first group to receive the award twice, and between 1987 and 2001, they performed three times for the national convention of the American Choral Directors' Association. In 1996, the Chorus released a CD, and several others have followed since. Patricia Hennings, after suffering for several years from cancer, died in December 2001; for a short time her place was taken by Karen Robinson, until the current director, Argentinian-born Martín Benvenuto, was appointed in fall 2003.
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
.
In 1966, after a decade of involvement with local musical ensembles, Marjorie Rawlins of Palo Alto founded the American Association of University Women
American Association of University Women
The American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. It was founded in 1882 by Ellen Swallow Richards and Marion Talbot...
Midpeninsula Chorus, with 17 members. She soon recognised the limitations of working within the AAUW graduates' organisation, and abandoned the affiliation; the choir was subsequently renamed the University Women’s Chorus. The principles established from the outset were that, although the choir was informal, its aims would be ambitious. In particular, members were expected to sing all pieces from memory, and the repertoire was to be ambitious, with many pieces sung in foreign languages.
When Mrs Rawlins left in 1975, the members, by then increased to over 50, appointed 25-year-old Patricia (Patty) Hennings as their new director. Under her leadership the choir, soon rechristened the Peninsula Women's Chorus to emphasise its inclusive recruiting policy (though it maintained an association with Foothill College
Foothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
), continued to increase its standards, and in 1982 was selected by Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
for a project to record vocal scores written from memory in a Second World War prison camp on Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
by Margaret Dryburgh
Margaret Dryburgh
Margaret Dryburgh was born in Sunderland, England and trained as a teacher. She later became a missionary in Singapore, where she was captured in the Second World War. The plight of Dryburgh and her fellow inmates such as Betty Jeffrey in a Japanese prisoner of war camp inspired the 1996 film...
and Norah Chambers, as recorded in the TV documentary Song of Survival. This was such a success that the Chorus performed in Europe in 1984.
Patty adopted a policy of commissioning new works to suit the Chorus, in addition to scouring the musical histories of cultures throughout the world. In both 1999 and 2003, the Chorus received ASCAP awards for adventurous programming- the first group to receive the award twice, and between 1987 and 2001, they performed three times for the national convention of the American Choral Directors' Association. In 1996, the Chorus released a CD, and several others have followed since. Patricia Hennings, after suffering for several years from cancer, died in December 2001; for a short time her place was taken by Karen Robinson, until the current director, Argentinian-born Martín Benvenuto, was appointed in fall 2003.