Adult Choir
Luminescence, the UUCB chancel choir, rehearses each Thursday night at 7:15 pm in the sanctuary and sings in many Sunday services, September through May. This is a non-audition group of very dedicated and enthusiastic music loving singers. We sing a wide variety of repertoire, from popular to classical, including music by or arranged by W.A. Mozart, Gwyneth Walker, Brian Tate, Gabriel Fauré, Ysaye Barnwell, Leonard Bernstein, Cy Coleman, and many others.
Please contact Bryan Baker or anyone in the choir to find out about singing with us.
2024-2025 Music Events
Mozart – Coronation Mass, September 22, Sunday, at 2:00 Mozart’s effervescent Mass in C major (K. 317), the finest work of his Salzburg period. We’ll perform this with a chamber orchestra in a ‘mostly-Mozart’ program. Other music includes two beautiful pieces by Ola Gjeilo, “Tundra” and “Across the vast eternal sky”, and Frank Ticheli’s moving “Earth Song”.
Tea for Two: Bryan Baker & Katya Kolesnikova, 10/12/24 – Saturday at 4:00 We hope you can come hear Bryan and Katya play duets and solo pieces in a fundraiser for the church. This program marks 10 years that Katya has been with the church and 20 for Bryan.
Messiah Sing-Along, 12/7/24 – Saturday at 4:00. Earlier in the month, and earlier in the day so that those who don’t drive at night can still come join in singing Handel’s evergreen masterpiece.
Befana; A Christmas Fable, 12/22/24 – Sunday at 2:00A new project, Kirke Mechem’s heart-warming, 40 minute-long cantata on the old Italian Christmas story of “La Befana”. A joint project with SF Choral Society. We will sing this on Sunday at UUCB, and also on Saturday in San Francisco. *** 12/21 at 4pm in SF with rehearsal at 1:00.
Love songs and Chocolate, 2/3/25 – Saturday @ 7 p.m.
Earth Day Concert: “The Ice is Listening” 4/26/25 – Saturday at 7:30. Our annual concert with KSO – joint UU choirs and orchestra. Ceclia McDowall’s sets of poems by Kate Wakeling into a powerful exploration of the theme of ice. “The Ice is Listening” is a vivid and moving work written this year. We will also sing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ rapturously beautiful “Serenade to Music“.
Our Schubert & Gjeilo Project
Schubert/Gjeilo rehearsals
August 19, Saturday morning, 10:15-Noon
August 31, Thursday 7:15-9pm
September 7, Thursday 7:15-9pm
September 10, Sunday afternoon 12:30-2:00
September 14, Thursday 7:15-9pm
September 16, Saturday 10:15-Noon
September 21, Thursday 7:15-9pm
September 28, Thursday 7:15-9pm
October 5, Thursday 7:15-9pm
October 8 , Sunday, 1:30 concert, 12:45 call time
YouTube link for performance videos and practice files, part-by-part and movement-by-movement, for the Schubert
Gjeilo practice files from Choral Tracks with this link
Sheet music PDFs
Schubert Mass, complete, choral parts only
Schubert Mass, complete, full score (includes string parts)
Schubert Mass, complete, with piano reduction (scroll down to “Sheet Music” and click on “Vocal Scores” and open the first one by clicking on ‘complete score’)
Full Luminescence Schedule
August 19, Saturday morning, 10:15-12:30
August 31, Thursday 7:15-9:00
September 7, Thursday 7:15-9pm
September 10, Sunday service and concert rehearsal 12:30-2:00
September 14, Thursday 7:15-9pm
Sept 16, Saturday morning, 10:15-12:00 and Noon to 2:00, includes lunch J
Sept 17, Sunday, 10:15-noon
September 21, Thursday 7:15-9pm
**September 23, Saturday 7pm *** BB & F concert/fundraiser
Sept 24, Sunday, 10:15-noon
September 28, Thursday 7:15-9pm
October 1, Sunday, 10:15-noon
October 5, Thursday 7:15-9pm
October 8 , Sunday, 1:30 concert, 12:45 call time
October 12, Thursday – THIS IS BACK ON
October 15, Music Sunday Service!
Bryan’s warm-up videos
Virtual Choir Projects
Performed by members of Luminescence at home, singing along with practice recordings directed by Bryan Baker and sung by the choir section leaders.
May Sun Warm You
(traditional Irish. Luminescence sings this song to commemorate joyous occasions such as birthdays and sad ones such as the passing of members and friends. This recording was made to commemorate the passing of Jeanne Griffith, longtime member of UUCB and its choir.)
Al Schlosha D’Varim
(by Allan Naplan. A lyrical setting of an essential maxim from Jewish morality laws, translated to mean: “The world is sustained by three things: by truth, by justice, and by peace.”)
