[Music at RHUMC] [Concerts at RHUMC] [Upcoming Concerts]
MUSIC at RHUMC
Music is an important part of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, and the church is exceptionally
fortunate to have a superb musical staff, choirs, and volunteers. The Chancel Choir, under Director of Music
Charles "Chuck" Dickerson, sings at both morning services. In addition to being Director of Music at
RHUMC, Chuck is the conductor of the Southeast Symphony, which celebrated its 60th anniversary with a
concert in Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday, July 20, 2008. And he is renowned as a tenor and was
chosen in the summer of 2007 to sing the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium on Methodists' Night. Read
about Maestro Dickerson on the Southeast Symphony website by clicking here.
Organist and concert pianist Althea Waites, Professor of Piano at California State University, Long Beach,
performs the morning service's Preludes and Postludes, and accompanies the choirs, soloists, hymns, and
vocal ensembles, among her numerous other musical contributions. In addition to her acclaimed classical
piano CDs on the Cambria label, Althea was the featured piano soloist at the Southeast Symphony's 60th
anniversary celebration in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Read about Althea at her website:
www.AltheaWaites.com.
Read about distinguished musical staff at Rolling Hills United Methodist Church by clicking here.
The musical offerings at the morning services include the Chancel Choir and soloists drawn from the Chancel Choir and the community.
Chancel Choir
The enthusiasm of the Youth and Children's Choirs are a welcome addition to the services.
Youth Choir
Children's Choir
The casual "3rd Service Ensemble," on Sundays at 5:30 p.m., offers music in a variety of contemporary styles including blues, country, gospel, folk, pop, and Jazz.
3rd Service Ensemble
Top row: Michael Starr, Patti MacLeod, Jot Hollenbeck
Bottom row: Julie Greer, Paula Fong, Jack Sollecito
The adult bell choir "Resurrection Ringers" and the youth bell choir "Bell Hops" until recently have directed by Debbie Stadler.
Resurrection Ringers
"HeavenSent" is a vocal ensemble of high-school-aged girls. The ensemble ranges
from a quartet to 10 girls at any given time. To be a member, one must be able to sing
on pitch, as their angelic sound is one of the hallmarks that makes them so well loved.
HeavenSent sings 3 to 4 times a year.
"We Keep it Fresh" came about a year or so after HeavenSent, when a couple of high-school boys felt they should have a group too. Since there were only those two boys and maybe one other, it seemed that a co-ed group was a good solution to meet the singing needs of those young men. "We Keep it Fresh" is open to all junior- and senior-high teenagers. There is no requirement other than loving music. They sing 3 to 4 times a year.
Both youth ensembles are under the direction of Julie Greer with major assistance from Thyra Endicott.
"Women of Grace" is a women's vocal ensemble that has been around since the turn of the century (2000 that is). While the voices have changed as women come and go (and come back again), the musicianship is exceptional. The music they sing is traditional women's choral pieces. Part of the joy of "Women of Grace" is the friendships that form from the semi-regular rehearsals scheduled around their busy lives as mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and career women."Women of Grace" is an autonomous group, though Jan Johnson puts in a lot of effort to keep it all together, and for that they are very grateful. They sing 6 to 8 times a year.
[Music at RHUMC] [Concerts at RHUMC] [Upcoming Concerts]
CONCERTS at RHUMC
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church shares the gift of great music with the congregation and the community with a variety of concerts during the year.
- RHUMC hosts concerts by the Southeast Symphony, and the Chancel Choir and the Southeast Symphony combine for an annual Christmas concert.
- The RHUMC Concert Series Committee offers the congregation and the community major evening concerts fall and spring.
- A new concert series debuts in 2009 - "Second Sundays At Two." RHUMC Music Director Chuck Dickerson serves as Artistic Advisor for the series of free half-hour recitals and chamber music concerts without intermission.
- The annual congregation "Thanksgiving Dinner" on the Saturday evening before Thanksgiving offers after-dinner musical entertainment, which in the past two years presented singers from Los Angeles Opera.
Upcoming concerts are listed below. See the concerts recently presented by clicking here.
[Music at RHUMC] [Concerts at RHUMC] [Upcoming Concerts]
THIS MONTH & UPCOMING CONCERTS
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 2:00 p.m.
Second Sundays At Two
presents
MEGAN GILLESPIE mezzo soprano
Megan Gillespie in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall
Los Angeles native, Megan Gillespie recently earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music, where she currently is pursuing a Master's degree. Megan has received high critical praise in numerous opera roles. She was a mid-Atlantic-regional finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions and a finalist in the Violetta DuPont Opera Florham Competition. Last April, Megan was a favorite in the Beverly Hills Auditions.
Free Admission—Donations Appreciated
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday, March 28, 2010 – 7:30 p.m.
Southeast Symphony
and the
Chancel Choir
of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
CHARLES DICKERSON music director & conductor
present
Handel's Messiah – Parts II & III
with soloists
Roberto Gomez baritone
Tracy Erin Cox mezzo-soprano
Xiaobo Su soprano
Kalil Wilson tenor
Free Admission
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday, April 11, 2010 – 2:00 p.m.
Second Sundays At Two
presents
AURIA TRIO
Michael Morton flute
Yolanda Mitchell West soprano
Andrea Thiele harp
AURIA, "gentle music," made its debut as an ensemble with the Southeast Symphony in February 2009. In July, Auria was presented in concert by the Mid-City Music Center, held at the Lucy Florence Cultural Center in the heart of historic Leimert Park Village in Los Angeles.
Flutist Michael Morton has performed throughout the U.S., China, Germany and France. Currently, Michael is principal flutist for the Southeast Symphony of Los Angeles and is a session player in L.A. and Nashville. He recently released his latest CD, "Peace and Quiet."
Soprano Yolanda Mitchell West performs frequently as a soloist throughout the United States and Europe. Past engagements include appearances with the Southeast Symphony, the Ventura County Symphony, the Torrance Symphony, the Marina Del Rey-Westchester Symphony, the Carson-Dominguez Hills Symphony, the South Coast Symphony Orchestra, Albert J. McNeil Jubilee Singers, The Angeles Chorale, The Camerata Singers (Monterey, CA) and the DLW Community Chorale.
A native of Germany, Andrea Thiele was principal harpist of the Phoenix Symphony from 1998 to 2001, the Staatskapelle Schwerin from 1994 to 1998, and played with the orchestras of the Hamburgische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Münchner Philharmoniker, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and numerous local orchestras. As a soloist, she performed with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, Warsaw Symphony, Yale Philharmonia, Phoenix Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonia Nacional of Mexico City, and the Southeast Symphony in Los Angeles.
Free Admission—Donations Appreciated
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Friday, April 16, 2010 – 7:30 p.m.
Main Concert Series
presents
LINDSAY DEUTSCH violin
Young American violinist Lindsay Deutsch has performed as soloist with the Colorado Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, both conducted by Jeffrey Kahane, and with numerous other symphonies and orchestras across North America. As a recitalist, she has appeared on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, the Da Camera Society at the historic Doheny Mansion in Los Angeles, and the Leonard Nimoy Concert Series, to name a few. She made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut performing John Corigliano's Red Violin Chaconne with the California Philharmonic. Lindsay Deutsch currently studies with Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory. She plays on a 1742 Sanctus Seraphin on generous loan from the Mandell Collection of Southern California. Read about Lindsay Deutsch by clicking www.LindsayDeutsch.com
Donation: $20 / $10 children 12 and under
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday, May 9, 2010 – 2:00 p.m.
Second Sundays At Two
presents
A Special Mothers' Day Concert
A TRIBUTE TO MARIO LANZA
CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL tenor
Dramatic tenor Christopher Campbell is remembered at Rolling Hills United Methodist Church for his appearance last season as Don José opposite Geeta Novotny as Carmen in a recital version of Bizet's opera that's still glowingly talked about today. Christopher and Geeta also appeared in Carmen Recitals with the Roswell Symphony, the Bakersfield Symphony, and the Santa Maria Philharmonic, and in a fully staged version last season with Intimate Opera. He made his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut as soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in the premiere of excerpts from the upcoming opera Rio De Sangre by Don Davis, the acclaimed composer for such films as the Matrix Trilogy. Christopher has sung leading roles with numerous opera companies, including Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Pacific, Opera San José, and Long Beach Opera, to name some. Besides Don José in Carmen, his signature roles include Canio in Pagliacci, ("He delivered the famed aria Vesti la giubba with heart breaking emotion" – Theater Notes). Rodolfo in La Bohème, Don José in Carmen, Alfredo in La Traviata, Hoffman in the Tales of Hoffman, Manrico in Il Trovatore, and Cavaradossi in Tosca.
Mario Lanza was an inspiration to the young Christopher Campbell while he was
growing up, and Christopher pays tribute to the much-loved Hollywood film actor and
singer in this recital. In all, Mario Lanza starred in eight films and made numerous
recordings that are prized today.
Free Admission—Donations Appreciated
ROLLING HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday, June 13, 2010 – 2:00 p.m.
Second Sundays At Two
presents
DANNY HOLT
Pianist, Composer, Percussionist, Scholar
"As a pianist, Holt is the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete." – The Record (Waterloo, Ontario)
Pianist Danny Holt is one of a new generation of innovative young musicians ushering classical music into the 21st century. Called "phenomenal" by music critic Alan Rich, and hailed as one of the "local heroes" of the Los Angeles music scene (LAcitybeat.com), Holt brings his boundless energy and wit to unique interpretations of new music, 20th-century music, and obscure, unusual, and neglected repertoire. He is equally at home whether performing on the concert stage, in an intimate house concert, or in one of his elaborate multimedia performances where classical music meets rock concert aesthetics and a performance art sensibility.
Holt holds degrees from California Institute of the Arts, Hampshire College, Smith College, and Interlochen Arts Academy. He is also a percussionist, composer, teacher, and scholar. He resides in Los Angeles, where he serves on the faculty of the Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts. Read about Danny by clicking www.DannyHolt.net.
Free Admission—Donations Appreciated
