By the time California State University East Bay nailed down a permanent home in Hayward, Calif., in 1959, choral singing had become central to the university’s student life. Recitals of masterworks in cappella or with orchestral accompaniment are now a steady staple in continuing this tradition.
Maintaining this institution is East Bay Choral Union, a blend of community as well as student voices, a CSUEB-based ensemble that has earned widespread applause in the San Francisco Bay Area for the pure and simple act of putting on inspiring shows singing masterpieces.
This reputation includes an eclectic composition of members, as was evident one recent evening a little north of Hayward at an end-of-school-year commencement performance at the Walnut Creek, Calif., Presbyterian Church.
Led by Dr. Buddy James, music department chairman and the director of choral and vocal studies at CSUEB, the East Bay Choral Union—and Orchestra—presented “Peace and Joy,” a two-part recital featuring “Dona Nobis Pacem,” a canon by R. Vaughn Williams that translates to “Grant us Peace,” and Beethoven’s beloved “Ode to Joy.”
Nominally priced admission, which barely covered operating costs for the concert hall, did not equate to a lackluster performance by any means. Rather, the encounter was high-spirited indeed—and, if anything, a reminder that the best things in life are free. That is, each member of the ensemble must get through stringent auditions to sing in the choir without any expectation of remuneration for performing.
That includes those 12 or so members in the group who bounded 6,000 miles for this honor.
These are exchange students from South China Normal University, traditionally a teaching college, in Guangzhou, China. This joint venture of the universities was launched in 2009.
“The objective for the students is that they complete their first [two] years of study in China,” observed Professor James to the Epoch Times, “and then come to CSUEB to complete their degree. Similar to the relationship we have with community colleges in California. This is a wonderful opportunity for students from China to learn about music from within a different culture, and for our students to learn about the world from the Chinese students.”
