Do you have a passion for music, or the desire to test your vocal chords on some familiar tunes? Then head to Coronado Public Library on Saturday, July 1 for the second annual Coronado Community Summer Sing-Along sponsored by vocal ensemble Musica Vitale and Crown City Chorale. Starting at 10 am in the library’s Winn Room, this three-hour collaborative choral occurrence invites everyone in the community to harmoniously explore.
No prior singing experience is necessary to participate, and even if you can’t read music, you are invited to join in this summertime serenade. Lyric sheets for each of the songs selected will be given to every chorister, and all of the tunes in their play list will be familiar to songsters of all ages. According to Elena Vizuet, the Artistic Director for Musica Vitale, some of the songs for the collective singing include everything from Beatles ballads and Stevie Wonder serenades, to works by Aretha Franklin and Simon and Garfunkel along with some of your favorite Broadway show tunes.
Last year, when the first Coronado Community Summer Sing-Along occurred, more than 80 local vocal harmonizers joined in the fun. This year, even more are expected with the addition of our recently minted choristers from Crown City Chorale. Formed in the fall of 2021 as an enthusiastic troop of vocal troubadours, Crown City Chorale came under Musica Vitale’s umbrella in the summer of 2022 as part of their Education and Outreach Department.
Crown City Chorale is a non-audition community choir that runs from September until May. They hold weekly rehearsals every Wednesday from 6 to 7 pm, conveniently located at Coronado’s Resurrection Lutheran Church on 5th Street. These vocal enthusiasts then host an inclusive concert at the end of each of their seasons, with a fall concert in December and spring concert in May.
Their host organization, Musica Vitale, is a professional ensemble presenting a cappella chamber works of Western European and Slavic origin from the last 300 years. They have been bringing music to life throughout the region since 2005, when a group of professional singers from the San Diego Opera Chorus and Coronado’s own Sacred Heart Church came together to perform a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
At that inaugural event, the group discovered its unique talent and potential, and decided to collaboratively create Musica Vitale. The ensemble takes its name from the Italian terms for “music” and “vital,” since music and art are both vital to so many of our souls. Its founder and Art Director, Elena Vizuet, is a music educator and performer with more than 30 years of experience. She has an MA degree in Choral Conducting and an MA in Music Education from the prestigious Ural Conservatory in Russia. She also has a BA, Cum Laude, in Choral Conducting and Music Education from Chelyabinsk Music College, also in Russia. As a professional singer, pianist, music instructor, conductor, and impresario, she has delighted crowds on multiple continents for several decades. At the Coronado Community Summer Sing-Along, Ms. Vizuet will play the piano and help to conduct.
No matter your vocal ability or experience singing, everyone is invited to join in on this community celebration of music and singing. Various percussion instruments are also available for those who would prefer to help keep the beat. There will be light refreshments, and breaks during the day, plus the opportunity to play some creative musical games. According to Crown City Chorale member Dawn Richards, who also serves as the Vice Chair of the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission, “This event is intended to give everyone in our community the chance to come out and sing some familiar songs, get acquainted with new people, and have a really good time.”
