The chic clubs and restaurants along the K Street Mall were swamped Saturday evening with young adult revelers in extravagant costumes. Yet amid the high spirited chatter of zombies and ghouls, witches and vixens, a more sedate group of celebrants slowly gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, intent on a different sort of transformation. Classical music lovers had been eagerly awaiting the first Stained Glass Concert, “Canticles of Praise,” which opened the Sacramento Choral Society season. The beautiful cathedral, built in 1889 and renovated in 2005, was packed with a diverse audience. It was a setting worthy of the magnificent sacred music to be performed. Some

Children in grades 4-6 are invited to participate in a new 10-week community-wide music program.  Under the leadership of educator and choral Dr. May Tuan Tucker, this new youth choir will rehearse Mondays and Thursdays, 5:45-6:30 p.m., at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, in Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between I-5 and Highway 99). Rehearsals start Monday, March 14, 2011. There will be no rehearsals the week of April 18, when most local schools are on spring break. To sign up or ask questions, parents may contact May Tucker by e-mail or telephone (916-428-5281), or simply show up at rehearsals. The first rehearsal will be Monday, March 14 at 5:45 p.m. Rehearsals will le

Singers and audience members are invited to a free "Sing-Along Messiah" concert Sunday, December 12, starting 4 p.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between Freeport Boulevard and Highway 99).  Choral conductors from area churches and schools will take turns leading the massed volunteer choir, which is expected to consist of more than 100 singers. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Messiah music scores; a limited quantity of Messiah scores will be available for purchase ($10) at the door. "To make this truly a participatory event, we are not going to have professional soloists," says Dr. May Tucker, Bethany Presbyterian Church

More than $30,000 was recently awarded to six local arts organizations for their innovative ways of staying afloat in the wake of reduced funding and and audiences as the economy took its toll. The grants were awarded as part of a public/private partnership through the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. “When the economic crisis hit, we had these organizations calling us and saying their doors were going to shut, but they survived,” said Priscilla Enriquez, chief giving officer for the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. “We wanted to acknowledge that fact and learn how they survived.” The six organizations receiving the grants we

Here are some of the concerts and music events happening this weekend and next week in the Sacramento area. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to the www.eMusiConnect.com homepage.   Concerts, Music Events, and The Sacramento Music Scene This Week: Friday, June 4th: Friday Night Concerts in The Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th & J Streets in Sacramento. This week: Method Echo - The Nibblers - Live Manikins. Concerts are Free and run from 5-9PM. All Ages/Beer Garden for 21+ Cirque Du Soleil Alegria continues through Sunday at Arco Arena. Tickets are $40.00 - $90.00.  Friday, June 4th: Summer Soul Fest with Tony, Toni, Tone, Lisa Lisa, The Jets and more at

Looking into the eyes of 12-year old Camela, one would never know that she was an “AIDS orphan” from Uganda. Her eyes and her stories mirror not the tragedies of the past, but the promise and hope of the future, and the happiness and sense of community provided by the Matsiko Children’s Choir, currently touring California. On Dec. 19, the choir performed at a sold-out show at the West Sacramento-based Center for Spiritual Awareness. Matsiko, which means “hope” in Swahili, provides just that to the 29 at-risk children in the choir. The children, dressed in bold yellows, oranges and reds, delivered a performance full of infectious energy, continually engaging their audience with hugs, hands