Singing his praises
The Santa Clara Chorale and the San Jose Chamber Orchestra are joining forces on May 2 to celebrate the centennial of Bay Area composer Kirke Mechem. The concert, set for 8 p.m. at Mission Santa Clara, will also feature the Santa Clara University Chamber Singers and vocal ensembles Resounding Achord and Sacred and Profane. According to the chorale, the program will highlight “some of the greatest choral and orchestral works written by Mechem.”
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Mechem, a former Stanford music professor whose 100th birthday is Aug. 16, is known for his first opera, “Tartuffe.” He is currently working on an operatic adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” Fittingly, his choral works include “Birthdays: Round Numbers,” a suite of songs celebrating the passing decades, from ages 10 to 70.
Tickets are $8-$50 at https://www.scc.org/may-celebrating-kirke-mechem.html. Those under age 18 are admitted free.
Neighborhood Notes
ALMADEN>>Pioneer High School student Liam Brough took home a gold medal from the 2025 SkillsUSA California State Leadership and Skills Conference, an event showcasing career and technical education excellence. Leland High School student Benjamin Alton was on the Crime Scene Investigation team that won a silver medal at the conference, held April 10-13 in Ontario, CA.
The San Jose High Schoolers were among nearly 120 students from Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center to participate in the conference. SVCTE students were awarded a total of 16 medals—two gold, 10 silver and four bronze—in a wide range of competition categories. In all, more than 4,000 students participated.
