History of Pacific Voices

Over 25 years of Good Friends Making Good Music

1994: First gathering of Unity Choir was Thursday, September 1, 1994. At the outset this choir was come- one-come-all, non-audition and 28 singers attended. Rehearsals in Harmony Hall, Thursday nights. First public appearance was October 1994 at a Unity Temple Sunday morning service with Emily Sanford in her last days as minister. Performed monthly at Unity Temple Sunday services.

1995: First spring concert Train To Glory, May at Unity Temple. First downtown holiday performance was December 1995. Performed monthly at Unity Temple Sunday services.

1996: Spring concert 1996 Freedom Is Coming! Performed monthly at Unity Temple Sunday services. December downtown holiday performance.

1997: Spring concert 1997 Ode To Beauty. There are now more than 50 singers in our ranks. Performed monthly at Unity Temple Sunday services until June. We take our first steps at becoming an independent community choir. We moved our rehearsals for one year to Calvary Episcopalian Church – “the red church” downtown. Home For The Night benefit for the homeless, November. December downtown holiday performance.

1998: Spring concert 1998 You'll Never Walk Alone. Fall, we move our rehearsals back to Unity Temple. Performances at Temple Beth-El Interfaith service, First Congregational Church, Voices of the People, Inner Light, Unity Temple, downtown holiday performance.

1999: Spring concert 1999 Sing Hallelujah. Performances at Unity Temple, Voices of the People, Inner Light, A Capella Fest, Santa Cruz Aids Foundation Benefit Concert, downtown holiday performance.

2000: Spring concert Train To Glory. Performances at Unity Temple, Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), downtown holiday performance. Changed to become an audition choir.

2001: Spring concert How Can I Keep From Singing at First Congregational Church. Performances at Unity Temple in Santa Cruz and Monterey, Center For Spiritual Enlightenment (San Jose), First Church Santa Cruz, downtown holiday performance. Our first Holiday Concert! A collection of members form a subgroup called HeartSong to sing at assisted living centers, which continues to this day.

2002: Spring concert City Called Heaven, December Holiday Concert at the new Resurrection Church. Performances at Unity Temple, Temple Beth-El Prayers For Peace interfaith choir service, Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Center For Spiritual Enlightenment (San Jose), Center For Conscious Living, Inner Light, downtown holiday performance.

2003: Spring concert Circle Of Friends, December Holiday Concert. Performances at Unity Temple, Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Center For Conscious Living, downtown holiday performance, Inner Light, Land of Medicine Buddha. We officially become an independent community choir as Pacific Voices, and move rehearsals to the Quaker Meeting Hall.

2004: 10th Anniversary! Spring concert Peace Through Music, holiday concert Seasons Of Love. Performances at Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Inner Light, Center For Conscious Living, Land of Medicine Buddha, downtown holiday performance. David Long joins as our accompanist in the fall.

2005: Spring concert Shower The People, holiday concert Great Trees. Performances at Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Inner Light, Center For Conscious Living, Benefit For Hurricane Katrina Relief at Digital Media Factory, Land of Medicine Buddha, downtown holiday performance.

2006: Spring concert Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears, holiday concert Shed A Little Light. Performances at Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Inner Light, Center For Conscious Living, First Congregational Church Jazz Service, downtown holiday performance. Josh forms a ‘Council of Elders’ to help manage the choir.

2007: Spring concert Wanting Memories. Performances at Stanford University (Josh’s last) with a huge picnic donated by member Chris Quinn (co-owner of New Leaf), Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), Inner Light, Center For Conscious Living, First Congregational Church Jazz Service, downtown holiday performance. Josh retires from Pacific Voices, a core group of dedicated long-time members take the lead in continuing and managing Pacific Voices. Choir members step up to manage our rehearsals. Jerry Paul becomes our conductor starting with our downtown holiday performance.

2008: February Music with Hearts and Wings shared concert with The Eclectic Company, spring concert tribute to Josh This Is My Song. Meri Pezzoni becomes our new artistic director. Holiday concert Seasons Of Love. Performances at Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), First Congregational Church Jazz Service, downtown holiday performance.

2009: March Pacific Voices Specific Voices Ensemble Showcase, Spring concert My Spirit Sang All Day, holiday concert Winter Songs. Performances at Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose), downtown holiday performance.

2010: Spring concert Let Music Live!, holiday concert Winter Winds. We move rehearsals to Church of St. John in Aptos. Performances at Benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank, Center For Spiritual Living (San Jose and Santa Cruz), downtown holiday performance. Pacific Voices becomes a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

2011: Spring concert Global Connection, our final concert with Meri. The search begins for our new music director. Kitchy Burdette is conductor for our fall season. Performances at The Singing Revolution documentary at The Rio Theater, benefit for The Rebele Family Shelter, Santa Cruz Hospice, downtown holiday performance. Holiday concert Songs For A Winter’s Eve. We complete a successful charter fundraising campaign.

2012: Sean Boulware becomes our conductor. Spring concert Awake My Soul And Sing! holiday concert One Voice. Performances at Inner Light, Naval Post Graduate Grand Winter Ball (Monterey). We design a new logo!

2013: Spring concert Life Melodies, holiday concert Seasons Ever Turning. Performances at Inner Light, Santa Cruz Warriors National Anthem, Naval Post Graduate Grand Winter Ball (Monterey), Santa Cruz Community Television.

2014: 20th Anniversary! Spring concert—Celebration! 20 Years of Singing, winter concert Perpetual Light. A group of members traveled to Italy, performing at several cathedrals, including the Vatican.

2015: Spring concert Ever Singing, winter concert A Gift Of Song. A Pacific Voices ensemble sang downtown Santa Cruz to support National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. A group of members performed Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aerterna at Carnegie Hall with other choirs from around the country.

2016: Spring concert I Hear The Music Ringing!, winter concert I Hear Music In The Air.
We received the Golden State Choral Trophy for participating in The American International Choral Festival. Agroup of members traveled to perform in Budapest, Hungary; Prague, Czech Republic; and Vienna, Austria. In Vienna, at St Stephen’s Cathedral, we performed the Mozart Requiem, (where it was performed by Mozart) — conducted by Gerald Wirth, music director of the Vienna Boy’s Choir.

2017: Spring concert All Ya Gotta Do Is Sing!, singing for the first time at the Cabrillo Samper Recital Hall; winter concert The Light Of Song. We received service enterprise recognition for how we engage our members as volunteers to help support the choir.

2018: Spring concert From Heart to Soul, winter concert Winter Retrospective. Performance at Armistice 100: Songs Of Peace Love And Justice. A group of members traveled to perform around Ireland.

2019: 25th Anniversary! Spring concert—25! Singing, Connection, Community