“Cantare” Performance at Temple Hill

By Julie Haydon, Director of Cantare Children’s and Youth Choirs

***Cantare performed May 2, 2025 in the Oakland Temple Hill Auditorium. ***

Cantare is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the power and beauty of choral music through adult choirs, youth programs, and concert performances. Cantare is committed to serving the Alameda and Contra Costa County communities by lifting voices and uplifting lives. Its innovative and nationally acclaimed inclusive in-school music education classes and after-school choirs reach thousands of children and youth who lack access to the musical arts. Cantare’s adult, intergenerational, and youth programming creates experiences that inspire participants and audiences—the young and the young at heart—to cultivate harmony, compassion, and understanding through the profound joy of singing.

Last Friday, over 300 students from Cantare’s after-school choirs began our annual Spring Concert, singing a traditional German round, “Oh how lovely is the evening.” It was so inspiring to take in the sight of children from seven elementary schools filing into Temple Hill Theater singing, and my own 6-12th grade Nova students, who come from 22 schools, spread out on the risers. It was touching to look around and saw our dedicated Teaching Artists helping their students follow their parts in the round, and volunteers from our adult choirs and Cantare community who have been so steadfast in helping at our weekly rehearsals, and the parents, youth choir alumni, and other volunteers who pitched in to help this event come together. Over 700 enthusiastic parents and community members were also there to support and affirm the hard work of our students. It was such a grand celebration of our Cantare community!

Each one of our eight choirs delivered an incredible performance, with students in each group clearly taking pride in what they were sharing with the audience and in how they had worked together with their peers to prepare. We all clapped along to classic hits by the Beatles and Bill Withers, and to an incredible audience singalong of “This Little Light of Mine” led with so much joy and energy by Rhonda Crane. Several groups had me tearing up with their beautifully delivered harmonies and bravely performed solos.

In our closing three songs, it was incredible to see over 300 students filling the stage. They celebrated their love for singing with a beautiful song in Spanish celebrating “En el canto hay unidad” or “in singing we find unity,” under the direction of Lydia Mills. Students were overjoyed to sing “Sesere Eeye” from the Torres Strait Islands, with Conway Tan-Gregory, eager to show off how well they’d mastered the traditional dance steps. We closed the song with “Under One Sky.” Halfway through the song, the lights on stage dimmed and the students lit up the stage with their special wristbands. As I directed, I could hear a whoa of excitement from the audience. 

Our students felt so proud that they could create this powerful impact together. I hope they will hold onto the feeling of unity and connection to one another and that it will inspire them to continue singing and using their voices to make a difference in our community. It truly was a lovely evening. I’m already looking forward to next year!

For more information, please visit Cantare’s website.