FOLK TALES | A Choral Concert

Name: FOLK TALES | A Choral Concert
Start: 2025-10-11T16:00:00-07:00
Location: San Dieguito United Methodist Church

Schedule

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025 at 04:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

San Dieguito United Methodist Church | Encinitas, CA

Women’s chamber chorus, Sorelle San Diego, will present Folk Tales, a fall concert on Saturday, October 11 at 4:00 p.m. in Encinitas. Directed by Michelle Risling and accompanied by Anna Juliar, Sorelle will perform compelling choral works that examine the Maiden, Mother and Crone, each symbolizing a distinct stage of women’s lives across cultures.

Sorelle’s concert features Sarah Quartel’s She Sang the Stars, where five movements tell stories inspired by three women figures from the Finnish epic poem, The Kalevala. Characters include the Water-Mother, who descends from sky to sea carrying her child for centuries before giving birth, and Lempi, embodying different forms to search for her lost son. The piece culminates in Song of the Stars, which honors the presence of the stars as all-knowing, eternal elements. Exploring Mexico’s most celebrated ghost stories, Three Mexican Folk Songs, by David Conte, highlight haunting archetypes such as La Bruja and La Llorona. The concert also includes The Ballad of the Witches’ Road, by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, associated with the Marvel Studios Disney+ television miniseries Agatha All Along.

North Coast Singers’ Capella high school ensemble will join Sorelle for part of She Sang the Stars as well as perform their own programming based on European folk and mythological traditions.

“Song selections uncover feminine archetypes in folklore. These include The Maiden, representative of youthful joy; The Witch, a powerful, feared and magical figure; and The Crone, often a source of knowledge and spiritual understanding,” described Michelle Risling, conductor. “Our repertoire explores cultural identities through generations, providing insights into the phases of women’s lives and societal beliefs across cultures.”

ABOUT SORELLE WOMEN’S CHAMBER CHORUS
Sorelle San Diego was founded in 2013 by director, Sally Husch Dean. When Dean retired from conducting, she passed the baton to Michelle Risling, a well-known conductor and singer in the Southern California region. Risling also serves as Interim Artistic Director of San Diego North Coast Singers. Sorelle strives to enhance the local community by offering challenging repertoire of diverse styles and genres. Selections range from international folk songs to music of living composers. A key part of Sorelle’s mission is to benefit local non-profit organizations by sharing concert proceeds.

Sorelle is a program of San Diego North Coast Singers, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.