The Sonoma Valley Chorale

The Sonoma Valley Chorale began as an interfaith choral group in the very late 1960s. Jim Griewe, as music director at Faith Lutheran, led the effort, and in 1973, the group incorporated to become the Sonoma Valley Chorale.

Under Jim's direction, the small handful of vocalists grew to a community chorus of over one hundred members. In  addition  to the many concerts performed in Sonoma over the years, the Chorale has toured Europe twice. A trip to France and Italy in 1995 included concerts in our sister cities. 1998 took us to The United Kingdom, and we toured New England and Canada in October 2001. Renowned contemporary composer, Gwyneth Walker, worked closely with Mr. Griewe, and she was commissioned to compose "Come Life, Shaker Life" expressly for the Chorale.  It is a delightful suite of music that captures the spirit of Americana, as well as the soul of the Sonoma Valley Chorale.

The choir members range in ages from 18 to 80 and come from all walks of life, with varied careers and interests; but we are united by our love of music and our common desire to share that music with our audiences. Each Chorale member owes a great debt of gratitude for the gift of music our Conductor Emeritus has bestowed upon the Sonoma community for over thirty five years; it is a rich and gratifying legacy, indeed.

The Chorale has been the standard by which community choirs throughout Northern and Central California measure themselves. Its faithful audiences return again and again because the choir’s enthusiasm and energetic performances always wash over the audiences and make them feel a real part of the performance.