The Berkeley Community Chamber Singers (BCCS) is an a cappella group of singers, currently 25, that serves as the outreach arm of the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra (BCCO). 

BCCS sings a varied repertoire of madrigals, gospel, pop songs, and spirituals and performs at such venues as senior residences, hospitals, community centers, outdoor fairs, and homeless shelters. BCCS also presents concerts for the general public.

During Fall and Spring sessions, the Chamber Singers rehearse on Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way @ Bowditch, Berkeley, CA 94704.

Spring Performances (** Free and open to the public)

Sunday, March 23, 2025 , Time TBD , First  Church of Christ, Scientist (FCCS), 2619 Dwight Way, Berkeley **

Tuesday, April29, Merritt Crossing, 609 Oak St., Oakland

Tuesday, May 13, Chaparral House, 1309 Allston Way, Berkeley

Thursday, May 15, South Berkeley Sr. Center, 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley **

Tuesday May 20, Glen Brook Terrace, 4030 Panama Ct., Oakland

Thursday, May 22, Jordan Court, 1601 Oxford St., Berkeley

Sunday June 8, 2025, 4pm, First  Church of Christ, Scientist (FCCS), 2619 Dwight Way, Berkeley **

Links to past programs: 

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

Spring 2023

Spring 2022

To inquire about joining BCCS or BCCO - or about hosting a BCCS performance - please use this contact form and mention “Chamber Singers” or “Membership”  in the Comment section. 

Costas Dafnis is a composer and sound artist based in California. In addition to concert music, he writes for theater, dance and games, and is on the Technology and Applied Composition faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

His work has been awarded by New Music USA, the American Prize, International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition, and the Dallas Winds. His Mariana for soprano and processed underwater audio was featured by NOAA/PMEL in an article called “The Music of Challenger Deep” and his 2019 set of Cajun-language art songs is the subject of soprano Nancy Carey’s series of DMA lecture recitals and dissertation. Upcoming premieres include works for the SoCal Brass Consortium, the Greek Chamber Music Project and the Ferndale Public Schools Orchestra, a new piece for wind ensemble, theater and dance companies. His orchestral work was featured at the 2019 Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music’s In the Works series and his music for media will be heard in the indie feature Overwhelm The Sky and at Cinequest in CR Coppola’s VR short, Universe At Play. Costas plays mandolin, designs experimental instruments, conducts and curates New Music at New Vision and has lectured in film at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Learn more about us here.

To join us - email  - please enter “Chamber Singers” in the Comment section.

The Geographical Fugue or Fuge aus der Geographie is the most famous piece for spoken chorus by Ernst Toch, a prominent composer in 1920s Berlin, and singlehandedly invented the idiom of the "Spoken Chorus".

The work was composed as the third and final movement in Toch's suite Gesprochene Musik (Spoken Music). The suite was designed to be recorded by a chorus on gramophone records at 78 rpm, then "performed" in concert by replaying the records at a much higher speed. As Toch wrote in his original program notes: "increasing the tempo, and the resulting pitch level ... created a type of instrumental music, which leads the listener to forget that it originated from speaking".

The piece was first performed, in its original German, at the Neue Musik Berlin festival in June 1930. The performance, in front of an audience that included experimental composer John Cage, was a sensational success. When Toch arrived in the United States in 1935, as a refugee from Nazi Germany, Cage sought him out and obtained permission for the Fugue to be published in English translation. It remains Toch's most-performed work, although the composer himself dismissed it as an unimportant diversion.

Trinidad!

And the big Mississippi

And the town Honolulu

And the lake Titicaca

The Popocatepetl is not in Canada

Rather in Mexico, Mexico, Mexico

Canada, Málaga, Rimini, Brindisi

Canada, Málaga, Rimini, Brindisi

Yes, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet

Nagasaki, Yokohama

Nagasaki, Yokohama

Tibet, Tibet, Tibet, Tibet

"Sicut cervus" is likely the best known of Palestrina's motets. In it is embedded the beauty and dignity for which Palestrina's music is known and judged to be the ideal of Renaissance counterpoint. The motet's polyphonic flow and gentle melodic arches contain a quiet drama. While the motet's word-painting is not overt, neither is it hidden. There is a deep feel for the words' meaning as the voices begin quietly in imitation for the words "Sicut cervus" (As the hart). At the word "desiderat" (longs), rhythm quickens and the line rises to its peak at the word: "fontes" (streams); as the words seek their object, so the melodic lines seek their goal. As the text's thought turns toward the self with the words "ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus" (Thus longs my soul for Thee, God), shorter motives in closer imitation and intensifying dissonance patterns express the human soul's fervent desiring and end the motet.

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,

ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.

As the heart longs for the water springs,

So longs my soul for thee, O God.

The Negro spiritual "Little Innocent Lamb" expresses a commitment to serving God until death. It depicts a "little lamb" as a symbolic representation of a believer who will dedicate their life to God's service. The song conveys a theme of unwavering faith and devotion.

Little Lamb, little Lamb, little innocent lamb,

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

Hypocrite, Hypocrite, tell you what he'd do,

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

He'll talk about me, and he'll talk about you.

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

Devil, he's got a slippery shoe.

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

Now, if you don't mind, he's gonna slip it on you.

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

'Cause there ain't no dyin' over there,

In that Heavenly Land,

There'll be joy, joy, joy.

Just take one brick from Satan's wall,

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

Satan's wall, gonna tumble and fall.

I'm a-gonna serve God till I die.

O magnum mysterium was first published in 1572 by Tomas Luis de Victoria.

O magnum mysterium is a Latin text that translates to “O great mystery” in English.  The full English translation of the text is “O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in a manger!  O blessed virgin, whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It has been set to music by many distinguished composers over the centuries, ranging from Palestrina to John Harbison to  Morten Lauridsen. It is the Responsory following the 4th Lesson of the II Nocturn of Matins for Christmas Day. Victoria's O magnum mysterium, beloved and virtually ubiquitous in its four-voice setting, is a perfect model for intabulation with subtle divisions on the lute substituted for sustained vocal lines.

O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum,

ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio!

Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum.

Alleluia.

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament,

that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger!

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord.

Alleluia!

Leonard Cohen wrote dozens of stanzas and about 80 drafts for the song Hallelujah before landing on the final version. It’s even rumored that during one writing session at the Royalton Hotel in New York, Cohen was reduced to sitting on the floor in his underwear and banging his head on the floor. Cohen, who is considered one of music’s greatest poets, writes expertly and exquisitely about the human condition, about love and sadness and remorse and hope in the track. It’s because of these themes that the song has since become timeless. 

Now I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you dont really care for music, do you?

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

The minor falls, the major lifts

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain, though I don't even know the name

But if I did, well really, what's it to you

There's a blaze of light in every word

It doesn't matter what you heard

The holy and the broken Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch

I've told the truth, I didnt come here to fool you

And even though it all went wrong

I'll stand right here before the Lord of song

With nothing, nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

This African song entitled ”Bonse Aba” translates as, ”all who sing have the right to be called the children of God.”  The traditional lyrics have a buoyant, rhythmic feel that transports the listener to the center of a traditional celebration.  It is sung in the Behmba language, spoken primarily in Zambia, and is a Christian song of celebration that is popular throughout the region.

Bonse aba, mu pokelela, Ba lipele maka akuba bana. 

Kuba bana, kuba bana, kuba bana bakwa lesa. 

Muya ya ya, muya ya ya, muya ya ya, bakwa lesa.

English translation:

All people who accept His authority

Are his children 

In the power of God.

Commissioned by San Francisco Choral Artists, this piece is a comedic setting of a fictitious weather report incorporating some tongue-in-cheek ideas. The result is a short, humorous piece that may raise the eyebrows of serious meteorologists! The music and text deals with a wide range of weather throughout the country, from the windy storms of New England to the mild, sunny weather of California.

Thunderstorms will bring sleet and rain

to the Southwest states tomorrow.

High winds below 1200 feet will prevail,

causing rotating storms that could produce

tornadoes.

But, California will be sunny and mild.

Heavy freezing winds will predominate over New England,

And snow will fall on parts of Maine:

Some schools may be closed.

Heavy freezing winds will predominate over New England,

But by the weekend, we can expect relief.

And, California will be sunny and mild.

Now we’ll take a look at the Rockies:

The Rocky region will have sleet and rain,

and some heavy snow tomorrow.

Some slopes may be closed –

Check the ski reports in the morning.

Yet, California will be sunny and mild.

“Seasons of Love,” comes from the musical “Rent” by Jonathan Larson. Rent is based on the well-known Puccini opera “La Boheme.” Both “Rent” and “La Boheme” are about struggling artists, but “Rent” transports the story 100 years forward and moves it from Paris to New York City. The show was wildly popular, with a 12-year run on Broadway, and played a big role in increasing public awareness of the AIDS epidemic. It won many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and the Tony for Best Musical. Tragically, Jonathan Larson died the night before the show’s off-broadway premier. “Seasons of Love” is perhaps the most well-known and popular song from the movie and asks the question “How do you measure a year in a life?,” suggesting that love is the best way.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear

Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets

In midnights, in cups of coffee

In inches, in miles

In laughter, in strife

In five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love?

How about love?

How about love?

Measure in love

Seasons of love

Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan

Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes

How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

It's time now to sing out

Though the story never ends

Let's celebrate

Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love

Remember the love, remember the love (oh, love)

Love (oh, give me love now)

Measure in love

“For Lo, the Winter Is Past, The Rose of Sharon” by William Billings (1746-1800), celebrates the arrival of Spring, and young love. Billings is considered the first native-born American choral composer, and organized the first choir in the US. A dedicated singing teacher, he composed mainly psalm tunes using a special style of fugues, where one voice follows another, which you can hear in this piece. These songs are part of the Sacred Harp singing tradition.

The text of this song was taken from the second chapter of the Song of Solomon, in the Old Testament of the Bible. Written in about the 3rd century BCE, and attributed to be the poetry of King Solomon, modern historians doubt this authorship. The song contains wonderful imagery of love and the natural world.  It begins “I am the Rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys”, but this Rose is not the flower we call “rose”, but rather a crocus flower and the source of the spice saffron, richly associated with love and well-being. It is not the hibiscus-related shrub also called “Rose of Sharon”. And it is not “Rose-a-Sharn”, the daughter in John Steinbeck’s novel, Grapes of Wrath. The plains of Sharon are the fertile coastal area between the mountains of central Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.

The song ends with the lines “for lo, the winter is past—the rain is over and gone.”

For the people of Israel, in a Mediterranean climate similar to ours in California, we can imagine the flowering glory like the one we’re now in the midst of here, so precious before the onset of a hot, dry summer. Like them, we can also be grateful for the blessings of our winter rain.

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,

so is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house,

his banner over me was love.

Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples:

for I am sick of love.

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,

by the roes, and by the hinds of the field,

that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh

leaping upon the mountains,

skipping upon the hills.

My beloved spake, and said unto me,

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

For, lo, the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

Domine Fili unigenite is the seventh movement of Vivaldi's GLORIA, his most famous choral work. GLORIA is set for eight choruses, arias for a soprano and alto and a duet for two sopranos, and instrumental parts for oboe, trumpet, strings and continuo. It is set to the words Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe (Lord, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ).

Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.

Lord only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

"Viva la Vida" translates to "Long Live Life" in Spanish. The song by Coldplay explores themes of power, fame, and the pursuit of success, particularly through the lens of a fallen king, potentially drawing inspiration from King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. It reflects on the fleeting nature of power and the consequences of ambition, ultimately urging listeners to cherish life's beauty despite its transience. 

I used to rule the world

Seas would rise when I gave the word

Now in the morning, I sleep alone

Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice

Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes

Listen as the crowd would sing

Now the old king is dead, long live the king

One minute, I held the key

Next the walls were closed on me

And I discovered that my castles stand

Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'

Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason, I can't explain

Once you'd gone, there was never, never an honest word

And that was when I ruled the world

It was a wicked and wild wind

Blew down the doors to let me in

Shattered windows and the sound of drums

People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait

For my head on a silver plate

Just a puppet on a lonely string

Aw, who would ever wanna be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin'

Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason, I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

This secular version of "How Can I Keep from Singing?" is based an American folksong that originated as a Christian hymn. The author of the lyrics was known only as 'Pauline T', and the original tune was composed by American Baptist minister Robert Lowry. The song is frequently, though erroneously, cited as a traditional Quaker or Shaker hymn. The original composition has now entered into the public domain, and appears in several hymnals and song collections, both in its original form and with a revised text that omits most of the explicitly Christian content and adds a verse about solidarity in the face of oppression. Though it was not originally a Quaker hymn, Quakers adopted it as their own in the twentieth century and use it widely today.

My life flows on in endless song;

Above earth’s lamentation,

I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn

That hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife,

I hear that music ringing;

It finds an echo in my soul—

How can I keep from singing?

While through the tempest loudly roars,

I hear the truth it liveth,

And though the darkness round me close,

Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm

While to that Rock I’m clinging;

Since love is lord of heav’n and earth,

How can I keep from singing?

Wehn tyrants tremble sick with fear,

Hear their death knell ringing,

Friends rejoice both far and near,

How can I keep from singing?

Prison cells and dungeon vile,

Thoughts to them are winging,

When friends by shame, undefiled.

How can I keep from singing?

I Love My Love is a Cornish folk tale about a woman whose lover is sent off to sea by his parents to ruin the relationship. She becomes so distraught that she is sent to Bedlam mental hospital. Her lover finds out, rushes back to her, and they live happily ever after. Holst's varied use of mood and voices creates a drama: the woman’s melancholy sighs in verse three, the excitement of reunion in verse four, and the peace of the happy ending.

Abroad as I was walking

One evening in the spring

I heard a maid in Bedlam

So sweetly for to sing;

Her chain she rattled with her hands

And thus replied she

I love my love because I know

My love loves me

Oh cruel were his parents

Who sent my love to sea

And cruel was the ship

That bore my love from me:

Yet I love his parents since they’re his

Although they’ve ruined me

"With straw I'll weave a garland,

I'll weave it very fine;

With roses, lilies, daisies,

I'll mix the eglantine;

And I'll present it to my love when he returns from sea.

For...

Just as she there sat weeping

Her love he came on land

Then, hearing she was in Bedlam

He ran straight out of hand;

He flew into her snow-white arms

And thus replied he

She said: “My love don’t frighten me,

are you my love or no?”

“O yes, my dearest Nancy,

I am your love, also

I am returned to make amends

for all your injury.”

So now these two are married,

And happy may they be

Like turtle doves together,

In love and unity.

All pretty maids with patience wait

That have got loves at sea;

The song is about a doomed relationship or imminent break-up.  Billy Joel originally wrote it in 1983 when he was briefly dating model Elle McPherson.  He knew the relationship was not going to last because of various career and professional commitments that each had.

In every heart there is a room

A sanctuary safe and strong

To heal the wounds from lovers past

Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones

You answered me with no pretense

And still I feel I said too much

My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose

It seems I only felt the thorns

And so it goes, and so it goes

And so will you, soon, I suppose

But if my silence made you leave

Then that would be my worst mistake

So I will share this room with you

And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed

It's just as well for all I've seen

And so it goes, and so it goes

And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you

That's if the choice were mine to make

But you can make decisions too

And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes

And you're the only one who knows

In John David’s own words:

“The inspiration for New Day was quite simple; I had just had a major blow in my personal life, and was sitting alone late at night on the settee feeling very low, and watching an ominous story on the news about the very real possibility of nuclear war.

“I started singing to the (hopefully) soon-to arrive New Day like it was an entity, that would rescue me from the depths. If the sun came up and the birds started singing as usual then I could believe that it really was the new day in which life would go on, and in which hope would survive.

“The tune and the words popped into my head at the same time, and it was all written in about 10 minutes, which is why (to me at least) it’s not perfect. But I didn’t feel I had the right to change anything.”

You are the new day

I will love you more than me

And more than yesterday

If you can but prove to me

You are the new day

Send the sun in time for dawn

Let the birds all hail the morning

Love of life will urge me say

You are the new day

When I lay me down at night

Knowing we must pay

Thoughts occur that this night might

Stay yesterday

Thoughts that we as humans small

Could slow worlds and end it all

Lie around me where they fall

Before the new day

One more day when time is running out

For everyone

Like a breath I knew would come I reach for

The new day

Hope is my philosophy

Just needs days in which to be

Love of life means hope for me

Borne on a new day

You are the new day

"Dulaman" is a Gaelic song about seaweed. Due to erosion along the barren West Coast of Ireland, seaweed was carried inland, allowed to rot, and was eventually used to fertilize vegetables. The song has Irish and non-Irish features. Its Irish features include being in the Dorian mode - which is the Irish scale, and has a lilt of a Jig - the 6/8 time signature. 

In Ireland certain men made their livings by collecting and selling different types of seaweed, and were frequently nicknamed for the particular types in which they dealt. Dúlamán Gaelach is a seaweed used in dying cloth, while dúlamán maorach is an edible variety. The song is a conversation between two seaweed collectors. Dúlamán Gaelach has a beautiful daughter whom Dúlamán Maorach wishes to marry. Gaelach is not exactly thrilled with the idea of having Maorach as a son-in-law, but Maorach elopes with his daughter anyway.

A'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí

A mháithair mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé

Dúlaman, dúlaman, dúlaman na binne buí

Dúlaman na binne buí Gaelach

Dúlaman, dúlaman, dúlaman na farraige

Dúlaman na binne buí Gaelach

Rachaimid go Doire leis an dúlamán gaelach

Is ceannóimid bróga daora ar an dúlamán gaelach  

Bróga breaca dubha ar an dúlamán gaelach

Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán gaelach

Tá ceann buí óir ar an dúlamán gaelach

Tá dhá chluais mhaol ar an dúlamán gaelach

Oh gentle daughter

Here come the wooing men

Oh gentle mother

Put the wheels in motion for me

Seaweed, seaweed

Seaweed of the yellow peaks

Irish seaweed of the yellow peaks

Seaweed, seaweed

Seaweed of the ocean

Irish seaweed of the yellow peaks

I would go to Dore

With the Irish seaweed

"I would buy expensive shoes,"

Said the Irish seaweed

The Irish seaweed

Has beautiful black shoes

The Irish seaweed

Has a beret and trousers

There is a yellow gold head

On the Irish seaweed

There are two blunt ears

On the Irish seaweed

Loch Lomond tells the story of two Scottish soldiers who were imprisoned. One of them was to be executed, while the other was to be set free.  According to Celtic legend, if someone dies in a foreign land, his spirit will travel to his homeland by "the low road" -- the route for the souls of the dead.  His spirit would reach Scotland before his comrade gets home, but he will never meet his true love again.

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes

Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond

Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae

On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond

Oh, ye′ll tak the high road

And I'll tak the low road

And I′ll be in Scotland afore ye

But me and my true love will never meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond

'Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen

On the steep, steep sides of Ben Lomond

Where deep in purple hue

The highland hills we viewed

And the moon coming out in the gloaming

The wee birdies sing and the wildflowers spring

And in sunshine the waters lie sleeping

But the broken heart will ken nae second spring again

And the world knows not how we are grieving

Laid back and swingingly relaxing, "Java Jive" was written by Ben Oakland and Milton Drake in 1940, and speaks of the love of coffee. The lyrics also reflect the slang of the times, including a reference to "Mr. Moto", a Japanese film spy. First performed by the Ink Spots, other popular versions include renditions from Guy Lombardo, The King Singers and Manhattan Transfer.

I love coffee, I love tea

I love the java jive and it loves me

Coffee and tea and the jiving and me

A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!

I love java, sweet and hot

Whoops! Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot

Shoot me the pot and I'll pour me a shot

A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!

Oh, slip me a slug from the wonderful mug

And I cut a rug till I'm snug in a jug

A slice of onion and a raw one, draw one.

Waiter, waiter, percolator!

Boston bean, soy bean

Lima bean, string bean.

You know that I'm not keen for a bean

Unless it is a cheery coffee bean.

Oh, slip me a slug from the wonderful mug

And I cut a rug till I'm snug in a jug

Drop me a nickel in my pot, Joe, Taking it slow.