FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John Hill johnhillpr@gmail.com 510.435.7128 KITKA ANNOUNCES ITS ANNUAL WINTERSONGS TOUR Six concerts plus a community sing at venues around the Bay Area, December 7-21 Tour celebrates new holiday music album, Evening Star Photo: Vincent Louis Carrella. Dec. 7 Holy Cross Church, SANTA CRUZ, CA Dec. 9 Osher Marin JCC, SAN RAFAEL, CA Dec. 10 Arts at St. Bede's, MENLO PARK, CA Dec. 15 St. Paul s Episcopal Church, OAKLAND, CA Dec. 16 Old First Church, SAN FRANCISCO, CA Dec. 17 Wintersongs Community Sing at Nile Hall, OAKLAND, CA Dec. 21 Filoli, WOODSIDE, CA This internationally recognized women's vocal ensemble has developed a massive repertoire of Eastern European folk songs, presented as a joyous reminder that musicmaking is a sacred act and a communal celebration. SF Weekly "Simply amazing harmonies truly this is the most wonderful singing I have ever heard. David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, and Nash
OAKLAND, CA, October 12, 2017 Powerhouse women s vocal ensemble, Kitka, has announced details for its annual Wintersongs tour and its new holiday music CD release titled Evening Star. Performing exquisite and unusual seasonal music from a wide variety of Eastern European ethnic and spiritual traditions, Kitka will present six concerts in Northern California, December 7 21, and on December 17, the ensemble will lead its seventh annual Wintersongs Community Sing, a sing-along event. This year s tour kicks off at Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz, December 7 at 8 p.m., followed by stops at the Kanbar Center for the Arts in San Rafael, December 9 at 8 p.m.; Arts at St. Bede's in Menlo Park, December 10 at 4 p.m.; St. Paul s Episcopal Church in Oakland, December 15 at 8 p.m.; Old First Concerts at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, December 16 at 8 p.m.; and Filoli in Woodside, December 21 at 5 p.m. Advance tickets range between $10 and $55, and may be purchased online via links at Kitka.org/events. Kitka s Wintersongs Community Sing returns to historic Nile Hall in Oakland s Preservation Park on December 17 at 5 p.m. As always, Kitka s Wintersongs Community Sing is free with a voluntary donation. Several years in the making, Kitka s newest studio album, Evening Star, is a sequel to the ensemble s acclaimed 2005 Wintersongs CD, a refreshing spin on traditional seasonal choral music thoroughly marvelous! (NPR). The title track, a Bulgarian folk tune arranged in dramatic, six-part harmony, depicts the Evening Star at its zenith in the winter sky, illuminating the land near and far. In celebration of their new CD, Kitka dedicates this year's Wintersongs program to the mystery and wonder of long winter nights, explained Kitka s Executive Artistic Director Shira Cion. The lyrics of many of the songs on our new Evening Star album are poetically rich with celestial imagery of the moon and stars, as well as such wintry elements as frost, snow and storms. In Slavic mythology, continued Cion, the Evening Star was a female deity associated with the planets Venus and Mercury. By some accounts she was a virgin goddess, and according to others she was the wife of the Moon god and mother of all the stars. Christian lore incorporated the Evening Star into the nativity story as the Star of Bethlehem. Songs heralding the wonder of celestial bodies remind us that we are but a small part of the universe, said Kelly Atkins, who together with Caitlin Tabancay Austin directs this year s Wintersongs program. In this time of uncertainty and disequilibrium, we can find solace and comfort in the simple joy of raising our voices together in harmony. After November 15, Evening Star can be previewed and purchased for $15 plus shipping and handling online at kitka.org/shop/. Kitka s 2017 Wintersongs ensemble includes Kelly Atkins, Caitlin Tabancay Austin, Kristine Barrett, Shira Cion, Erin Lashnits Herman, Janet Kutulas, Hannah Levy, and Lily Storm. For more information about Kitka and all its programs visit kitka.org. Wintersongs events in Oakland are supported, in part, by the City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program. Page 2 of 5 Kitka 1201 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland CA 94612
ABOUT KITKA Dedicated to cultivating local and global community through the practice of harmony singing, Kitka is an American women's vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe. The Oakland, CA-based group has earned international recognition for its distinctive sound, exploring a vast palette of ancient yet contemporarysounding vocal effects. The ensemble s earthy to ethereal timbres evoke an astonishing range of subtle to extreme inner states, instincts and emotions. Kitka s commitment to presenting traditional song as a living and evolving expressive art form has led to adventurous collaborations with some of the world s most exciting indigenous musicians and contemporary composers ranging from Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares to Meredith Monk. Currently celebrating its 38th season, Kitka began as a grassroots group of amateur singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women's vocal music. Since its informal beginnings, the group has evolved into an award-winning touring ensemble known for its artistry, versatility and mastery of the demanding techniques of regional vocal styling, as well as for its innovative explorations in new music for women s voices. The ensemble's wide-ranging performance, teaching, and recording activities have exposed millions to the haunting beauty of their unique repertoire. Page 3 of 5 Kitka 1201 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland CA 94612
FACT SHEET WHAT: WINTERSONGS, Kitka s annual holiday tour showcasing seasonal music from a wide variety of Eastern European ethnic and spiritual traditions. WHERE & WHEN: SANTA CRUZ, CA Thursday, December 7 8 p.m. Holy Cross Church 126 High Street Tickets: $15 - $40 SAN RAFAEL, CA Saturday, December 9 8 p.m. Kanbar Center for the Arts 200 North San Pedro Road Tickets: $10 - $35 Reservations: marinjcc.org, 415-444-8000 MENLO PARK, CA Sunday, December 10 4 p.m. Arts at St. Bede's 2650 Sand Hill Road Tickets: $15 - $40 OAKLAND, CA Friday, December 15 8 p.m. St. Paul's Episcopal Church 114 Montecito Avenue Tickets: $20 - $40 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Saturday, December 16 8 p.m. Old First Concerts at Old First Presbyterian Church 1751 Sacramento Street Tickets: $10 - $40 Reservations and Info: oldfirstconcerts.org, 415-474-1608 OAKLAND, CA Sunday, December 17 5 p.m. 7th annual Wintersongs Community Sing Nile Hall 668 13th Street Tickets: Free, voluntary donations encouraged
WOODSIDE, CA Wednesday, December 21 5 p.m. Filoli 6 Cañada Road Tickets: $55 - $65 Reservations and Info: filoli.org, 650-364-8300 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Photos: Kitka.org/photos Music: Kitka.org/listen Video: Kitka.org/video Page 5 of 5 Kitka 1201 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland CA 94612