Diablo Valley College chorale’s Moraga concert set at St. Mary’s chapel
Directed by Bret Peppo, who has taught at the Pleasant Hill- and San Ramon-based Diablo Valley College (DVC) for 18 years, the concert features a “Mass for the Forgotten,” a contemporary work by composer Richard Burchard, and reflects the evolving mission of a choir that welcomes singers of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels. Peppo’s path to music was not conventional, having grown up in rural Illinois and not discovered his passion for singing until later.
“I went to a very small school. I did not do much music until I joined choir at a small community college,” he said. “After a semester, I decided this is what I want to do my major in. I have taught at various colleges and universities for the past 30 years.”
Now living in Concord, Peppo leads a chorale that includes singers ranging in age from 16 to 86. The diversity is intentional and central to the ensemble’s culture.
“As I get older, I am evolving in what’s important to me,” Peppo said. “When I was a younger musician, creating a beautiful choir was the most important thing. Everything we did was to create a beautiful, finished product for the concert.”
He says it’s different today.
“Choir is an escape from the real world for two-and-a-half hours,” he added. “Our goal is to build a community of people, and each rehearsal is as important as the performance.”
That philosophy extends to who belongs in the choir. Peppo has long invited faculty members to sing but last fall expanded outreach more broadly.
“I have invited faculty for a long time. However, this last semester was the first time I sent an email to all the faculty and staff,” he said.
One who answered the call was Christina McDade, a full-time German instructor who sang with the chorale and helped with language coaching during a Bach performance.
“Christina has a beautiful soprano voice and helped us with our German pronunciation in the Bach we were performing,” Peppo said.
For anyone who doubts their ability to sing, Peppo’s message is simple.
“Everyone can sing and should sing — period,” he said. “It is a skill like anything else. Although some people have a more natural ability, it takes years and years of practice. I am most excited that we offer a place for everyone to sing. How are you ever going to learn if you don’t get the opportunity?”
The May 2 program centers on the aforementioned “Mass for the Forgotten,” a 45-minute staged work that Peppo encountered while traveling abroad.
“This piece is a new work by Richard Birchard,” he said. “I actually traveled with the University of Southern Mississippi on their European tour last spring. As part of their performance, I staged the work for their ensemble. While it is a 45-minute piece, the staging helps tell the story of the forgotten.”
The venue itself plays a significant role in the experience. Saint Mary’s College Chapel is known for its wonderful acoustics, something Peppo says he believes enhances sound and spirit.
“Saint Mary’s College Chapel is beautiful, and it has a beautiful reverb that enhances the choir,” he said. “It makes you feel good singing in a space like this.”
Half of the concert’s proceeds will support DVC Basic Needs, which assists students facing food, clothing and housing insecurity.
“When I asked about the basic needs program at DVC, none of them knew about any programs we offer for our students,” Peppo said of the chorale members. “Hopefully by highlighting this area, we can help bring awareness to their needs that serve our students.”
For longtime chorale member Ogie Strogatz, the ensemble offers something increasingly rare.
“What drew me back was the opportunity to be in a harmonizing, uplifting community through song — an experience that is the most powerful antidote to divisiveness that seeps into so much of our society these days,” she said. “The DVC Concert Chorale is the ultimate multivitamin for the soul.”
Strogatz, who has participated since 2020, describes rehearsals as joyful and grounding.
“It’s the quintessence of community — everyone matters, everyone is valued,” she said. “It’s a time to set aside all the crazy-making stuff in my life and immerse myself in the music.”
Keith Coppage, a retired Mount Diablo Unified School District teacher and newer chorale member, echoed that sentiment.
“There’s something really nurturing about making the music yourself, about performing, about being part of a team,” Coppage said. “When you have 18-year-olds singing alongside 80-year-olds … when they get together and work on one project, it’s really something.”
As Peppo looks ahead, he says his excitement lies not just in the repertoire but in the people.
“I think the most exciting thing is seeing and meeting new people that are in the choir,” he said. “The music is beautiful, but I’m a little worried about the difficulty of it. … I’m trying to figure out ways of teaching specific parts of this work and making it accessible for all.”
On May 2, that balance of challenge, compassion and community will be on full display — not just as a concert, but as a shared human experience.
Reach Charleen Earley, a freelance writer and journalism professor at Diablo Valley college, at charleenbearley@gmail.com or 925-383-3072.