Magnificat Moves Peninsula Series to St. Patrick’s
Magnificat will be performing all of their Peninsula concerts in the 2010-2011 season at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. One of the most attractive performance venues in the Bay Area, St. Patrick’s was the site for two of Magnificat’s concerts last season and the audience response was overwhelming.
“I first encountered St. Patrick’s when I was the session producer for a recording of John Dornenburg’s viol consort Sex Chordæ,” noted Magnificat artistic director Warren Stewart. It is not only a beautiful space, but the acoustics are exceptional.”
St. Patrick’s Seminary was opened in 1898 and has undergone extensive renovation of the past decade. The main chapel, where Magnificat will perform, was rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and completed in 1915. The richly colored carpets that cover the neutral marble of the pavement in the nave and sanctuary were designed by the San Francisco artist and sculptor John MacQuarrie and the stained glass windows were designed and manufactured in Birmingham, England, by John Hardman.
“The environment makes a huge difference for the audience’s experience of a concert,” Stewart observed. “It is also an inspiration for the musicians to perform in a space that enhances the music and enriches the senses. Just being in the chapel of St. Patrick’s is a treat.”
A full history and description of the chapel can be read at the St. Patrick’s website.
Photos of Magnificat at St. Patrick’s during the 2009-2010 Season
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