Blog: California Baptist University Men's Chorale Inspires at Calvary Church

Last night our family had the pleasure of attending a performance of the California Baptist University Men’s Chorale at . Although not well publicized, the large chapel was packed and as we quickly found out, there was an excellent reason for the full house. 

Chorale Director Judd Bonner said that the concert in Los Gatos was part of a “mini- tour” including four stops in Northern California. The CBU chorale is an incredible 94-voices ensemble that includes a pianist, an eight-piece brass section, and a percussion section. 

They gave an engaging, strong and soulful performance, whether singing a capella or with accompaniment. The amazing accompanist on the piano played dozens of songs, all from memory, not a piece of sheet music in site. Their repertoire featured a variety of inspirational contemporary Christian music as well as a salute to America’s military in honor of Veterans Day.

Individuals stepped forward to offer solo performances backed up by the strength of the young men's rich full voices mostly ranging in age from 18 to 23. The director introduced many of the soloists, men who are studying engineering, education, music and political science. All sang so well. The performance reminded us that there is so much good in America—youth, beauty, intelligence and strength.

They began the performance singing while creating a large circle encompassing the entire audience. It was as if the music embraced the crowd with joy. You could feel the love in their voices. You could feel their enthusiasm as they moved to the music's beat. Dressed in stunning black suits and crisp white shirts they sang with generous smiles on their faces.  

We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of this fantastic music event right here in our town, just a few blocks from our house. We hope that the CBU Men’s Chorale returns soon.