The C-Notes Continue Tradition of Christmas Joy for the Sisters of Carondelet

By Tommy Smeltzer

On Wednesday, December 5, one hundred Chaminade middle school students donned formal attire, boarded buses in the pouring rain and delivered the joyful sounds of Christmas to an audience of retired nuns who live at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet center on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University. The C-Notes performed this year’s Christmas concert entitled Tidings of Comfort and Joy for scores of sisters gathered in the chapel, singing a variety of sacred and secular pieces in Latin, Swahili, and English. Many of the nuns who were unable to be moved watched the concert on closed-circuit TV in their rooms. 

The concert is an annual tradition going back four years but has roots in a Chaminade relationship that dates back much further. Years ago, middle school music and choral director Kathy Rohrs led a string ensemble that would play various events. She tells us, “We had a special Sister of Carondelet that worked at Chaminade for many years named Sr. Noreen Arnold. The Chaminade “String Affair” would go and do concerts each Christmas for Sr. Noreen and all the elderly Sisters of Carondelet. It was our way of bringing joy to others and sharing our God-given talents.” She goes on to say that, “Sadly, Sr. Noreen Arnold passed away in 2011 from cancer. The String Affair group would continue to do concerts for the sisters until they went on to college to study music and film.”

The Chaminade Sting Affair pictured left to right: Noreen Kovelman, Ronnie Mansour ’16, Breanna Kovelman ’14, Alex Mansour ’15 and Kathy Rohrs with Sr. Noreen Arnold in the center. 2011

The C-Notes concerts are a continuation of this tradition, performing in the beautiful Carondelet Center Chapel. Among the attendees at this year’s event were 105-year-old Sister Anne Gertrude Fitzgerald and her “little sister”103-year-old Sister Constance. At the end of concert Sister Regina Clare Salazar took to the mic to thank the students, “When we look at these young people from Chaminade middle school, we are honored and overcome with all that has gone into this production – your staging, your presence, your attention, everything about you is classic, and we are very, very proud of you and very grateful to Sister Noreen Patrice…that you could be with us.”

“I am so proud of Mrs. Rohrs and the 100 C-Notes members who braved the rain and cold to bring some Christmas joy to the nuns,” said middle school principal, Mike Valentine” It is inspiring to me to know that we have so many educators and students who are willing to give of themselves for others.”

Sister Sharon Margaret Ninteman, CSJ Community Life Coordinator, thanked the C-Notes for sharing their talents and bringing comfort and joy to the sisters. “They look forward to it every year and continue to talk about it the rest of the week,” says Sr. Ninteman. “The students, under Kathy’s direction, provided an excellent performance …and are a real testimony to the values you teach at Chaminade…to God’s glory!”­­

C-Notes Spring Concert This Weekend

C-Notes Spring Concert 2018The award-winning Chaminade C-Notes present their spring concert, “a Grand Night for Singing” on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the DeLong Center (Chatsworth Campus).

General admission tickets are $10 per person (under two-years-old free), and may be purchased online. Seating is open and on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The C-Notes are directed by Kathy Rohrs, and student directors are Denise Enrique ’20 and Brendan Teehan ’21.

C-Notes and C7 Take First Place at Santa Clarita Festival

The Chaminade C-Notes and C7 ensemble performed at the Music in the Parks festival in Santa Clarita Saturday, April 28. More than 20 schools from Arizona, California, and Nevada participated in the festival. The awards ceremony took place at Six Flags Magic Mountain where The C-Notes earned first place in the Concert Choir division with a “superior” rating. C7 ensemble Also took first place in the Vocal Jazz division and scored a “superior “rating. They also won best Overall Choir for Junior High/Middle School division. Lauren Effertz ’23 received a medal for the Best Overall Vocalist in the festival.

Congratulations to Mrs. Kathy Rohrs and her High School Assistant Conductors, Denise Enrique ’20 and Brendan Teehan ’21 for their great accomplishment.

C-Notes and C7 Perform at the Heritage Festival

Chaminade College Preparatory’s C-Notes performed in the Heritage Festival in Anaheim, California from March 9 to 11. The C-Notes performed at the Rose Center Theater (Westminster) in front of three choral adjudicators. They sang songs in three contrasting choral genres and in three languages, Latin, French and Spanish. Middle school teachers, Kathleen Baucom-Acker and Miguel Solis who helped with pronunciation in French and Spanish.

The C-Notes won first place Gold in the Concert Choir division. Lauren Effertz ’23, solo soprano and Tim Brustinov ’24, boy soprano, were recognized by the judges for their outstanding solo performance and received the Maestro award. Chaminade’s a cappella group C7, directed by Denise Enrique ’20 and Brendan Teehan ’21, earned Gold in the Vocal Jazz division. The C-Notes have been invited to the 2019-2020 National Youth Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall. This is their fifth consecutive invitation.

Choir Director, Kathy Rohrs thanks her colleagues who were practice adjudicators for this festival: John Apablasa, Jen Bader, Heather Eaton, Joe Norton and Mike Russ. She also extends a huge thank you to Charisse Enrique and Jill Teehan for their support and many hours of preparation.

Middle School Concerts This Weekend

shutterstock_152792564This weekend Chaminade College Preparatory’s middle school students invite the school family to attend two concerts:

C-Notes (middle school choir)
Saturday, December 3
7:30 p.m.
Tutor Family Center for the Performing Arts (West Hills)

Middle school band
Sunday, December 4
3:00 p.m.
Fr. Allen DeLong Center for Arts and Athletics (Chatsworth)

Tickets to the C-Notes concert, Christmas Bells are Ringing are available for purchase online, and are $10 per child and $15 per adult.

Tickets to the Winter Band concert are available for purchase online and are $5 per person. After 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 4, tickets may be purchased at the door for $7 per person.