The students in Brentwood's Liberty High School A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers were thrilled when they received an invitation to represent the State of California in the National Festival of the States 2003 next June in Washington, D.C.  The invitation arrived last month in the form of a letter from the Honorable Anthony Williams, mayor of the District of Columbia, on behalf of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the U. S. Navy Memorial Foundation, and Music Celebrations International which are sponsoring the event.

"It's a great honor," says Liberty choir director, Susan Stuart, "and we are especially honored because we were nominated by other choir directors from around the state who heard us sing in competitions.  It's wonderful when your peers recognize your achievements."

The 70 students and their chaperones will travel to Washington, D.C. in June, after school is out, and will have the opportunity to perform in three different venues during the festival.  These venues range from the U. S. Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, Mount Vernon, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Cathedral, and the U. S. Navy Memorial.  In addition, the group will have the opportunity to participate in escorted tours of many of the other landmarks and monuments in the nation's capital.

Men at work!!  Hooray!!

Click picture to enlarge.

Brentwood Press Story

Crabbin' our way to DC - Crab Feed/Truck Raffle -

by Karen Rarey Staff writer, Brentwood Press

It was a musical evening of finger-lickin,' crab-crunchin' fun Friday night, as Liberty's 80 VOLTS pulled piles of people and cratefulls of crab into the Golden Hills Community Church.

More than 300 residents, family and friends came out to support the Voices of Liberty Tour by tying on a bib, eating with their hands and enjoying the vocal sensations of the choir.

"I live in Brentwood and wanted to support 80 VOLTS," said Tanya Migay, who also invited friends from as far as Santa Rosa and San Francisco to help support the cause.

Antioch resident Dee Koester said she saw the crab feed in the paper and couldn't think of a better way to support the kids.

The 80 VOLTS drive is an effort to send the Liberty Concert and Chamber choirs to Washington D.C. this summer, where they have been invited to represent the state of California in the National Festival of the States 2003.

Veteran crab feed attendees could be spotted throughout the rows of people as the flames of their fondue pots warmed their oozing butter, which brought envy from those around them.

Others were more interested in the silent auction items, sneaking back to make sure they were still top bid for their desired item.

Then there was Lucia Albers, who was armed with a crystal bowl and 20 crisp Ulysses S. Grants ready to drop one bill in the bowl for every $50 the crowd could muster.

The crowd was bound and determined she would leave empty handed, and she did, as tablemates pooled their resources to to meet her challenge. A total of $2,000 was thus raised.

Oakland Raider tight end Jeremy Brigham came to raise money for the group by taking pictures and signing autographs. Not only did he raise money for the cause by flashing his pearly whites, but his wife, Danielle, also made a huge dent in the silent auction by registering the high bid on a number of items (including, interestingly, baskets of Raider memorabilia)..

Fortunately, the Brighams brought their own truck that night to cart home their loot, since the honors of the raffle of the truck was not theirs.

Wayne E. Swisher Cement got the lucky draw that evening, which drew a disappointed chorus of "Awe" in chorus from the entire room.

All in all, 80 VOLTS Treasurer Michael Armstrong-Smith said after expenses they'd be able to move the voltage meter up another $5,000, bringing the grand total raised to date to $55,000, creeping ever closer to their goal of $80K.

"We need to raise $14,500 more and the kids are paid for, 100 percent," said Armstrong-Smith. Any surplus raised will help to replace worn uniforms and equipment.

Anyone interested in making a donation to 80 VOLTS can contact them by calling 925-513-3875, or by logging on at www.80volts.com.

Brentwood Press Story

Thursday June 12     Coaches depart Brentwood at 3:30am PST en route San Francisco International airport
                             Depart San Francisco on Delta flight 314 at 7am PST, arriving Atlanta at 2:40pm EST
                             There is a one hour lay over in Atlanta
                             Depart Atlanta on Delta 1157 at 3:40pm EST, arriving in Baltimore at 5:34pm EST

Friday June 13        Attend wreath laying ceremony at tomb of unknown soldier in Arlington cemetery
                             We will be there mainly observing although four of our children will take part in the ceremony

Sunday June 15       Sing in National Cathedral at 10:30am EST
                             Depart Baltimore on Delta flight 1816 at 2:30pm EST, arriving in Atlanta at 4:31pm EST
                             We have a one and a half hour lay over in Atlanta
                             Depart Atlanta on Delta 277 at 6:00pm EST, arriving in San Francisco at 8:23pm PST
                             Coach transfer to Brentwood - anticipated arrival time 11:15pm

Hot off the press: we have just heard that we will be having a tour of the White House - cool huh?

Note: apart from the National Cathedral on Friday, our choir will be singing at a minimum of at least two other formal occasions.

Wednesday April 30 - More than 120 residents of Brentwood's Summerset I were entertained with an evening of music given by our very own Liberty Chamber Singers.  Conducted by Sue Stuart and wonderfully accompanied by Eric Hunter on the piano the choir performed many of their best loved renditions.  Outstanding performance followed outstanding performance.

 After a brief intermission to give the residents a chance to take part in the silent auction put together by your own 80 Volts committee, they were thrilled by JAG (Just Add Girls) - Liberty's own barbershop quartet.  Their final number, Ghost Chickens in the Sky, brought the house down with laughter.

After the drawing for the silent auction by Bruce Stuart the choir completed the evening's entertainment by singing half a dozen more of their unique numbers.  The final number, a fabulous arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, brought the whole house to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation.

Checks from Sponsors

"Big Fat Checks"

Liberty Students laying the wreath at the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

A Cappella Choir & Chamber Singers

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Keepsake Photos professionally framed by

California Custom Art in Brentwood, CA

We also performed at The Navy Memorial

and The Vietnam Memorial

National Cathedral - Washington, DC

News Story by Amanda Stanislaw - Student