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Chamber Music Palisades Opens Second Decade

Series Includes New Commission, Redoubtable Icons and Intimate Music Setting

Chamber Music Palisades begins its second decade of concerts in the Palisades on October 23, with a program including Debussy’s familiar ‘Afternoon of a Faune’ for flute and piano, and rediscovered Holocaust composer Ervin Schulhoff’s ‘Concertino’ for flute, viola and bass. ‘Amazingly, we haven’t worked through all the chamber literature,’ co-founder Susan Greenberg says. ‘We really haven’t done most of this music, except for Turina’s piano trio, which audiences loved a few seasons ago. For the most part, Greenberg and co-founder Delores Stevens look for chamber works’some old, some new and some in between–that are challenges for them, but also intended to ‘keep everybody happy.’ Greenberg and Stevens begin to prepare for each upcoming season at the first of the year, when the two banter around ideas, with the hope of beginning to sign up the musicians by spring. ‘This is the hardest part, because these players are so busy and so good,’ Greenberg says. ‘Most of the players, even those with international reputations, like Ida Levin, live in the Los Angeles area.’ A new addition to the concert roster this year is cellist Antonio Lysy, who not only concertizes around the world, but is a professor of cello at UCLA. Over the years, Chamber Music Palisades has presented the finest players in Los Angeles, including artists from the L.A. Philharmonic and the L.A. Chamber Orchestra in the intimate setting at St. Matthew’s Parish. KUSC’s afternoon host Alan Chapman will once again provide commentary on each concert. This year, CMP is introducing a scholarship for a young chamber ensemble and expanding its school outreach programs to five. ‘Thanks to a grant from the Palisades Junior Women’s Club, we will be able to present two concerts in the Palisades, this year at Calvary School,’ Greenberg says. The music series opens with a diverse program featuring a mix of masterworks and rarely performed pieces by Debussy, Mozart, Schulhoff and Schubert on Tuesday, October 23 at 8 p.m., at St. Matthew’s Parish. The artists featured include Susan Greenberg, flute, Roland Kato, viola, Arman Ksajikian, cello, and Josefina Vergara, violin, all of who are members of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as well as soloist and chamber musician Delores Stevens, piano, and Nico Abondolo, who served as principal bass of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra for eight years. Stevens and Greenberg launch the program with a rarely performed arrangement for flute and piano of ‘Afternoon of a Faun’ by Impressionistic French composer Claude Debussy. A pastoral and expressive work shaded with delicate and graceful musical overtones, it was inspired by the poem ‘L’Apres-midi d’un faune’ by French symbolist poet Mallarm’. Vergara, Stevens and Ksajikian, take the stage next with W.A. Mozart’s sparkling ‘Trio in B-flat Major’ K. 358 for violin, cello and piano, which is a transcription of one of four piano sonatas that Mozart composed for four hands for his sister Anna Maria and himself. Greenberg, Kato and Abondolo perform Concertino for flute, viola and bass, written by Czech composer Ervin Schulhoff in 1925. Schulhoff, of Jewish-German decent, found inspiration in the rhythms of jazz and the avant-garde cultural movement of Dadaism after World War I, but was blacklisted in the 1930s by the Nazi regime and died of tuberculosis in August 1942 at the W’lzburg concentration camp. The concert concludes with The ‘Trout’ Quintet for piano and strings by prolific Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Written in 1819, when Schubert was 22 years old, the work was not published until 1829, a year after his death, but has become one of his most popular and beloved chamber pieces. Chamber Music Palisades’ season continues with concerts on January 22, March 25, and May 6, which features the world premiere Adrienne Albert’s world premiere quartet for flute and strings. Tickets are $25; students with ID are free. St. Matthew’s Parish, 1031 Bienveneda. For tickets and information, please call (310) 459-2070 or visit www.cmpalisades.org.

Catholic Scholar Takes Long View on Church

Fr. Angelo di Berardino enjoys his summer respite at Corpus Christi.
Fr. Angelo di Berardino enjoys his summer respite at Corpus Christi.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

As Christians around the globe call for change, for arms, for peace or for loyalty, Catholics at Corpus Christi enjoy a call to reflect on the very foundation of the church for a month every summer. Fleeing the heat of Rome, Augustinian priest and scholar Rev. Angelo di Berardino takes his summer retreat in the Palisades. ‘I like to be as far away from my usual job as possible,’ Fr. Angelo says, contrasting not only the Italian mentality with the American character, but also departing from his rigorous scholarship. Fr. Angelo, who lives and works in the Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum in Rome, has spent his life reading, researching and writing about ancient Christianity and the fathers of the church. He lives in the general Augustinian headquarters, which, while not technically in Vatican City, is directly across the street from the papal palace. While Fr. Angelo is an ordained Augustinian priest, his ministry, he says, is more behind the scenes, teaching and publishing. Following a career path to the priesthood, which was not so unusual in his day, Fr. Angelo entered the seminary at 15. He studied history and psychology and focused his graduate studies on ancient Christianity, particularly on the heroes of the church in the 4th century, including St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Gregory and St. Nicholas. After ordination in 1962, Fr. Angelo was called by the secretary- general of the order to teach in Rome. He obeyed, but found those early years difficult. ‘I was accustomed to a more active life, and I didn’t feel prepared. A natural extrovert and accepting of everybody, Fr. Angelo began to branch out, meet people and to publish. ‘Life became more enjoyable.’ His prodigious scholarship paid off in his first book published in 1978 on the Fathers of the Church, 4th century. A scholarly encyclopedia of Christian antiquity, the two-volume compendium brings together a cross-section of Christian traditions and authors covering topics such as the personalities of the church, and the relationship between Christianity and the thought and philosophies of the pagan world. Fr. Angelo’s route to Corpus Christi started in Rome. In 1993, he met Judge Lawrence Waddington, a Palisadian and convert to Catholicism, who invited him to come to Los Angeles to visit. He took him up on the offer and came to Corpus Christi, where the pastor, Fr. Mihan, welcomed him with an open-ended invitation. ‘He said just told me to give him two days’ notice before I come,’ Fr. Angelo remembers. In the last couple of years, Fr. Angelo has made his annual foray in August, and parishioners have learned to anticipate his visit. ‘He comes here every summer and you have to get on the list to have dinner or lunch with him,’ Carol Sanborn says. In a church the size of Corpus Christi, Fr. Angelo’s presence is welcome. Although he says ‘the way you teach is different from the way you preach,’ his sermons focus on the history of the church. His topic may be women in the early church, who were more involved before the development of a hierarchy of clergy curtained their activities. On the topic of how Christian values were implemented in pagan society, he offers a number of precedents. ‘The separation of church and state was implemented by the Christians. In pagan world, the high priest was emperor. The Christian calendar was introduced and the concept of the week, with Sunday, the day of the Lord, becoming the day of worship.’ Fr. Angelo stresses the importance for Christians of knowing the history and theology in keeping focus on the fundamentals of the faith, but also to better prepare for reform. The reforms instituted by Pope John XXIII included a number of changes that would have been quite familiar to early Christians, such as the involvement of the community. ‘In the first century, there were more people involved in the church community, before everything ended up in the hands of the priests.’ Fr. Angelo departed for Rome on September 11, but he’ll be back next summer ready for more of ‘The American Freedom.’

City Horticulturalist To Speak on Unusual Trees

Jorge Ochoa, horticulturalist with the city of Los Angeles and lecturer, will present a talk on the unusual trees of Los Angeles at the first meeting of the Palisades Garden Club on Monday, October 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. In 1994, Ochoa spearheaded a Department of Recreation and Parks inventory of the estimated one million trees in city parks, that provides information on each species, characteristics in relation to active and passive recreation, cooling/shading effects and the ecological and financial benefits of each. Using Global Positioning System (GPS), the department identified each park tree and its location in the park. Ochoa said the species are divided into five categories, which are intended to help the laymen discover the rich variety of trees in city parks. The categories include dedicated trees, such as the pine in Griffith Park named for Beatle George Harrison; L.A. ordinance native oaks, of which there are an estimated 670 in city parks; trees with horticultural significance, such as the giant dioon cycad’the largest in the city’in Rustic Canyon Park; historic trees, such as the eucalyptus grove in Rustic Canyon and special habitat trees. Ochoa will also identify some of the heritage trees and their location. These individual trees of any size or species are specially designated because of their historical, commemorative or horticultural significance. Several of these species are growing in the Palisades, including the spider gum (Eucalyptus lehmanii) at Palisades Recreation Center. Unlike other eucalyptus trees, the spider gum flowers are fused together forming a large inflorescence, resembling a powder puff brush. In its native Australia, the flowers are pollinated by many species of honeyeaters. To assist these birds in sipping the nectar, the tree produces along the stem or on woody branches to provide the thirsty birds with a land platform to perch while they sip. Ochoa is currently involved in the city’s million-tree initiative; launched by Mayor Villaragoisa last year to help cool down the cityscape and set in motion other environmental changes. Ochoa is selecting appropriate trees for each of the designated public areas. For example, to plant around a play area, Ochoa chooses evergreen trees with strong branch attachment for their low-maintenance and safety. Choices may include the strawberry tree (arbutus), Catalina ironwood, fruitless olive, and the New Zealand chaste tree.

Review: Cuddly and Cute, Risible and Raunchy

Perhaps the Thursday holiday matinee crowd at the Ahmanson Theatre was not the best group of people for me to watch the musical ‘Avenue Q.’ The Tony Award-winning musical, wrought with political incorrectness, was highly entertaining, but seemingly did not sit well with the older crowd. That’s not to say that laughter was in short supply, but disapproving faces weren’t either, as puppets onstage poked fun at racism, sang about porn and simulated sex. ‘Avenue Q,’ which opened off-Broadway in March 2003, before moving to Broadway in July 2003, opened in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre on September 7 and will run through October 14. The musical, which received three Tony’s in 2004, including one for Best Musical, features puppet characters (operated by actors onstage) that are largely inspired by’and in some cases parodies of’characters from ‘Sesame Street.’ They live in a run-down street in an outer borough of New York City. The story begins with the Princeton (voiced and operated by Robert McClure) moving onto Avenue Q, just after college graduation. He meets his neighbors, some are puppets, some are people, and begins to learn some of life’s most difficult lessons. The plot is driven by Princeton’s search for a purpose, but he encounters several obstacles along the way. The musical is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at current social issues, like homosexuality, racism, interracial marriage and homelessness. Highlights include the songs, ‘Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,’ and ‘The Internet is for Porn.’ Although song titles sounds perhaps a little bit offensive, the musical is indeed funny and actually quite mainstream as far as its level of offense goes, especially to anyone who has ever watched cable. Basically it’s a clever concept, puppets dealing with adult situations; at times it’s hilarious, at times it’s off-color, but for the most part, it’s no more insulting than an episode of ‘South Park.’ Gary Coleman (Carla Renata), who lives on Avenue Q and works as the building superintendent, is the most amusing character in the entire production. Portraying the former child-star, Renata’s character is pretty much the most pathetic guy on the block. No matter how much everyone else’s life sucks (‘It Sucks to Be Me’ they sing, as if it were a competition), at least they’re not Gary Coleman. Still, the most outstanding element of ‘Avenue Q’ is the incredible cast, several of whom play multiple characters. Kelli Sawyer, who plays both Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut, stands out as the production’s best voice. However, that is not to say that anyone else’s voice was sub-par or even par for that matter. But Sawyer really anchors the show with her strong, beautiful soprano. Additionally, in playing two characters, she must alternate between voices, which she does flawlessly, creating the illusion that Lucy and Kate are two entirely different people (She also played both parts on Broadway and at the Wynn in Las Vegas). Christian Anderson is another standout cast member, playing Nicky, a parody of Ernie from ‘Sesame Street,’ Trekkie Monster and others. He operates his puppets impeccably and lends comical cartoon-type voices to his characters, providing the audience with many opportunities for laughter. Second only to the cast is the production itself. New York City really comes alive on the stage at the Ahmanson, with a brilliant set, so simple, yet surprisingly versatile. For tickets, call Center Theatre Group at (213) 628-2772 or visit www.centertheatregroup.org.

Psyched for Charter Bowl II

Even before the season began, Palisades High Coach Kelly Loftus considered Friday’s game at Granada Hills as one of the most important on his team’s schedule. Now, after two consecutive lopsided losses in which the Dolphins were outscored 83-7, Loftus and his players feel a sense of urgency to right the ship, even their record and regain the confidence they had after beating Hollywood, 22-2, in the season opener. “This is a game we can win and it’s a game we need to win,” Loftus said. “We’ve lost to a couple of good Southern Section teams [Santa Monica and Peninsula] but now we’re back playing City opponents and we want to get back on track.” Palisades (1-2) would like to leave John Elway Stadium with not only a 2-2 record but also the same bronze trophy that the Highlanders claimed by winning last year’s inaugural Charter Bowl between the City Section’s two charter schools, 10-3, last September. Granada Hills (2-1) had a bye last week. The Highlanders have sandwiched victories over Monroe (35-7) and Sylmar (14-7) in between a 26-12 loss to North Hollywood. The frosh/soph game kicks off at 4 p.m., the varsity at 7 p.m..

Panthers Have Plenty of Options

The scores came so quickly and with such stunning ease that Palisades High players could only shake their heads in bewilderment. At times in the second half of Friday’s intersectional football game in Palos Verdes it seemed the field was tilted–and the Dolphins were swimming against the current. Peninsula (1-2) used an option attack to wear out the PaliHi defense on its way to a 48-7 victory that could have been even worse had pouring rain not slowed the Panthers’ running game. The Dolphins, though, gave the opposition plenty of help–losing two fumbles and committing four false start penalties. Palisades (1-2) scored on its first possession when quarterback Michael Latt connected with wide receiver Gerald Ingram on a quick slant for a 61-yard touchdown. Kicker Joe Berman’s extra-point, however, ended the Dolphins’ scoring. It was all black and gold after that, as the floodgates opened for host Peninsula, which marched downfield to tie the game on its next possession and scored twice more in succession to take a 21-7 lead into halftime. “They were very well coached and their quarterback was smart enough to audible to our weak side every time,” PaliHi Coach Kelly Loftus said. “We had eight unforced errors in the first half. I stopped counting after that.” Brandon Quarles ran effectively in the first half for the Dolphins and, as a result, could see more carries in Palisades’ next game at Granada Hills. Loftus admitted that limited practice time and not having played an option team before may have contributed to the lopsided score. “They ran the option about 80 percent of the time and they executed it well,” Loftus said. “There were a few times when we had two guys tackling someone who didn’t have the ball.” Peninsula, which plays in the Bay League, had lost its first two games to Santa Fe and Gardena Serra by six points each while Palisades was looking to rebound from a 35-0 loss to Santa Monica. “We’ve got to get things turned around quick,” Loftus said. “The next two games are critical for us. We want to have some momentum heading into league.”

PTC Juniors Storm Matador Draw

Locals Win at Northridge Tennis Event

Palisadian Robbie Bellamy hits a forehand at the Matador tournament in Northridge. Photo: Heidi Wessels
Palisadian Robbie Bellamy hits a forehand at the Matador tournament in Northridge. Photo: Heidi Wessels

Over 1,000 junior tennis players from across the nation competed in the 44th annual Matador Tournament last weekend at Cal State Northridge. Even though the event was delayed by rain, several players representing the Palisades Tennis Center were able to complete their first-round matches. Seeded first in the Boys 12s, Robbie Bellamy beat Jackson Leipzig of Beverly Hills, 6-2, 6-0 and fellow PTC player Derek Levchenko defeated Mat Gottlieb of Oak Park, 6-0, 6-2. In the Boys 14s, PTC’s Cristobal Rivera beat Chris Grant of Santa Barbara, 6-1, 6-1; Spencer Pekar beat Lyle Regalado of Chino, 6-1, 6-1; Greg Bogie beat Sean Simpson of Santa Barbara, 6-0, 6-1; and PTC’s Jonathan Deeter beat Jackson Frons of Encino, 7-6, 6-4. Seeded No. 1 in the Boys 16s, PTC junior Clay Thompson beat Francisco Canto of San Ysidro by default. Bret Allchorn beat Shuhei Shibahara of Rancho Palos Verdes, 6-4, 6-3, and Joel Suchil beat Sean Kim of Santa Barbara, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.

Calvert Is Golden Again

Lee Calvert (left) and partner Sue Dommeyer stand with their gold medals after the Senior International badminton tournament.
Lee Calvert (left) and partner Sue Dommeyer stand with their gold medals after the Senior International badminton tournament.

Lee Calvert proved that age is a question of mind over matter last week at the Senior International Combined Age Badminton Tournament, returning home to the Palisades with two more gold medals to add to her ever-growing collection. “It was a lot of fun and the competition was great,” Calvert said on her way to an exercise class at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA. “Every year the players seem to get better and better.” The 83-year-old Palisadian teamed with Sue Dommeyer of Manhattan Beach to win the 130+ doubles division, beating an experienced Japanese team from Osaka, Japan, in the semifinals, then dispatching defending champions Judy Gray and Karen Warnock 22-24, 21-8, 21-13 in the championship match at the Orange County Badminton Club. Then, in the 130+ mixed competition, Calvert teamed with Rob Oldfield of Victoria, Canada, to win her second gold medal. For good measure, Calvert partnered with Imre Bereknyei, a former Hungarian champion from Northern California, to place third out of six teams in the 120+ mixed division. Calvert won eight of her nine matches. Calvert, who celebrated her 83rd birthday on August 15, was thrown a surprise party during a Chamber of Commerce meeting at Mogan’s.

Condors Soar to Mustangs Title

Coach Haley Jorgensborg (left) and the Corpus Christi girls volleyball team had plenty to smile about after winning the Mustangs Tournament on September 15.
Coach Haley Jorgensborg (left) and the Corpus Christi girls volleyball team had plenty to smile about after winning the Mustangs Tournament on September 15.

Picking up where it left off last season, Corpus Christi’s 7th-8th grade grade girls volleyball team won the American Martyrs Mustangs Tournament September 15 in Manhattan Beach–the first time in school history the Condors have won the preseason event. “The girls played great all day,” said Head Coach and Corpus alum Haley Jorgensborg, who guided the Condors to third place in the Catholic Youth Organization playoffs last fall. “This tournament is the cream of the crop every year. All of the best teams are there.” After going undefeated in pool play, the Condors knocked off the St. Hedwig in the semifinals. Then, in the championship match, Corpus defeated St. Thomas–the team that beat the Condors in the semifinals of the CYO playoffs a year ago. The Condors’ starting lineup was comprised of eighth-graders Christine Irvin (setter), Lanti Moye-McClaren (hitter), Meghan Middleton (middle), Erica Wahlgren (opposite) and Lauren Waters (middle) and seventh-grader Katie Kaufman (hitter). Rounding out the squad were eighth-graders Sophie Zaloom, Courtney Levan, Izzy Desantis, Lucy Tilton and seventh-graders Annie McCroskey and Ariel Wilbur. Corpus Christi opened CYO play Tuesday with a 25-8, 25-20 victory at St. Timothy.

Falcons’ Flaggers Beat Calvary

St. Matthew's quarterback Charlie Porter hands the ball off to Lawrence Kondra on a sweep against Calvary Christian. Nick Lenard (far left) trails the play.
St. Matthew’s quarterback Charlie Porter hands the ball off to Lawrence Kondra on a sweep against Calvary Christian. Nick Lenard (far left) trails the play.

St. Matthew’s eighth-grade flag football team stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds to hold off host Calvary Christian, 14-12, in a preseason matchup between local schools. Trailing 6-0 at halftime, St. Matthew’s rallied to take a 14-6 lead when quarterback Charlie Porter threw touchdown passes to Stephen Carr and Ryan Kahn and a game-winning two-point conversion throw to Lawrence Kondra in the fourth quarter. Nick Lenard had a 20 yard run, Jamie West returned a kickoff 25 yards, Jack Hurst had a sack, Evan Meister had an interception and Will St. John and Andrew Tinger each had pass deflections on defense for the Eagles. The teams meet again October 11 at St. Matthew’s. St. Matthew’s seventh-graders also won, shutting out Windward 52-0. John O’Day intercepted two passes, returning both for touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass and two-point conversion for the Eagles. Justice Sefas rushed for three touchdowns, Christian Ondaatje had one, Jordan Bostick returned an interception for a touchdown and Spencer Washburn scored on a two-point conversion.