This year hundreds of volunteers rallied
together to provide holiday cheer to the foster children and youth of Rosemary
Children’s Services. Local companies and groups like PNC, Comerica Bank,
Luther Burbank Savings, Pasadena Fire Department, 3M, Charles W. Mason &
Associates, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Friends of Foster Children, Arroyo Vista
School, Accenture LA Women’s
Group, Parsons and Pasadena Women’s City Club held toy drives and
collections for the holidays.

Rosemary Children’s Services’ volunteer groups like the
Bonnie Guild, Romberger Guild, Cottage Guild, 500 Guild and Green Guild held holiday
parties for the teen foster girls living in Rosemary Children’s
Services’ residential treatment group homes throughout Pasadena
and South Pasadena.
The Guilds provided decorations, a holiday meal, holiday games and gifts for
the teen foster girls.

“We are so grateful to be able to share the holidays with all of
the lovely young ladies of the Cottage,” said Donna Pierson, Cottage
Guild President. Pierson, as well as the other members of the Cottage Guild
were presented with a poem written by one of the teen foster girls from the
Cottage, as well as a number of hugs from the residents of the Cottage.

The Azusa Canyon Off-Road Association (A.C.O.R.A.) and Disney
VoluntEARs sponsored Rosemary Children’s Services’ Annual Foster
Family Agency Holiday Party, providing games and gifts for the over 150
children and families in attendance.

“We are happy to
participate and be part of a great organization,” said Mario Espinoza, member of A.C.O.R.A.. “We
always look forward to this event and we will be ready for next year to bring
happiness to a lot of kids.”

Father and son Charles and Brent Mason,
owners of Charles W. Mason & Associates, held a holiday fundraiser at their
offices, auctioning original children’s artwork from Rosemary
Children’s Services to benefit the children and families of the agency.

“We are grateful to companies like
Charles W. Mason & Associates that truly care about the communities in
which they do business” said Greg Wessels, Executive Director for
Rosemary Children’s Services. “Fundraisers like this not only raise
funds for the Agency, but also raise awareness about the programs and services
offered by Rosemary Children’s Services.”

On
December 27, 2011 the Y of West San Gabriel Valley happily celebrated
Jose Aguirre’s 102^nd birthday! Jose was born in Chihuahua,
Mexico on December 27, 1910. He was married and had 5 children, who
then provided him with 18 wonderful grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Jose
is a current and active member of the Y of West San Gabriel Valley,
who consistently attends Monday through Friday. His secret to longevity
is a joyful attitude and staying active! Along with working out 5 days
a week at the Y, he does weekly yard work and plays dominos with his
children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Well
respected Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Lin and huge supporter of the Y of
West San Gabriel Valley, was amazed at how active, healthy and happy
Jose is at the age of 102. Along with Dr. Lin, the Y staff and members
came together in Jose’s special celebration to wish him many more
joyful years of life!

The CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra/ Olympia Youth Orchestra, Fung Ho,
Music Director & Conductor, will be giving its Winter Concert of this
season on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 3PM at the historic San Gabriel
Mission Playhouse, 320 S Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776. This
concert is FREE & OPEN to the public.

The 14 year old violinist, Hao Zhou, Winner of the Special Prize at
the American String Teachers Association Los Angeles Annual
Competition Finals of 2011, will be the featured soloist performing
the first movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Other works in
the concert will include Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture and
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.

Scarcely a month after the season
celebrating the birth of Christ, Musica Angelica will take music lovers on a
journey to the end of Christ’s life when it presents Giovanni Battista
Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater on
Saturday, January 28 at 8 p.m. at AT&T Center Theatre in Los Angeles and on
Sunday, January 29 at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica.

Stabat Mater,
which translates as “the Mother was standing,” is a musical depiction of the
suffering of the Virgin Mary as she witnesses her son’s death on the cross.
But, despite the sorrowful nature of the work – “Does it not cause tears to
fall?” asked a reviewer in 1778 – Stabat
Mater soon became the most popular piece of sacred music ever written, says
Musica Angelica’s Music Director, Martin Haselböck.

“Pergolesi’s
early death in his mid-20s did not stop the enormous success of this wonderful
piece of vocal music,” continues Haselböck whose “affinity for early music and feeling for religious moments
in music” were hailed by Krone Wien after he conducted a performance last month
of Bach’s B-Minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio by Wiener Akademie.

“Even
Bach wanted to have it performed at his church in Leipzig,” Haselböck relates. “The
text of the Latin original, however, would have been unacceptable for Bach’s
Lutheran congregation, so Bach put the text of a German psalm under the
original music, changed a few notes, and so brought Pergolesi’s masterwork to
his native Germany.”

Joining Musica Angelica for the performances of Bach’s
version of the Stabat Mater are
soprano Dame Emma Kirkby, one of the world’s most celebrated early music
specialists, and countertenor Daniel Taylor. The program will also include
songs and arias by J.S. Bach as well as arias and duets from George Frideric
Handel’s oratorio, Solomon and Theodora.

“The
extraordinary voices of Emma Kirkby and Daniel Taylor will shine in all their
beauty,” Haselböck promises.

Musica Angelica is especially
grateful for the generous sponsorship received from Classical KUSC and Harold
and Penny Ray in support of these concerts.Tickets for Stabat
Materare reasonably priced, ranging from $29 to $49/person, with seniors
receiving a 10% discount ($26 to $44) and students a special price of only $15
with valid identification. In
addition, members of KUSC and SCEMS receive $10 off single ticket prices. Subscription discounts are also
available, with first time subscribers receiving 30% off their subscription. For more information, to purchase a
subscription, or to order tickets, visit www.musicaangelica.org
or call 310.458.4504.