Namaste Women's Choir in Culver City seeking members

Every Wednesday night in Culver City, a group of 20 women from all over LA gather to arrange two semi-circles of chairs facing their director. These women span a couple generations, some are mothers, poets, lawyers, performers, teachers or young professionals and they’ve set aside Wednesday nights to rehearse as a member of the women-founded Namaste Women’s Choir. As the only non-denominational, solely donation-based women’s choir in LA, Namaste celebrates a unique collection of women living in LA who have auditioned to be part of this five-year-old choir blending a love of yoga and the healing power of music.

Namaste is a group of women dedicated to learning and performing choral music in a supportive and enjoyable atmosphere. The choir focuses on inspirational choral music from all traditions and religions. Namaste’s mission is to introduce the public to the vast beauty of choral music for women, while bringing peace and understanding to our community. At our concerts, we perform music spanning many centuries, while singing in several different languages and dedicate ourselves to the survival of the choral art form by performing many works by living composers at each concert. Namaste’s motto is “changing the world, one concert at a time” and fulfills that mission as the only choir with a concert dedicated to introducing children to the beauty of music during the December concert and focusing the Spring concert to celebrate women composers and poets, including music composed by a member of the choir.

The community fostered at the weekly rehearsals usually spills into other areas of the members’ lives. For the moms in the group, the weekly rehearsals provide a respite from a hectic week and they can find solace or support from other members. Performers have also found a new fan base with many choir members attending stand-up comedy acts, plays, or musical performances to support their fellow members.

Diane Rose is Namaste’s Music Director and has a Bachelor's degree in Music Education, with a concentration in vocal music, from New York University; and a Master's degree in Choral Conducting from California State University, Los Angeles. Diane taught choral music at Fairfax High School (5 years) and Ramona Convent Secondary School (2 years) in Los Angeles. She directed the University Campus Choir (a community chorus based at UCLA) for three seasons as well as the choir at temple Beth Shir Sholom. She is the founding director of the Namaste' Women's Choir. Diane sang with the Los Angeles Choral Artists and Vox Femina. She is also a songwriter and has a self-released album for children, "A Mother's Voice."

Next concert is June 5 at 7:30pm at the Culver-Palms United Methodist Church (4464 South Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230-4850).