Soli Deo Gloria:

Celebrating Music and Unity

Soli Deo Gloria is a San Francisco Bay Area SATB choir for experienced singers with a family-like atmosphere dedicated to the joy of performing a variety of masterworks of the sacred repertoire, mostly with orchestra. The choir’s membership is drawn from six Bay Area counties and rehearses in Alameda. Founded in 1976, Soli Deo Gloria is dedicated to bringing the joy of music to our community and is open to people of all religious or non-religious beliefs. With a diverse repertoire and a passion for performance, we strive to create unforgettable musical experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned singer or someone who loves to support the arts, there’s a place for you in Soli Deo Gloria. Join us, attend a concert, or support us with a donation. Your involvement makes all the difference.

Recent and Upcoming Performances

Welcome our new director

Starting with the 2024-2025 season, we are excited to welcome our new Musical Director, Julia Morris.

Julia Morris’s experience as a conductor includes leadership of community, collegiate, church, high school, and children’s choirs of varying levels and sizes. From 2018-2021, she served as Assistant Conductor to Ming Luke and the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra (BCCO). Under Ming’s guidance she has learned that “correct” choral singing only becomes “great” choral singing when the conductor allows their ensemble to develop and understand the emotional intention of a piece. To this aim, they would discuss the composer and stylistic expectations of the era; the meaning behind the text; the personal or contemporary world events that may have sparked or influenced the composition; and how they might interpret the work within a modern context to resonate with singers today. After these discussions with the chorus, there was a discernible conviction in their performance which was not there before.

She completed her graduate program at the University of Michigan (M.M. choral conducting, received April 2023). While there, she directed several collegiate choruses, most notably Orpheus Singers, a ~24-voice SATB auditioned “lab chorus” for the Choral Conducting Studio. Orpheus Singers performed music from a variety of eras and styles. When OS prepared choral-orchestral masterworks, she worked in tandem with her conducting colleagues to hire and rehearse a chamber orchestra to join them in performance. Julia graduated cum laude from Kenyon College in Ohio where she received a B.A. with a double major in music (departmental distinction) and psychology.

Currently serving as the Artistic Director of the Vallejo Choral Society, her musical curiosity influences every choice she makes. She aims to curate thoughtful programs that include a wide variety of genres and styles, from choral-orchestral masterworks to Renaissance polyphony, from contemporary choral works to music outside the traditional canon, and almost everything in between. As a vocalist herself, she approaches rehearsals with a strong focus on vocal technique and a deep awareness of the text. Ultimately, her goal as a conductor is to inspire her musicians to reach their full potential, both as artists and as human beings, by delving deeply into the music beyond the notes and rhythms.

Join us!