About East Bay Harmony
What We Sing
Our repertoire — chosen democratically each season by the full chorus — has included doo-wop, pop, folk, and R&B tunes, jazz, Broadway standards, and the occasional madrigal. We have also sung Bulgarian, South African, and Spanish songs. This past season, we sang arrangements of:
- Beethoven’s 5th (Ludwig van Beethoven)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
- Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)
- Feeling Good (Nina Simone)
- Good Vibrations (Beach Boys)
- Pink Pony Club (Chappell Roan)
- September (Earth, Wind & Fire)
- Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye)
- Uptown Funk (Ronson/Mars)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When does East Bay Harmony perform?
A. Unlike other choruses, we don’t perform very much. Because our membership includes people with all levels of musical experience (including none at all!), we have to practice our music for a few months before it’s ready for performance. We start each September with a new set of songs, and we perform them in May at our Friends & Family concerts. We sometimes precede the May concerts with some “warmup” gigs at places like farmers’ markets or senior citizens’ homes.
Many people join us not because they want to perform, but because they enjoy our community and the opportunity to sing together at our weekly rehearsals.
Q. When and where does East Bay Harmony rehearse?
A. We rehearse every Monday night from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. (Some of our members choose to stay an extra hour to improve their choral skills by practicing in small groups.)
Our primary rehearsal space is the Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Avenue in Piedmont. On rare Mondays when PCA isn’t available, we generally meet at St. Paul’s Episcopal School, 116 Montecito Avenue in Oakland.
Q. How can I join East Bay Harmony?
A. The first step is to attend a rehearsal — preferably one or more of our summer rehearsals. In July and August, we hold casual rehearsals that are open to everyone, members and non-members alike, and work on learning easy arrangements just for fun. (If you’re interested, please contact our membership coordinator, Allison Dufty, so she can arrange your visit.) If you enjoy singing with us, you can let us know that you’d like to join us for the regular season in September.
Our chorus has become so popular in recent years that we regretfully don’t have room for everyone who wants to join. Holding auditions would go against our mission of being open to everyone regardless of skill or experience. Instead, the names of all would-be members are entered in a lottery, and we draw the winners at the end of August.
EBH members are expected to attend weekly rehearsals regularly from September through May, and to pay monthly dues (currently $40, with accommodations made in cases of financial hardship).
Our Director
Mark Bernfield has been music director of East Bay Harmony since 2001. When not working with EBH, Mark teaches 6th–8th grade general music at Redwood Day School in Oakland, where he also directs the jazz band and six rock bands. He has been musical director for 17 musical theater productions at Redwood Day, and wrote all the music and lyrics for three full-length original musicals produced there. He continues to compose vocal and instrumental music on his own and in a variety of collaborative settings.
Mark graduated cum laude in Music (classical voice performance) from UC San Diego and studied drums at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
East Bay Harmony
East Bay Harmony is a mixed a cappella chorus that offers an opportunity for all to experience the joy of singing in harmony with others, learn and improve musical skills, and promote music in a warm, welcoming community. With no auditions required, EBH embraces popular music as a source of enjoyment and connection that can be shared by all, regardless of background or musical experience.
Our members have varied levels of vocal experience, ranging from professionals to complete beginners. We come from all over the Bay Area, from San Francisco to Marin, Richmond, Emeryville, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Lafayette and Moraga, and further. Our emphasis is on improving our musical skills and fostering fellowship through song.