Photo by Andreas Guther
Robert Commanday reports:
Not to be overshadowed by last Thursday's big bash by its older brother, the San Francisco Conservatory, Berkeley’s pioneering Crowden School celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday with auctions, speeches, and dinner prefaced by a striking Bach performance by seven students, ages 12 to 14.
Effusive love for the Crowden and its mission of a music-centered complete education, grades 4 through 8, fueled the remarks of the MC, Jonathan Moscone, and of Deborah O’Grady (a.k.a. Mrs. John Adams). She’s been a dedicated patron-leader of the school for some 18 years. Her composer husband and composer son, Sam, were there too.
The school has commissioned Crowden-graduate Sam to write a piece for a chorus of the 4th and 5th graders and the school orchestra, to be performed on the May 24 anniversary concert.
Doris Fukawa, executive director for seven years and on staff for the 30 years since the school's founding by the Scottish force of nature, Anne Crowden, paid tribute to honorees John and Helen Meyer, of Meyer Sound).