Saratoga News

Saratoga Sampler

Mary Ann Cook

Patricia Kirkish adds one more skill to repertoire

OPERATIC DEBUT: Patricia Kirkish of Saratoga has been studying singing barely more than a year, yet held her operatic debut Aug. 30 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto, performing for 75 friends and relatives. "It was quite exciting," reports her mother, Helene Karcher.

So recent is this accomplishment, "It was only the second time I've heard her sing," Karcher says. However, Patricia, daughter of Helene and Edmund Karcher, played the flute and was active in gymnastics during her Saratoga High School days. So she had a built-in background that included breathing, music training and athleticism right there.

Patricia was a communications major at UCLA and received an international marketing masters degree from UC-Berkeley. She also studied in Vienna and Paris. She's worked at Apple and been a consultant. Besides all those skills, she knows four languages and sang various arias in the program in their language of origin--French, Italian, German.

Several members of the Opera Bravura Company, based in Palo Alto, have encouraged her to pursue her gift. So she's left the high-tech world and will next sing in the Opera Bravura program "Viva Verdi" at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Baylight Church of Religious Science, 998 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto.

Russell Norman, vocal coach from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, accompanied her on the pianoforte during her debut and Carl Franzen, Metropolitan Opera award winner, sang Samson to her Delilah. Her husband is Steve Kirkish, "who never complained, but instead applauded the sounds coming from the living room," she says.

As a consultant at Apple for Web TV she brought a product to the Canadian market; now she wants to do something more self-fulfilling. If past performance is any indication, sounds like whatever she attempts she does an outstanding job of it.

WHO'S LEADING WHOM?: The Gingerichs, Judi and John, took her 87-year-old mother, Mae Caldwell, and her cousin, Ella Northrup, 95, on a cruise to Halifax recently. Also along was Judi's brother, Rich, and his wife, Sharon Caldwell, from Southern California.

The six-some flew to New York for three days, then on to Canada where they boarded a cruise to Halifax, arranged by Betty Seefurth of D & B Travel. Mother Mae loves to gamble, so that became a necessary part of the package.

The group visited relatives, with the older folks pointing out significant parts of the community, since Halifax was their birthplace. Ella has gone back yearly for a visit.

When wheelchairs greeted the group at various stops, the two men clambered into the wheelchairs and the elder women pushed them--all for a photo op. Judi is putting together a scrapbook of their adventures for the octo- and nonagenarians.

HOW MANY GREATS: Here's someone who's a lot closer to a Revolutionary War forebear than Jack Mallory. A few weeks back, Jack told us about his family reunion that celebrated a multi-great-grandfather's newly discovered presence, a Revolutionary War veteran.

Now Carolyn Tanner reports that her Revolutionary relative is only one great away from her. He's her great-grandfather, James Tinsley, also a Revolutionary War soldier. He was at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered. And an account of his service was published in Godey's Lady's Book in 1858. Take that, Jack.

Tanner's grandmother, Caroline Tinsley Bridgers, was honored by the Texas DAR in 1895 for being the only surviving Daughter of the American Revolution in the state. Carolyn insists she's not 150 years old, in spite of being within one great of a Revolutionary War soldier. Her great-grandfather was 80 when her grandmother was born (second wife), so that helps explain the relatively close connection.

She doesn't know why he was singled out for the writeup, but there were four brothers in the family who served, two of whom died early on in battle, and that could have been the impetus.

HATS ON: AAUW members will wear their favorite hats to the Sept. 26 Membership Showcase from 9:30 to noon at Villa Fontana, 5555 Prospect Rd., San Jose. Lorraine Blackburn's performance of "Vintage Hats: Their Styles and Their Stories" provides the entertainment. For information call 378-1470 or 476-2041.

OPERA: The San Jose Opera Guild holds a fall lecture series before each opera. Guest lecturers cover San Francisco Opera's fall program as well. Lectures are held at the Los Gatos History Club with optional lunch following and are free to guild members, $7 for non-members. Guild director is Los Gatan Robert Skurko. For fall programs call 741-1331 or 867-1225.

ARTS, CRAFTS: There's space at Hakone Gardens for more arts and crafts classes, what with two rooms, a crafts work area and the garden itself, all at a nominal fee. Call 867-0508 for details. Kay Duffy gives watercolor classes on alternate Monday mornings, $15 for the class or $75 for the series.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]