March 28, 2025

Shape Note Singing with San Diego Fasola Singers

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Shape Note Event Filled The Library!


On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the Borrego Springs Library hosted the San Diego Fasola Singers for a public Shape Note singing session. The event was led by Jeanne Plekon, with support from the San Diego Fasola crew and local participants including Beth Hart, Naomi Madsen and more. Attendance exceeded planned seating, and additional chairs were brought out to accommodate the audience.


What Is Shape Note Singing?


Shape Note singing, also known as Sacred Harp, is a four-part, a capella musical tradition that uses note shapes—triangle (Fa), circle (Sol), square (La), and diamond (Mi)—to help singers read and pitch notes. It was developed in New England during the 18th century and spread south through the Appalachian Mountains. Today, Shape Note singing continues in the U.S. and abroad, including in Ireland, France, Germany, Poland, Norway, and Sweden.


Format and Participation


As Jeanne Plekon explained during the session, “This form of singing is centered around a hollow square, with each side representing a different vocal part—treble, alto, tenor, and bass. The leader stands in the middle, and that role rotates after each song.”


Leaders choose the song, set the tempo, and can defer to the front row to find the right starting pitch. Jeanne noted that although songs are written in a specific key, the group can adjust it so that all voices are in a comfortable range: “That’s negotiable,” she said. “You slide it up or down until it works.”


Tempo is typically kept simple using either a two-beat (down-up) or three-beat (out-down-up) conducting motion. There is no formal training required, and everyone is encouraged to participate.


Notation and Practice



According to Jeanne, learning to follow the music requires a unique visual skill: “One eye stays on your line of music, and the other eye looks down at the words. You develop what I call ‘chameleon eyes.’”


Repeats and multiple endings are marked in the music, but the group decides how to handle them during the session. For example, Jeanne mentioned that while a song may call for a repeat after the first verse, singers might decide to repeat the last verse instead. Flexibility and group decision-making are part of the tradition.


The process usually begins with singing the shaped notes (Fa, Sol, La, Mi) before moving to the lyrics. “It’s okay to make mistakes,” Jeanne added. “If you get lost, just go ‘la, la, la’ and jump back in.”


Interested in a Future Event?


If you'd like to see another Shape Note session in Borrego Springs, reach out to Jeanne Plekon to express your interest in bringing the San Diego Fasola Singers back to the library.




Interested in Learning More?


Participants who want to explore Shape Note singing further can purchase The Sacred Harp songbook from originalsacredharp.com. The book is widely considered the foundational resource for this musical tradition.



Learn More About Borrego Springs

Meet Betelgeuse: A True Superstar

March 6, 2026
By Dennis Mammana Week of March 8-14, 2026 If you hear the word "superstar," what immediately comes to mind? Perhaps names like Tom Hanks, Taylor Swift or LeBron James? That's certainly understandable; they are all undisputed superstars who attract the attention of paparazzi and fans alike. If you're an astronomer, however, you may answer this question differently. For example, when I hear the word "superstar," I think of UY Scuti, WOH G64 or RSGC1-F01. Yes, these are superstars, but not quite how people may think. These are some of the largest stars known in our galaxy and, for that reason, are quite intriguing to us celestial paparazzi. Regular readers of this column know that our sun is also a star. It appears big and bright in our daytime sky because not only is it rather close (about 93 million miles away), it's also pretty large (nearly a million miles across). It sounds huge, but our star is rather small on a cosmic scale, and believe it or not, there are stars out there that would dwarf our sun and make it look tiny. These are the true superstars! Until recently, the largest star known was given the hopelessly poetic name of UY Scuti. At a distance of some 9,500 lightyears from Earth, UY Scuti is what is known as a red hypergiant star, with a diameter some 1,700 times that of the sun! All that changed recently, however, when astronomers found a gargantuan star some 2,150 times larger than our sun! It's named Stephenson 2-18, and if you'd like to get a peek at this stellar behemoth, you'll need more than your eyes. At a distance of some 18,900 lightyears, it appears 5,100 times fainter than we can see without a telescope. If you have no telescope but would still like to see a celestial superstar, you're in luck. There's one shining in our night sky right now; it's one of the brightest up there and is named Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse sparkles brightly in the northeastern corner of Orion, the hunter, and you can see its orange light midway up in the southern sky after dark this week. With about 15-20 times more mass than our sun, Betelgeuse is known as a red supergiant star for good reason. While we could align 109 Earths across the face of our sun, we would need at least 700 suns to cross the face of Betelgeuse! Indeed, this star is so immense that if it replaced our sun at the center of our planetary system, Betelgeuse would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, and stretch part of the way to Jupiter! Yet it appears as a simple point of light in our night sky because of its tremendous distance from us — some 3,100 trillion miles, or about 520 lightyears. Betelgeuse is easily one of the largest known stars, though its size fluctuates by as much as 60% as the star shudders and pulsates on its way to an eventual supernova explosion, thousands or millions of years from now. Or tonight. We just don't know.  I hope you'll step out under the night sky soon to meet this remarkable superstar for yourself! Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. Learn More About Borrego Springs

CANCELED: Planned power outages in Borrego Springs March 18 and 24

March 5, 2026
SDG&E Planned outage has been canceled. As part of SDG&E’s reliability initiatives in Borrego Springs, two planned outages have been planned. The first outage will occur Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Thursday, and the second outage will occur on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday for infrastructure maintenance and to make improvements to our system. “We understand these outages can be disruptive and appreciate your patience while we conduct this important work to build a more resilient electric system,” SDG&E states. Learn More About Borrego Springs

Karla Diaz Unity Project

March 5, 2026
Karla Diaz’s Unity Project returns for a 2026 festival in Borrego Springs with public portrait banners at The Mall, a Unity Walk, and a Community Unity Festival. Karla Diaz’s Unity Project returns to Borrego Springs in 2026 for its third community-responsive activation, continuing a unity-focused effort she launched in 2024. The project combines a community run/walk, public programming, and painting with the goal of creating safe spaces for healing, art, and collective storytelling. After a year-long residency, research, and a series of community-led workshops, the Unity Project culminates in three core components: a community run/walk event, two public portrait banners inspired by Diaz’s interactions and workshops, and an exhibition of her watercolor works on paper. Diaz’s work centers narrative, identity, and memory as a way to generate collaboration and dialogue among diverse communities. 

Lucky Tongue live at the Dreamweaver Amphitheater

March 5, 2026
Lucky Tongue at the Dreamweaver Amphitheater at The Springs Lucky Tongue is scheduled to perform live at the Dreamweaver Amphitheater at The Springs in Borrego Springs. Below are the confirmed event details plus a few on-site logistics so people know what to expect when they arrive. Event facts Event: Lucky Tongue (live music) Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026 Time: 5:00–7:00 PM Location: Dreamweaver Amphitheater at The Springs (The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course), Borrego Springs, California Cost: Free show Amphitheater setup Seating is informal: sit on the grass, sit in chairs set-up for the event or bring your own chairs Guests may arrive by golf cart The setting is relaxing and outdoor Food and drinks The Springs Wine & Beer Bar will be open El Dorado Tacos will be selling food

COMING SOON: Armand Frederick Vallée: Native American Indian Drawings

By Elizabeth Rodriquez • March 4, 2026
COMING SOON: The Gallery at the Palms

BAI Plein Air Quick Draw at Rams Hill

March 4, 2026
Artists painted live during the Plein Air Quick Draw at Rams Hill in Borrego Springs.

Wendy Warren Quinn Memorial Service

March 4, 2026
March 7 • 11:00 AM

Auditions Announced for Crazy Quilt Club

March 4, 2026
Auditions Announced for Crazy Quilt Club at Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center The Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center is inviting community members to audition for the comedy mystery Crazy Quilt Club, a staged theatrical production planned for March 2027. Auditions will be held March 9 and March 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center. The production will be directed by Jennifer Looney and staged at the theater in March 2027 , giving performers ample time to learn lines and develop their roles. This production will be a fully staged play , not readers theatre. Crazy Quilt Club is a fast-paced comedic whodunit set in a retirement home for passionate knitters, where mysterious events seem to follow one particular resident wherever she goes. The production calls for seven women and two men , primarily portraying characters of retirement age. About the Play The story centers on Veronica Blather , a sweet but curious elderly woman who spends much of her time knitting and solving murders—many of which occur whenever she happens to be nearby. After struggling to find a place to live because of her unusual reputation, Veronica accepts an invitation from her brother, Dr. Joe Lydecker , to stay at a retirement home for knitters. The arrangement seems perfect—until a member of the group dies after drinking suspicious punch. Was it an accident, or was the drink poisoned? Suspicion spreads quickly among the residents of the Crazy Quilt Club . Could the culprit be Matilda , the club’s formidable president? Or Clara , known for stretching the truth? Perhaps Sarafina , who trusts no one and carries a rifle to prove it? As clues pile up and bodies appear, Lieutenant Jack McCoy arrives to investigate, though his presence only deepens the confusion. Along the way, a black widow spider, a mysterious cave, a gold nugget, and a late-night phone call add to the chaos. A storm eventually plunges the scene into darkness just as Veronica begins to piece together the truth. The rapid-fire dialogue and eccentric characters keep audiences guessing until the final moments of this lively mystery comedy. Available Roles The production features roles for seven women and two men : Matilda Thibedeaux – President of the Crazy Quilt Club Myrtle Ipswitch – A curious snoop Clara Quinten – A compulsive liar Sarafina Litton – Proudly crabby and suspicious of everyone Viola Underwood – A resident with a telltale allergy Lydia Thornedyke – A character with unusual habits Veronica Blather – Amateur sleuth and knitting enthusiast Dr. Joe Lydecker – Physician for the residents and Veronica’s brother Lt. Jack McCoy – The determined police officer investigating the case Audition Details Dates: March 9 and March 10, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center Actors interested in auditioning can review the full synopsis and role descriptions at BSPAC.org . This upcoming production offers community performers the chance to take part in a full theatrical staging at one of Borrego Springs’ central arts venues, with a full year of preparation before opening in March 2027. Contact Gary at info@bspac.org if you have questions.  Learn More About Borrego Springs
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