Los Angeles Children's Chorus. Photo credit: Jamie Pham
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), committed to championing rising and established composers who write for treble choir, presents the world premiere of Breathe in Hope by Los Angeles-based composer Dale Trumbore at its Spring Concert on May 7 and 14 (Mother’s Day), 2017, 7 pm, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. The LACC-commissioned work is set to text found on social media imploring people not to quickly forget recent clashes between African Americans and police. Trumbore, praised by The New York Times for creating “soaring melodies and beguiling harmonies deployed with finesse,” is among a new generation of composers helping to expand and reinvigorate the choral repertoire. The program also features works by Holst, Handel and Victoria, as well as a vibrant mix of music both contemporary and traditional. (Repertoire differs for each concert.)
Highlights include the traditional Hebrew round Winds of Peace, a poignant plea for peace; Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, inspired by the composer’s interest in Sanskrit and Indian religion and poetry; and Chorus of the Enchanted Islanders from Handel’s opera Alcina, recently performed by LACC for opera legend Plácido Domingo at its recent Gala Bel Canto at which he was honored. Additionally, LACC performs a stunning setting of Salve Regina by Spanish composer Josu Elberdin; Zikr, sung in Urdu and featuring sitar and tambia, by A. R. Rahman; a four-part setting of Duo Seraphim clamabat by 16th Century Spanish Renaissance composer Victoria; and the rhythmic and infectious Yo Le Canto Todo El Dia, inspired by the native music of Venezuela, by David L. Brunner, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Central Florida. An enchanting setting of Kookaburra replete with Australian bush sounds and the Chorale from Bach’s Cantata No. 93 are also part of the concert’s global musical mix.
“A hallmark of LACC, the eclectic repertoire showcases the choristers’ considerable vocal technique and ability to sing in multiple styles and languages,” says LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson. “We are very excited about the premiere by Dale Trumbore, whose inventive use of text by living authors is particularly compelling.”
Tomlinson conducts the chorus’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Associate Artistic Director Mandy Brigham leads the Intermediate Choir, Diana Landis leads the Apprentice Choir, and Dr. Steven Kronauer conducts the Young Men’s Ensemble. The choirs perform separately and combined.
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, widely recognized for its agile bel canto sound and artistic excellence, has been lauded as “hauntingly beautiful” (Los Angeles Times), “astonishingly polished” (Performances Magazine), “extraordinary in its abilities” (Culture Spot LA), and “one of the world’s foremost children’s choirs” (Pasadena Star News). LACC serves more than 400 children ages 6 to 18 from 50 communities across Los Angeles. In demand for its artistic excellence, LACC performs with such leading organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and POPS, Calder Quartet and Jacaranda. LACC, recipient of Chorus America’s 2014 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the nation’s highest choral honor, shares its artistry around the globe, touring to North and South America, Africa, China, Cuba, Australia, Japan and Europe. The chorus is also the subject of a trilogy of documentaries by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Freida Mock, has performed with John Mayer on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” and was featured on PBS’s “Great Performances,” BBC Radio and Public Radio International, among other credits.
For tickets ($26, $38, $44; half-price for students 17 and under) and information, visit www.lachildrenschorus.org or call (626) 793-4231. Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 585 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena.
