The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) illuminates the transcendent spirit of humanity with a dynamic program spanning 14 centuries of musical expression at its 26th Annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 12, 4 PM, and Sunday, May 13, 7 PM, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.
Singing about joy, love, laughter and hope in six languages, the choristers offer a mix of classical, folk and contemporary works.
Among numerous highlights are Sumer is icumen in, a medieval song dating from 1260 believed to be the oldest existing example of polyphony, and the world premiere by LACC’s Young Men’s Ensemble of Los Angeles-based composer Nicholas Nicassio’s Sleep Now, O Sleep Now based on text by James Joyce.
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Other works include Purcell’s Music for a while, written in 1692 as incidental music for John Dryden’s play Oedipus; Schumann’s Schoen Bluemelein, based on the poetry of Robert Renick; Canadian composer Eleanor Daley’s serene A Red, Red Rose composed in 2003 as part of the Rose Trilogy and based on the beloved poem of Robert Burns; and Poulenc’s lushly harmonic Ave Maria with Latin text taken from a 6th century prayer and La Petite Fille Sage, which he wrote for children.
Also featured are My Girls, a lively ode to the bonds of sisterhood by Vermont-based composer Gwyneth Walker; Canadian composer Ruth Watson’s Psalm 100; Ubi caritas, a richly harmonic piece written in the form of Gregorian Chant in 2001 by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo; Seligkeit, a lively waltz written by Schubert when he was only 19 years old; Leonard Bernstein’s beloved “America” from the musical West Side Story; and Britten's setting of Fancie from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
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The program concludes with Amavolovolo, an uplifting South African traditional spiritual and a prelude to LACC’s upcoming South African tour.
LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson conducts the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Associate Artistic Director Mandy Brigham leads the Intermediate Choir, Dr. Steven Kronauer conducts the Young Men’s Ensemble and Larissa Donnelly conducts the Apprentice Choir. The choirs will perform separately and combined.
South Pasadena children in the chorus include Grace Algeo, Atty Blatt, Elizabeth Bock, Jeffrey Chau, Evan Chee, Nicole Lussier, Alexander Wong and Ka-Cin Wong.
Tickets are $26, $38 and $44; children 17 and under are half price. For tickets and information, please call (626) 793-4231 or visit www.lachildrenschorus.org.
Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 535 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91105.
