Los Angeles Master Chorale Opens 49th Season with Organ and Choral Extravaganza

The Los Angeles Master Chorale launches the 2012|13 season, its 49th, on Sunday, October 21, 2012, 7 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with a sublime organ and choral music extravaganza led by Music Director Grant Gershon that showcases the majesty and power of the venue’s iconic pipe organ.  Special guests include organists Paul Meier and Kimo Smith and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Anne Tomlinson.

 

The program features two West Coast premieres – Nico Muhly’s choral tapestry, A Good Understanding, performed with the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, and Judith Weir’s Ascending Into Heaven, a soaring journey into the clouds.  In addition, Gershon conducts a second Muhly piece, Bright Mass with Canons, which received its West Coast premiere by the Chorale in 2010.  Both Muhly works are featured on the Chorale’s CD A Good Understanding recorded in Disney Hall and released to tremendous critical acclaim by Decca in 2010. 

 

The repertoire also includes mystic Arvo Pärt’s The Beatitudes, Tarik O’Regan’s Dorchester Canticles, Kurt Weill’s Kiddush, Gerald Finzi’s gloriously thundering God Is Gone Up, and Sr. David Willcocks’ Psalm 150 performed by the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) and conducted by Tomlinson.  A pair of royal anthems rounds out the concert – British composer Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad, conducted by LAMC Associate Conductor Lesley Leighton, as well as noted contemporary Welsh composer Paul Mealor’s Ubi caritas, composed for the April 2011 nuptials of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.  The Telegraph proclaimed Meaolor’s motet “the real hit of the Royal wedding music.” 

 

Gershon, KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen and composer Paul Mealor participate in Listen Up!, the pre-concert talk at 6 pm. For the 20th consecutive year, BNY Mellon is sponsoring a post-concert gala, which will be held in BP Hall, with entertainment provided by the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Tony Award-winning composer/pianist/playwright Jason Robert Brown. 
 

Tickets range from $29 – $134.  Group rates are available.  Gala tickets are $500 per person (concert ticket is separate).  For tickets and information, please call (213) 972-7282, or visit www.lamc.org.  (Tickets cannot be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.)  The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in downtown Los Angeles.
 

EVENT:
Los Angeles Master Chorale
“Organ Extravaganza”
Grant Gershon, Music Director/Conductor

Lesley Leighton, Associate Conductor

Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson, Artistic Director

Paul Meier, Organ

Kimo Smith, Organ

WHEN:
Sunday, October 21, 2012, 7 pm (Listen Up!, pre-concert talk, 6 pm)

PROGRAM:
ARVO PÄRT                 The Beatitudes

TARIK O’REGAN           Dorchester Canticles

HUBERT PARRY           I Was Glad

                                       conducted by LAMC Associate Conductor Lesley Leighton

PAUL MEALOR             Ubi caritas
NICO MUHLY                A Good Understanding [WEST COAST PREMIERE]
                                        with special guest Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
NICO MUHLY                Bright Mass with Canons
DAVID WILLCOCKS      Psalm 150
                                        performed by Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
                                       conducted by LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson
JUDITH WEIR                Ascending Into Heaven [WEST COAST PREMIERE]
KURT WEILL                 Kiddush
GERALD FINZI              God Is Gone Up                                               

 

VENUE:

Walt Disney Concert Hall  

111 S. Grand Avenue  

Los Angeles, CA 90012

 

TICKET PRICES:

Concert Tickets: $29 – $134;

Student Rush seats available at box office two hours before the performance;

Gala tickets: $500 per person (concert ticket is separate)
 

TICKETS/INFORMATION:

213-972-7282     

www.lamc.org    

(Tickets cannot be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.)