The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), led by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, rings in the season with A Ceremony of Carols, one of Benjamin Britten’s most beloved works, in the sparking acoustics of Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s prestigious “Sounds About Town” series on Sunday, December 8, 2019, 7:30 pm, at Disney Hall. Harp virtuoso Cristina Montes joins the chorus as special guest. Written for treble voices and set to a range of medieval texts written for the Advent season, the carols each have their own identity and color, creating a delightful sense of discovery as the timeless masterpiece unfolds. (No children under six years old will be admitted.)
LACC adds a unique twist to A Ceremony of Carols with Malvar-Ruiz interspersing between its 12 movements accompanying works that link either musically or thematically to the movements they proceed. Among the companion works are Swedish composer Jan Sandsrom’s ethereal 1990 choral arrangement of Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming; National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauridsen’s quintessential setting of O Magnum Mysterium; Ola Gjeilo’s stunning soundscape Tundra, set to lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri written specifically for the work to reflect the barren and beautiful Norwegian mountain plateau where the composer’s father grew up; and Ēriks Ešenvalds breathtaking Stars, a setting of words by Sara Teasdale composed in 2011 for choir and water-tuned glasses. In addition, LACC has commissioned a new arrangement of Silent Night from award-winning Spanish composer Juan Colomer, which is being premiered at the concert.
Six of LACC’s choirs are featured in the program, including the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Mixed Choir, under the direction of Malvar-Ruiz; the Young Men’s Ensemble led by Dr. Steven Kronauer; the Intermediate Choir, led by Mandy Brigham; and the Apprentice Choir, led by Interim Conductor Eric Lifland.
Tickets are $17, $34 and $45. For tickets and information, visit www.lachildrenschorus.org or call (626) 793-4231. Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.