The remarkable stylistic range and exceptional musical artistry of the Grammy-nominated Pacific Chorale, led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, will be on full display in its season finale on Saturday, May 7, 2022, 5:00 pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. Istad conducts the choir’s first-ever performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ masterwork Dona Nobis Pacem, a sublime setting of Walt Whitman’s poetry, with renowned guest artists soprano Deanna Breiwick, a “vocal trapeze artist” hailed for her “sweet sound and floating high notes” (The New York Times), and Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton, who delivers “the kind of top-shelf performance that has sealed his reputation as one of today’s most compelling performers” (The Boston Globe). Pacific Symphony joins the chorus for the eclectic program as well, which opens with the world premiere of The Quickening, a new choral fanfare by Grammy-nominated former Pacific Chorale Composer-in-Residence Tarik O’Regan, and also showcases the West Coast premiere of Frank Ticheli’s Until Forever Fades Away, a poetic meditation on the elusive nature of time. Other works include Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s playful Music in Common Time for choir and orchestra and Jake Runestad’s exuberant setting of Whitman’s “Proud Music of the Storm,” evoking the spirit of adventure.
Directly following the concert, Pacific Chorale will hold its annual gala, this year themed “A Celebration of the Voice” and honoring Pacific Chorale singer and philanthropist, Lenora Meister with the Entrepreneur of the Arts Award, and Pacific Symphony Music Director Carl St.Clair with the Lifetime Achievement for Artistic Excellence, in honor of his three decades of artistic collaboration with the Chorale. All proceeds from the Gala will benefit the Chorale’s artistic and educational programming.
Single tickets for “Dona Nobis Pacem” range from $25-$135. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue (COVID protocols detailed below). For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345. For tickets and information about the Pacific Chorale Gala, visit www.pacificchorale.org/gala.