Pacific Chorale Rings In The Holidays With CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

The Grammy-winning Pacific Chorale, one of the nation's leading choirs, launches its signature holiday programming with two performances of "Carols by Candlelight," spotlighting timeless traditional and contemporary holiday music, including the choir-commissioned world premiere of Meet Me for Noche Buena by noted LA-based Filipino composer Saunder Choi, a tenor in the chorus. Special musical guests organist Jung-A Lee and pianist David Clemensen join members of Pacific Chorale, bathed in flickering candlelight, for this distinctive seasonal program on Saturday, December 3, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 8:00 pm, in the hushed sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach. Artistic Director Robert Istad also conducts "Gloria" from Missae Papae Marcelli by Palestrina, Stanford's Magnificat in G, Op. 81, and works by such contemporary composers as Sarah Quartel, Bob Chilcott, Chad McCoy, Ola Gjeilo, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Will Todd and Alexandra Denny.

"Every year, I look forward to ringing in the holidays with this special choral program that encompasses a variety of musical styles from across the centuries and truly embodies the wonder, reverence, joy, and awe of the season," says Istad. "Combining pieces that seem very different from each other but share the same spirit underneath the music brings a wonderfully fresh perspective to each of these new and enduring choral treasures."

Regarding the new work commissioned by Pacific Chorale, Choi, the composer, says, "At its heart, Meet Me for Noche Buena is about journeys and relationships; people bringing and sharing their various holiday traditions in new places - whether you're an American in Japan, an Italian in Argentina, or, like me, a Filipino immigrant who has found a home in California." Sung in English and Tagalog, it is set to a poem by San Mateo County's poet laureate, Aileen Cassinetto, also a Filipino immigrant.

"Carols by Candlelight," the first of two holiday offerings Pacific Chorale is presenting in December, is followed by "Tis the Season!", a family-friendly program replete with festive carols, holiday favorites and even a visit from Santa Claus on December 18 and 19, at the Reneé and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

Pacific Chorale's 2022-23 Season is made possible by generous support from Platinum Season Sponsor Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons, and Silver Season Sponsor Charles and Ling Zhang. The "Carols by Candlelight" concerts are generously sponsored by Trish O'Donnell in loving memory of John O'Donnell.

Single tickets for "Carols by Candlelight" range from $25 to $75. Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2100 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345.

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