Welcome to the 46th season of the Louisiana Choral Foundation’s Masterworks Chorale. It is our pleasure to offer innovative and compelling programming once again for the musical enrichment of Southwest Louisiana. This season, entitled Majestic Music, will feature a variety of musical offerings.
Our Fall Concerts will be presented in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Lake Charles on Friday, October 13, at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 15 at 3:00 p.m. These concerts will feature as its centerpiece, Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Although Mozart did not compose this work for a specific coronation, it has become one of his most important settings of the Mass. This work will be accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble. The second half of the program will feature folk songs from Scotland and America.
The Scottish folk songs will include “O Whistle and I’ll Come to Ye,” “Skye Boat Song,” and “Loch Lomond.” Two Colonial Folksongs arranged by Dan Forrest will include “The Nightingale” and “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” The final American folk song of this set, also arranged by Dan Forrest, is “Long, Long Ago.” The final selection on the program will be a medley of songs from the Broadway musical Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This arrangement by John Leavitt pays tribute to the 80th anniversary of its 1943 premier.
The annual Christmas Concerts will be performed in two venues. On Friday, December 8, the concert will be presented at First United Methodist Church in Lake Charles at 7:00 p.m., and again on Sunday, December 10 at the Immaculate Conception Church on Maplewood Drive in Sulphur at 3:00 p.m. These concerts will feature the major work Magnificat by Kevin Memley. This
three-movement work will be accompanied by a brass quintet. The Magnificat text deals with Mary’s personal expression of joy and thanksgiving for the Incarnation’s fulfillment of God’s promise of redemption. Additional selections on the program will include Bach chorales from Wachet auf and Christmas Oratorio; three traditional carols as recorded by The King’s Singers: “Boar’s Head Carol,” “Gaudete,” and “Joy to the World.” Three carols with guitar accompaniment will be performed: “A la Nanita Nana” arranged by Henderson, “What Sweeter Music” by Fink, and “Ocho Kandelikas” by Jagoda and arranged by Jacobson. In addition to Masterworks Chorale, Les Petites Voix directed by Kari Proksch and the Bayou Bell Choir directed by Bruce Allured will each present seasonal selections. The concert will conclude with the traditional “O Holy Night” combining all three groups.
The Spring Concerts will be held in the newly renovated sanctuary of University United Methodist Church on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. and on April 21 at 3:00 p.m. These concerts will feature the major work Jubilate Deo by Dan Forrest. This multi-movement work is centered around the text of Psalm 100, “O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands.” In Forrest’s words: “Jubilate Deo brings to life the global aspect of the traditional Psalm 100 text, by setting it in seven different languages and drawing from a wide spectrum of global musical influences. The result is a stunning global celebration of joy, as all the earth sings as one, ‘omnis terra, jubilate.’” Masterworks Chorale will be joined by the Sulphur High School Advanced Treble Choir to present this work.
Hope to see you at the concerts,
Darryl Jones, Artistic Director
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