LA Master Chorale Releases First All-Digital Album of Signature A Cappella Works

The Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), following on the heels of its wildly successful and critically applauded 50th Anniversary Season opening night concert, has released its first all-digital album featuring 17 of its signature a cappella works conducted by Music Director Grant Gershon and recorded live at that historic concert on September 22, 2013, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The album, entitled "50th Season Celebration Concert," celebrates the most beloved, groundbreaking and inspiring a cappella works that have defined the Los Angeles Master Chorale and its music directors over the past 50 years. Priced at $9.99, it is available online-only, at LAMC.org, iTunes and Amazon.com. Featuring 115 singers, it is the Chorale's ninth album and its sixth conducted by Gershon.

"The Los Angeles Master Chorale is thrilled to be able to share with audiences beyond the concert hall these exceptional musical highlights from this landmark concert," says LAMC President & CEO Terry Knowles. "The recording illuminates and honors the music and music directors who brought the Chorale to this unforgettable moment in time - the choir's 50th Anniversary Season. Creating a digital album has enabled the Chorale to bring it to market much more quickly than a traditional CD, making this project particularly significant."

The remarkable acoustics of the landmark Disney Hall, the Chorale's home venue, complement the choir's rich sound, which is captured on the recording, as is the Chorale's astonishing versatility with musical styles ranging from Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony to gospel and new music.

Featured tracks include:
1. Ave Maria | Tomás Luis da Vittoria
2. Il Est Bel et Bon | Pierre Passereau
3. Ev'ry time I feel the spirit | arr. William Dawson
4. Danny Boy | arr. Roger Wagner
5. Kyrie/Sally Gardens from Missa Carminum Brevis | Paul Chihara
6. Veni Creator Spiritus | Gregorian Chant
7. Tu es Petrus | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
8. Tu es Petrus | Maurice Duruflé, conducted by Lesley Leighton
9. Ubi caritas | Maurice Duruflé, conducted by Lesley Leighton
10. O Magnum Mysterium | Morten Lauridsen
11. Hold On! | arr. Jester Hairston
12. Spem in alium | Thomas Tallis
13. The Good Old Way | William Walker
14. Bogoroditse Devo from All-Night Vigil | Sergei Rachmaninoff
15. The Lord's Prayer | Duke Ellington
16. Unclouded Day from Heavenly Home | Shawn Kirchner
17. Alleluia | Randall Thompson

For more information on the Chorale or to purchase the digital album, visit www.lamc.org, iTunes or Amazon.com. Single tracks are also available for purchase.

About the Artists:

Serving as the musical voice of Los Angeles for half a century, the LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE (LAMC) holds a prominent place in the city's cultural fabric as well as in the annals of classical music. The 2013-14 Season marks the milestone 50th Season of the trailblazing chorus, noted for its remarkable legacy as one of the world's preeminent choirs, credited with enriching the choral literature with numerous high profile commissions and world premieres, and hailed as both a virtuosic symphonic chorus and a masterful a cappella tour de force. A dazzling year-long celebration embracing both the choir's rich history and its commitment to advancing choral music showcases the Chorale's broad and impactful reach. The Kiki & David Gindler Music Director Grant Gershon, proclaimed "a first-rate conductor" (Opera News), conducts 10 programs, 4 of which are repeated, for a total of 14 performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall with repertoire chosen from the Grammy-nominated choir's treasure trove of signature works. Season upcoming highlights include four Christmas programs in December, an extraordinary Anniversary Weekend Celebration (January 25 and 26, 2014), paying homage to the Chorale's inaugural performance and featuring "Golden on Grand," a gala honoring 50 years of exceptional music; and a heartfelt musical tribute to former Composer in Residence Morten Lauridsen (March 16, 2014), as well as a film tribute to him at the Alex Theatre. Additionally, the Chorale launches the second installment of the LA Phil's popular Minimalist Jukebox Festival (April 6, 2014); showcases the next generation of composers at its season finale (June 8, 2014); opens the doors of Disney Hall to the public free-of-charge for its 25th Annual High School Choir Festival (May 2, 2014); and continues its vital role in the classroom through its Voices Within in-school artists in residence and other education programs, reaching some 9,000 students and adults annually.

GRANT GERSHON was named the Kiki and David Gindler Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2001 and also serves as Resident Conductor of LA Opera. Heralded by critics, the Los Angeles Times declares that the Chorale "has become the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon" and Opera News proclaims him "a first-rate conductor." During his tenure with the Chorale, he has led more than 100 performances at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, including virtually all of the major works in the choral repertoire. A champion of new music as well, Gershon has led world premiere performances of major works by Louis Andriessen, Christopher Rouse, Steve Reich, Gabriela Lena Frank and Chinary Ung, among many others. His discography includes two Grammy Award-nominated recordings: Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) and Ligeti's Grand Macabre (Sony Classical); and five CDs with the Chorale: Glass-Salonen (RCM), You Are (Variations) (Nonesuch), Daniel Variations (Nonesuch), A Good Understanding (Decca), and, most recently, Miserere (Decca), featuring works by Henryk Górecki recorded in Walt Disney Concert Hall. The 2013-14 season marks the Los Angeles Master Chorale's 50th season with Gershon conducting 14 performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall. With LA Opera, he conducted Bizet's Carmen at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (September 26, 28, and October 4, 2013). In celebration of composer Chinary Ung's 70th birthday, Gershon conducts his critically acclaimed AURA at UC San Diego (November 13, 2013) He also guest conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance with the Chorale of Phillip Glass' the CIVIL warS, the Rome Section at Disney Hall, (April 17 and 19, 2014), and conducts a concert with high school students from across the country at Carnegie Hall for Choirs of America (June 21, 2014).

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