Los Angeles Master Chorale's REJOICE: A CAPPELLA CHRISTMAS to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM

The Los Angeles Master Chorale's holiday offerings continue with "Rejoice! A Cappella Christmas," showcasing the Chorale's astonishingly pure sound and exquisite balance in an all a cappella program that celebrates the 20th anniversary of former composer-in-residence/National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauridsen's monumental O Magnum Mysterium, on Sunday, December 14, 2014, 7 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Written for and premiered by the Chorale in December 1994, it has since become one of the most frequently performed choral works in modern history. In addition, Artistic Director Grant Gershon conducts a wide range of a cappella works from around the globe, including Lauridsen's O Nata Lux (from Lux Aeterna); Poulenc's exuberant Four Motets for Christmas, which, although written in Paris in 1952, is infused with Renaissance and Baroque spirit; Franz Biebl's Ave Maria, the German composer's best known work; Swedish composer Jan Sandström's Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, a widely-performed twelve-part a cappella setting written in 1990; and former assistant conductor Ariel Quintana's richly layered Hodie Christus natus est, Ave maris stella and Quem vidistis pastores, all composed in the past 10 years. Adding a delightful twist to the repertoire is 16th-century Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria's sublime O Magnum Mysterium, as well as a newer setting of the same text by LAMC tenor/composer Matthew Brown.

"Rejoice! A Capella Christmas" is the third of four holiday programs presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale at Disney Hall in December. The choir's other seasonal offerings include the 34th Annual "Messiah Sing-Along,"December 7, 7 pm; Festival of Carols, December 13, 2 pm; and two concert performances of Handel's Messiah,December 17, 7:30 pm, and December 21, 7 pm.

Tickets range from $29 - $119. Group rates are available. For tickets and information, please call (213) 972-7282, or visit www.lamc.org. (Tickets cannot be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.) The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Giving a voice to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grammy-nominated LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE is led by Artistic Director Grant Gershon. Proclaimed "the nation's most pioneering major chorus" (Los Angeles Times), it has also been hailed as "inspired" (The New York Times), "magnificent" (Chicago Tribune) and "a superb vocal ensemble" (The New York Observer). The Chorale is currently in its 51st season as a resident company of The Music Center of Los Angeles County and its 12th as the resident chorus at Disney Hall. Presenting its own concert series each season, it performs choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions. To date, the choir has commissioned 45 and premiered 92 new works, of which 62 were world premieres, and has been awarded three ASCAP/Chorus America Awards for Adventurous Programming as well as Chorus America's prestigious Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence. The Chorale has performed in more than 300 concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at both Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, and has toured with the orchestra to Europe and New York City. It has also appeared at the Ojai Music Festival, the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival and the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as in leading venues throughout the Southland. Its discography includes five commercial CDs under Gershon's baton. The latest, released in 2012 on Decca, features three works by Polish composer Henryk Górecki. In addition, in 2013, as part of its 50th anniversary season celebration, the Chorale released a digital recording featuring signature a cappella works available online-only at LAMC.org, iTunes and Amazon.com. LAMC previously released three CDs under former Music Director Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna. The Chorale is also featured with Gershon on the soundtracks of such major motion pictures as Lady in the Water and License to Wed. Serving more than 30,000 audience members of all ages annually, the Los Angeles Master Chorale also provides education outreach to some 6,000 students each year.

GRANT GERSHON is currently in his 14th season as the Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and also serves as Resident Conductor of LA Opera. 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, Mr. Gershon has led world premiere performances of major works by John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, David Lang, Louis Andriessen, Christopher Rouse, Steve Reich, Morten Lauridsen, Ricky Ian Gordon, 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); five commercial CDs with the Chorale: Glass-Salonen (RCM), You Are (Variations) (Nonesuch), Daniel Variations (Nonesuch), A Good Understanding (Decca), and Miserere (Decca); and a digital recording featuring some of the Chorale's signature a cappella works available online-only at LAMC.org, iTunes and Amazon.com.

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