What the press has to say about the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Festival of Carols:
“There aren’t many cultural institutions that do the holidays like the Los Angeles Master Chorale.”
- Downtown News
“Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.”
- Performing Arts LIVE
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FESTIVAL OF CAROLS – ALBUM TRACK INFORMATION
1. Angels We Have Heard on High
French Carol, arr. by Donald McCullough; published by Hinshaw Music
2. Deck the Hall
Welsh Carol, arr. by John Rutter; published by Hinshaw Music
3. The Christmas Song
by Mel Torme, arr. by Jerry Rubino; published by Hal Leonard
4. One Sweet Little Baby
by W. Kinneson & G. McClure, arr. by Shawn Kirchner; published by Shawn Kirchner Publishing
5. En lo más azul del cielo (In the Deepest Blue of Sky)
by Emilio Dublanc, arr. by Ariel Quintana; published by Ariel Quintana
6. Silent Night
by Franz Gruber, arr. by David O; published by David O Music
7. Ding Dong Merrily on High
French Carol, arr. by T. Frederick H. Candlyn; published by Carl Fishcher LLC
8. Brightest and Best
by Reginald Hebe, arr. by Shawn Kirchner; published by Boosey & Hawkes
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
By Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, arr. by Ken Neufeld; published by Kensington Choralworks/Alfred Publishing
10. Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Appalachian Carol, arr. by Shawn Kirchner; published by Shawn Kirchner Publishing
11. Sing We Now of Christmas
French Carol, arr. by Salli Terri; published by Lawson-Gould
12. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by George Wyle and Eddie Pola, arr. by Bob Krogstad; published by Oxford University Press
13. Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
French Carol, arr. by Shawn Kirchner; published by Shawn Kirchner Publishing
14. White Christmas
By Irving Berlin, arr. by Deke Sharon; published by Hal Leonard
15. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
By Michael Praetorius, arr. by Shawn Kirchner; published by Shawn Kirchner Publishing
16. The Twelve Days of Christmas
English Carol, arr. by John Rutter; published by Oxford University Press
17. Glory, Glory, Glory to the Newborn King
American Spiritual, arr. by Moses Hogan; published by Hal Leonard
18. Bonus Track: Carol of the Bells
by Mykola Leontovich, arr. by Peter J. Wilhousky; published by Carl Fishcher LLC
19. Bonus Track: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
English Carol, arr. by Arthur Warrell
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GRANT GERSHON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Grant Gershon is 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 Walt Disney Concert Hall, including virtually all of the major works in the choral repertoire. 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).
THE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
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). Presenting its own concert series each season, it performs choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions. The Chorale has performed in more than 500 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. Its discography includes five commercial CDs under Gershon’s baton. LAMC previously released three CDs under former Music Director Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna.
SHAWN KIRCHNER, COMPOSER
Shawn Kirchner is a composer, arranger, and songwriter whose choral works are sung throughout the world. His appointment in 2012 as Composer in Residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale was the culmination of an enduring creative relationship with music director Grant Gershon. Kirchner’s premieres with LAMC at Walt Disney Concert Hall include Songs of Ascent, Plath Songs, Inscapes, Behold New Joy: Ancient Carols of Christmas, and Heavenly Home: Three American Songs, which received praise in the LA Times as “arranged with mastery.” Kirchner’s choral writing reflects his experience as a professional chorister (LAMC tenor since 2001), his background as a classical/jazz/bluegrass pianist, his interest in American and international folk traditions, and his own roots as a poet and songwriter.
Kirchner’s carol settings have been performed widely and were featured in the 2004 CBS Christmas Eve special, Enter the Light of Life. He notes the influence of the classic Reader’s Digest recording “Joyous Music for Christmas Time” -- with brilliant arrangements by Charles Gerhardt, and performed by stellar British choirs and orchestras -- on his own approach to this repertoire, and even on his desire to pursue choral music professionally. “Every year, it was a ‘sacred’ tradition in our family to get out those records and listen to that thrilling music as we unboxed our ornaments and hummed about like elves, decorating the tree. I still have the records!” Kirchner’s arrangements have become a staple of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Festival of Carols concerts, delighting thousands of audience members over the past decade at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
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THE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
SOPRANOS
Suzanne Anderson
Samela Beasom *
Tamara Bevard
Christina Bristow †
Karen Hogle Brown
Hayden Eberhart
Shelly Edwards *
Claire Fedoruk
Nicole Fernandes †
Rachelle Fox †
Harriet Fraser †
Hillary Fraser-Thomson †
Colleen Graves
Ayana Haviv
Marie Hodgson
Susan Judy *
Risa Larson *
Virenia Lind
Amy Caldwell Mascio †
Deborah Mayhan
Caroline McKenzie *
Lika Miyake
Marnie Mosiman *
Holly Shaw Price *
Zanaida Robles †
Karen Whipple Schnurr
Anna Schubert
Holly Sedillos †
Carrah Stamatakis †
Rebecca Tomlinson †
Suzanne Waters
Elyse Willis
Sunjoo Yeo
Andrea Zomorodian †
ALTOS
Nicole Baker
Lesili Beard
Rose Beattie
Carol Binion
Leanna Brand
Aleta Braxton
Monika Bruckner
Janelle DeStefano †
Becky Dornon
Amy Fogerson
Michele Hemmings
Saundra Hall Hill
Callista Hoffman-Campbell
Leslie Inman
Sharmila G. Lash †
Sarah Lynch †
Adriana Manfredi
Cynthia Marty †
Margaurite Mathis-Clark
Alice Kirwan Murray
Eleni Pantages †
Shinnshill Park *
Laura Smith †
Niké St. Clair
Nancy Sulahian †
Ilana Summers
Kimberly Switzer
Kristen Toedtman †
Tracy Van Fleet
TENORS
Matthew Brown
Daniel Chaney
Bradley Chapman
Ben Cortez †
Jon Gathje †
Arnold Livingston Geis †
Jody Golightly
Timothy Gonzales
J. Wingate Greathouse *
Steven Harms
Blake Howard †
Brandon Hynum
Charlie Kim †
Shawn Kirchner
Charles Lane
Michael Lichtenauer
Sal Malaki †
Christian Marcoe †
Sean McDermott *
Michael McDonough †
Adam Noel
George Sterne
Todd Strange
A.J. Teshin †
Matthew Thomas
BASSES
Joseph Bazyouros
Mark Beasom
Michael Blanchard
Reid Bruton
Kevin Dalbey †
Greg Davies *
Michael Freed *
Gregory Geiger
Dylan Gentile
William Goldman
Abdiel Gonzalez
Scott Graff †
James Hayden †
David Dong-Geun Kim †
Kyungtae Kim
Luc Kleiner †
David Kress †
Chung Uk Lee †
Scott Lehmkuhl
Scott Levin †
Edward Levy
Cale Olson †
Steve Pence
Jim Raycroft
Vincent Robles
Douglas Shabe
Mark Edward Smith
Paul E. Sobosky †
Ryan Villaverde
Kevin White *
* Sang only on 2012 performances | † Sang only on 2014 performance
The Singers of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, Amy Fogerson, AGMA Delegate
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ALBUM GUEST ARTISTS
Lisa Edwards, piano
Shawn Kirchner, piano
John West, organ
Doug Masek, soprano saxophone
LAMC ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION STAFF
Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director
Jean Davidson, President/CEO
Andrew Brown, General Manager
Kevin Koelbl, Artistic Personnel and Production Manager
Patrick Brown, Director of Marketing
Lesley Leighton, Associate Conductor
Brady Steele, Instrumental Contractor
Executive Producer: Andrew Brown
Recording Engineer: Fred Vogler
Recording Editing: Fred Vogler and Mark Gilfrey
Graphic Design: Adam and Emily King, King Design Office
This album is compiled of recorded live performances by the Los Angeles Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall on December 8 and 15, 2012, and December 13, 2014.
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