The Pasadena Master Chorale (PMC) will explore the answer to the question, "What makes music sound American?", when it presents “The Voice of America” on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 PM. at First Congregational Church in Pasadena. Under the direction of PMC founder and artistic director Jeffrey Bernstein, the renowned ensemble will present such works as Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, a setting of seven poems by Robert Frost, The Promise of Living from Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land; and Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, an affirmation of the composer’s Jewish identity set in Hebrew.
PMC will also perform Jeffrey Bernstein’s own tribute to the composer with whom he shares a surname, Elegy on the Death of Leonard Bernstein.
“I remember vividly the day Leonard Bernstein died - October 15, 1990 – and it hit me hard,” Bernstein recalls. “He had written so much music I loved and had championed precisely those ideals which I find so dear in music that I felt a connection with him even though we never met.”
Additionally, the Chorale will replace the traditional preconcert lecture – a staple at classical music performances worldwide – with an open rehearsal on Wednesday, May 15, at First Congregational Church at 7:30 PM. Those who attend will not only get a glimpse inside the rehearsal process but will also have an opportunity to speak with Bernstein about the music.
Tickets for “The Voice of America” – made possible in part by grants from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts – are available for $25 general admission, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Admission is FREE at the door, however, to students at Pasadena Unified School District and their parents. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Pasadena Master Chorale website, www.pasadenamasterchorale.org, through any Chorale member, or at the door.
