The first international sculpture symposium in the United States took place at Cal State Long Beach in the summer of ’65. (See story on page 7.)
The following year, the late Dr. Frank Allen founded a vocal arts ensemble called the Camerata Singers. The now 80-voice choir will soon premiere a new work commissioned for the milestone and engage in an artistic partnership with the Long Beach Symphony.
The 2015-16 season will include four performances by the choir, as well as four other events that are part of its annual Long Beach Bach Festival, of which three are free of charge.
However, it will all kick off when the choral organization honors former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill, for her achievements in musical education and contribution to the arts, during a gala on Thursday, Oct. 22. The event will take place at Virginia Country Club, 4602 Virginia Rd., beginning at 6pm. Tickets for the event start at $150 and may be purchased at longbeachcameratasingers.org .
Also as part of celebrating its 50th anniversary, the organization will offer a series of musicianship classes taught by Dr. Laura Harrison in an intimate setting, according to the group.
Harrison has had equal presence in both the jazz and classical arenas as a performer, and she has been a dedicated educator working with high school and university students for over 20 years, according to the Camerata Singers. She is an adjunct professor of music at Cypress College, where she teaches musicianship. She serves as a vocal master-class clinician and private voice teacher at Mount San Antonio College and Pasadena City College. Her book Enjoying Music Theory reflects her skills and passion for music theory, and her desire to share it with others, according to Camerata. Dr. Harrison is an accomplished jazz arranger and composer, and she manages a web-design business, which also provides supplemental materials for her music theory book, according to the organization.
The musicianship classes will include fundamentals of rhythm such as time signatures, subdivision and syncopation.
“It’s important to understand the ‘groove’ behind the music, which works for all styles, including classical music,” Harrison said. “When I teach these classes, I often get told, ‘These classes have given me the tools to get over my fear of reading music.'”
The class will also cover the basics of melody, including the composition of a major scale and emphasis of the digital (numeric) method instead of solfège, a syllabic solmization system.
Classes will be held on Saturdays, Sept. 19, Oct. 3, and Oct. 10 from 10am to noon at Christ Lutheran Church, 6500 Stearns St. Each class is $10, payable in cash at the door and covers the cost of materials. Students can enroll online and find more information at LBCamerata.org . Harrison’s book will also be available for sale at the classes.
The Camerata Singers’ season will include four performances by the choir, as well as four other events that are part of its annual Long Beach Bach Festival, of which three are free of charge. Dr. Rob Istad, the choir’s artistic director, described the season as one that “will bring exceptional, diverse musical experiences to the people of our city.”
The season will open on Oct. 25 at 4:30pm with a concert entitled Joy, Fantasy and Remembrance, leading off with Beethoven’s uplifting “Choral Fantasy in C Minor, Opus 80″ for piano, orchestra and chorus featuring Tim Durkovic at the keyboard. Audiences will then hear Grammy Award-winning Tarik O’Regan’s “Triptych.”
The event will culminate with the world premiere of Long Beach composer Jenni Brandon’s new work that Camerata commissioned for its 50th anniversary. The concert will take place at the Long Beach City College Auditorium, 4901 Carson St.
On Dec. 6 at 4:30pm, Camerata will perform Handel’s The Messiah on the stage of Long Beach City College Auditorium with its artistic partner, the Long Beach Symphony, and guest soloists.
The annual Long Beach Bach Festival, which Camerata has produced for 42 years, will run from April 2—24, 2016. Camerata Singers will open the festival on April 2 at 4:30pm at the Long Beach City College Auditorium with a performance called Baroque Brilliance: Bach’s Journey featuring works by J.S. Bach, Dieterich Buxtehude, Heinrich Schutz, Michael Praetorius and Johann Hermann Schein. Instrumentation will be provided by members of the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra.
Other concerts on the roster for the Bach Festival include three free events: the Junior Bach Festival on April 9, 2016, showcasing Long Beach’s young musical prodigies; an April 10 interactive performance for children and families, called Kinder Konzert, which will take place at Cal Heights United Methodist Church, 3759 Orange Ave at 3:30pm; and a performance by the Horizon Chamber Choir on April 23 at 3:30pm at Cal Heights Methodist.
In keeping with the festival’s objective to present guest artists and interesting works by, about and thematically related to J.S. Bach, Camerata Singers will again wrap up this year’s festival with an evening of jazz and Bach at the Sky Room on April 24 at 5:30pm, this year featuring vocalist Christine Guter.
The final concert of the season, entitled Camerata Goes Broadway, is an annual favorite that allows patrons to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and libations, bid on silent auction items and enjoy a performance of solos, ensembles and choruses from Broadway hits. This season’s event will take place on June 4, 2016, at 6:30pm at the Daniel Recital Hall on the campus of Cal State University, Long Beach.
“We are very excited to be celebrating our 50th anniversary this season,” said Camerata Singers Board President Jan Hower. “We look forward to serving our community with beautiful choral music for many years to come.”
Subscriptions to Long Beach Camerata’s 2015-16 season are available now, starting at $100. Tickets to individual concerts are also available starting at $30 ($10 at the door with student ID) For more information about Long Beach Camerata Singers’ concert schedule, or to purchase tickets, visit lbcamerata.org or call (562) 373-5654.
