Pacific Chorale's Family-Friendly 'Tis the Season' Features Festive Carols and a Visit from Santa

Pacific Chorale’s beloved family-friendly holiday extravaganza “Tis the Season!” will fill the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa with festive musical cheer and delightful sonic wonder. Jingle Bells, Feliz Navidad, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World, White Christmas and Silent Night are among the cherished holiday carols and traditional favorites that will be sung to glorious perfection by 85 members of the Chorale, under the baton of Artistic Director Robert Isad, in two performances on Sunday, December 19, 5 pm, and Monday, December 20, 2021, 7:30 pm. The Chorale, considered one of the nation’s leading choirs, also performs National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauriden‘s ethereal O Magnum Mysterium, one of the most frequently performed choral works in modern history; Gloria from Ji-Hoon Park’s “Lightning Bug” Mass; and Bob Chilcott’s Angel Voices Ever Singing. Plus word from the North Pole is that Santa Claus himself plans to swing by the concert. Voice of OC proclaims, Pacific Chorale “will jazz up your holiday!”

Pacific Chorale’s 2021-22 Season is made possible by generous support from Platinum Season Sponsor Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons, and Silver Season Sponsor Charles and Ling Zhang.

Single tickets for “Tis the Season!” range from $29 to $150. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue (COVID protocols detailed below).

COVID PROTOCOLS

Pacific Chorale continues to make the health and safety of its patrons, artists and community its top priority and has adopted the requirement that all audience members attending indoor performances be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, patrons must confirm that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines or that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines. Audience members may display proof of vaccine on a smartphone or by showing a physical copy of their vaccination card or official vaccination record. Children under 12 and those who are unvaccinated due to a medical or religious reason must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken no more than 48 hours prior to attending. Rapid or antigen tests will not be accepted. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks while inside the concert venue. These safety protocols will be re-assessed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted as public health circumstances evolve. The Chorale is closely monitoring industry and government guidance regarding the COVID-19 virus, including information supplied by the State of California, California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Orange County Department of Public Health. For information on Pacific Chorale’s most current health and safety protocols, please visit https://www.pacificchorale.org/covid-returning-to-live-performances/.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

ROBERT ISTAD, who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times), was appointed Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director in 2017. Under his leadership, the chorus continues to expand its reputation for excellence for delivering fresh, thought-provoking interpretations of beloved masterworks, rarely performed gems and newly commissioned pieces. His artistic impact can be heard on two recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale: “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021), for which he prepared the chorus, and “All Things Common: The Music of Tarik O’Regan,” which he conducted, on Yarlung Records (2020). Istad has also prepared choruses for such renowned conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St.Clair, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody. He regularly conducts and collaborates with Pacific Symphony, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Sony Classical Records, Yarlung Records, Berkshire Choral International, and Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. An esteemed educator, Istad is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. He conducts the University Singers and manages a large graduate conducting program, in addition to teaching courses on conducting and performance practice. Istad, who is on the Executive Board of Directors of Chorus America and serves as Dean of Chorus America’s Conducting Academy, is in demand as guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.

PACIFIC CHORALE, an Orange County “treasure” with a “fresh viewpoint” that “can sing anything you put in front of it, with polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register) has “risen to national prominence” (Los Angeles Times) since its inception in 1968. Hailed for delivering “thrilling entertainment” (Voice of OC), the resident choir at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. It has given world, U.S., and West Coast premieres of more than 35 works, including numerous commissions, by such lauded composers as John Adams, Jake Heggie, James Hopkins, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Ravel, Tarik O'Regan, Karen Thomas, Frank Ticheli, András Gábor Virágh, and Eric Whitacre. In addition to presenting its own concert series each season, Pacific Chorale enjoys a long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom the choir made its highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in 2018. The chorus also regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has performed with such leading orchestras as the Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Musica Angelica, among others. Pacific Chorale has garnered international acclaim as well, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia, and through collaborations with the London Symphony, Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina, among others. Deeply committed to making choral music accessible to people of all ages, the organization, which has a discography of 14 self-produced recordings and an extensive collection of exceptional free digital offerings, places a significant emphasis on choral music education, providing after-school vocal programs for elementary school students, a choral summer camp for high school students, and an annual community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. www.pacificchorale.org