American Choral Masterpieces - November 2017

Chromatica, a regional chorus known as the undiscovered musical jewel of the East Bay, will offer its eleventh series of semiannual concerts celebrating the best of American choral composers as recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. Its three fall concerts will take place at 7pm on November 11 at Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton, at 3pm on November 12 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1658 Excelsior Ave., Oakland, and at 7pm on November 18 at Peace Lutheran Church, 3201 Camino Tassajara in Danville.

Chromatica is noted for the extraordinary range of its repertoire ranging in time from the 12th to the 21st century and in genre everywhere from classical to contemporary to (occasionally) show tunes. This concert series includes works by well-known American choral composers like Samuel Barber's Reincarnations, Morton Lauridsen's Madrigali and Dominic Argento's A Nation of Cowslips.

Chromatica also takes a deep dive into American spirituals, from Stephen Foster's Hard Times Come Again No More to Burleigh's My Lord, What A Mornin'. The very popular arranger Moses Hogan supplies Music Down in my Soul, and Ezekiel Saw De Wheel. And then Chromatica offers works by the 18th century composer William Billings and the much more contemporary Jennifer Higdon. Stephen Paulus' Pilgrims' Hymn from his opera The Three Hermits continues the Chromatica tradition of always having at least one opera chorus in its concerts.