By Douglas Neslund
It is said that Christmas
is for children, so a Christmas season without hearing the angels sing would be
a sad one, indeed. For the several hundred people, mostly in family groupings,
the event at hand took place Sunday afternoon in the welcoming space of the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Pueri Cantores San
Gabriel Valley, conducted by Patrick Flahive, with attending accompanists Sal
Soria, organist/pianist and Marcia Dickstein, harpist, performed seasonal music
that would challenge any choir. Two highlights: John Rutter’s “Dancing Day”
and, in celebration of Benjamin Britten’s centenary, his Missa Brevis in D,
Opus 63 for treble voices and organ.
In and around these
musical pillars was an ambitious program of carols, Gregorian chant,
Spirituals, and instrumental interludes by Mr. Soria and Ms. Dickstein. The "Puer natus in Bethlehem" plainchant was exceptionally well done. The
choir is organized in logical fashion, according to age and ability. The
youngest groups of children, represented by four each from the Seraphims and
Cherubims, sang with accuracy in every department of the vocal arts,
displaying admirable discipline throughout. All program offerings were sung
from memory, and with fine vocal qualities.
The advanced group is the
Queen of Angels choir of 21 youngsters and young adults. The choir names reflect
their association with the Roman Catholic faith, even though members are not
required to be adherents.
Britten’s “Missa Brevis in
D” is truly a “brief mass” of the ordinary minus the Credo. The Sanctus
movement is in fact a 12-tone scale, meant to mimic the ringing of bells, and
the concluding Agnus Dei is much more difficult than would seem to be the case
at first glance. The organ accompaniment is not spared difficulty, either.
Rutter’s “Dancing Day” is
comprised of seven movements (two of them instrumental) largely focused on
Latin and English texts, and offering two of the children, Natalie Rodriguez
and Jacob De Los Reyes, a solo turn each.
Pueri Cantores is an
international organization with members throughout the world numbering ca.
40,000 children and youth. Mr. Flahive created Pueri Cantores San Gabriel 19
years ago with his wife, Lauren, as Co-Founder, and has been active in the
international organization. The choir’s CD of Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,”
surely a popular item this year, may be obtained at the following web page: http://puericantoressgv.org - as well as
instructions on where to hear the choir, and how to audition.
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| Pueri Cantores San Gabriel |
To make the choir
available to families located in the Pasadena area, weekly rehearsals will
begin on Mondays soon at St. Philip the Apostle Church.
Art work by Howard Anderson, used with his permission
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