Tis the Season to Celebrate, Rejoice, and Reflect with Pacific Chorale

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Last night, an over-flow of powerful emotions was erected inside of me as I entered the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and took part in the Pacific Chorale’s Christmas concert, Tis the Season! Pacific Chorale’s annual Tis the Season! concert features Pacific Chorale, the Southern California Children’s Chorus, and members of Pacific Symphony in the favorite selections from John Alexander’s years of holiday programs. To celebrate this anniversary year, John Alexander has chosen audience favorites from the last 40 years of Christmas concerts he has conducted, making this year’s concert one that evoked emotion and my fondest memories of Christmas. As I sat in the audience, I was transported back to my childhood and engulfed in the visual and auditory beauty that surrounded me.

The Concert Hall recreated the wide-eyed feelings I beseeched as a 4-year-old child. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall houses a serpentine glass façade, a multi-tiered lobby with Spanish granite and carpeting, and a silver leaf ceiling. The seating is upholstered in scarlet red velvet surrounded by individual boxes, three silver leaf acoustical canopies, and Canadian maple veneers. The performance platform makes use of four reverberation chambers, 128 concrete and wood doors to adjust the volume of the space and reverberation time, three adjustable acoustical canopies, and draperies in the hall. 

The Pacific Chorale gave a demonstration of what 40 years of tradition sounds like and it was, in a word, fantastic. The event paid tribute to its director of 40 years, John Alexander, who was on the podium. Alexander’s long and distinguished career has encompassed conducting hundreds of choral and orchestral performances nationally and in 27 countries around the globe, but it was the ease of his presence in such a demanding, controlled environment that astounded the audience. From his glowing, smiling face to his Christmas colored socks, has passion and dedication as an Artistic Director was evident.

The 140-voice Chorale belied its size with the flexibility of its phrasing and the intimacy of its expression. I was delighted in the group’s a cappella singing when the elegant blend and silken vibrancy it produced created a wondrous, magical sound. They performed with unity, clarity, and balance. O Come, O Come Emmanuel brought tears of joy to my eyes and the comical yet balanced rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas was a musical treat for my heart. Silent Night returned me to the church of my memory as a 4-year-old and reminded me of my ever-growing, beautiful family that I will cherish for life.

With Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony, and the Southern California Children’s Chorus, Tis the Season delivered a Christmas stocking full of seasonal classics and delightful discoveries to the young and young-at-heart alike. I am alive with the Christmas Spirit and renewed with my faith in tradition.

You can read more about Pacific Chorale and their up-coming concerts at http://www.pacificchorale.org/concerts_and_events/season_concerts_and_tickets.php.

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66 thoughts on “Tis the Season to Celebrate, Rejoice, and Reflect with Pacific Chorale”

    • It was absolutely beautiful and so well performed that I’d like to return this year and continue with the Christmas spirit.

      The tickets were affordable and both my husband and I were amazed with the performance.

      Happy Holidays,

      Lesley

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  9. There’s no place as a childhood Christmas. We always try to come back to them and pass the traditions to our youngsters. Find a little o a big thing like this, especially when is linked to music, like the one you describe, is a gift to remember so many joys and love. We used to sing carols from our homeland for hours all together, my parents, my brother and my three sisters on Christmas Eve before the Midnight Mass. Thanks for your post. And Merry Christmas to you and all yours from my heart.
    PS: that building is impressive! and your pictures great!

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  11. Wow, looks like a fantastic place. We just took the potential Grandkids to see Peter Pan at an old fashioned Hippodrome Theatre in Bristol. With David Hasselhoff as Hook, Great night out, though not as highbrow. 🙂

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  12. What a wonderful way to get you in the Chrismas spirit! Personally, I need a bit of snow to start feeling merry. No chance of the that in Australia though so I’m not in a very festive mood. Still looking forward to spending Sunday with friends, drinking champagne, though!

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  15. Great narration lesley 🙂 It was like I was there ! Thanks loads for the like, coming from someone like you who’s gone through so much of life’s experiences, I’m humbled 🙂 Merry Christmas from New Zealand and the Philippines!

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  19. An amazing edifice, fitting for such exhalted music. Long live amazing, live, life affirming musical experiences like the one you describe so eloquently!

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  20. Just Wow! Such an amazing concert hall. I can just hear the sounds…Incredible!
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Lesley to you and the family.

    Carmella @ The Colorful Spot

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  24. That hall is just incredible looking, I can’t even begin to comprehend the sounds that the organ must pump out.

    Keep us up to date on all of your adventures, go big or go home!!!
    Merry Christmas
    Bob

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  33. Wow you are amazing. What a wondrous, adventurous life you are living. I love how you depict your next adventure equally exciting; being a mother! Awesome. The journey has just begun. Looking forward to keeping in touch. Regards, Michelle Lee, An Exception To The Rules

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  37. That’s such an extraordinary venue, my shutter finger was twitching just looking at the images of it. And your appreciative recounting of the event you attended made me small and green with envy!

    Glad to hear that such joy was had. 🙂

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  39. Thanks for taking the time to read and “like” my blog! You are a fantastic writer, and the photographs are beautiful! In just briefly skimming your blog, it seems like you lead quite the adventurous life. I look forward to reading more from you.

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  45. Pingback: Christmas Lights Show – Laguna Hills Style | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences

  48. Wow, wow, wonderfully evocative post (writing and photos). Makes me want to be there next year. Did you have to get your tickets far in advance?

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  50. Thanks for the “like” to my AROS post (more will come 🙂 ) – now it was my turn to check your blog: This is such a wonderful post. I love going to concerts and going to Christmas Concert every year. But this concert hall: It looks absolutely fantastic . And the architecture is extremely successful!

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