Three choirs in fine voice


A three-choir tour-de-force of 175 singers will present a concert at 4 p.m. Sun., March 10 at the Agoura High School performing arts education center, 28545 W. Driver Ave.

Los Robles Master Chorale, led by artistic director Lesley Leighton, will join the Agoura High School Mixed Choir and Los Robles Children’s Choir.

The concert will open with a the chorale’s performance of “In the Beginning,” Aaron Copland’s a cappella work based on verses 1 and 2 of the Book of Genesis.

The rarely-performed four-part chorus will feature mezzosoprano Niké St. Clair as guest soloist.

The world premiere of Jasper Randall’s “Requiem” will follow.

Commissioned by Los Robles Master Chorale from its award-winning composer-in-residence, the piece will include the three ensembles in a massed chorus.

“With ‘Requiem,’ I wanted to create something warm and beautiful,” said Randall. “While the original Latin text might be considered cold and dark, I chose to set it more like modern prose, with melodic lines and familiar tonalities.

“As is the goal with most of my compositions,” he said, “I write not to impress listeners intellectually, but to move them emotionally.”

Advance tickets for the concert are $16 for students and $31 for adults. To order tickets, go to losroblesmasterchorale.org/boxoffice or buy them at the door on event day.

Call (805) 526-7464 for more information.