Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) join together in a collaborative concert program of dynamic and uplifting choral and orchestral music. Over 100 singers from across Ventura County will be on stage to perform Christopher Tin’s Baba Yetu and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. The Spectacular Chorus is comprised of CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, Santa Paula High School Cardinal Concert Choir, Ventura High School Chorale, and Rancho Campana High School Concert Choir. Audiences will also be treated to the world premiere performance of Bevan Manson’s Odesa Overture, dedicated to the people of Ukraine.
The concerts are conducted by Dr. KuanFen Liu, Associate Professor at the California State University of Channel Islands and the Artistic Director of both CICA and CHICO. Concert dates are scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at 7 PM and Sunday, April 23 at 3 PM. Performances are at Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.
The choral portion of the program features compositions in eight languages. Baba Yetu, a Swahili language setting of the Lord’s Prayer, is the theme song for the 2005 video game Civilization IV. This critically acclaimed piece is the recipient of the first Grammy® Award for video game music and has transcended its genre into mainstream popularity. Jubilate Deo, set in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Mandarin, Zulu, English, and Spanish, brings to life the global aspect of the traditional Psalm 100 text “O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands”.
“I am thrilled to bring a musical program of global representation to Ventura County audiences,” says Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu. “I am especially inspired that we are performing a newly commissioned work that commemorates the bravery and resilience of the people of Ukraine. The Odesa Overture calls for peace and a more harmonious world.”
Tickets are a suggested $20 donation and are only available at the door. All seats are first-come, first-serve. For more information, visit the CICA website at cicachoir.org or the CHICO website at chicovc.org.
