Spread the Word: You are invited to sing!
Every year, The Arizona choral community comes together to Church of the Beatitudes in Central Phoenix for a celebration of some of the most beloved choral music of living choral composers. This year, the Sing Phoenix! Choral Festival is proud to feature the music of Morten Lauridsen from Thursday, October 18th - Saturday, October 20th. We are pleased to announce that Mr. Lauridsen will be joining us in person for the weekend, teaching masterclasses and voice/composition workshops to singing enthusiasts, providing insights on some of his critically-acclaimed masterworks, and attending the culminating performance of his music presented by all festival participants on the evening of Saturday, October 20th.
Simply put, this year's festival is a unique opportunity to meet, work alongside, and sing for one of the most influential choral legends of our time, while receiving extraordinary musical and personal benefits that will not soon be forgotten!
The festival is encouraging Valley choirs to participate at a minimum of 70% attendance at $50/registrant (scheduling for the weekend could be flexible to accommodate the needs of your ensemble). We hope to have six (6) choirs participating of a variety of skill levels & abilities from across the state. Music would be selected in accordance with the choir director so that no duplicate music is performed on the concert. If you or your choir director would like to participate, please email sschermitzler@beatitudeschurch.org.
There is also an option for participants to register individually for the mass choir only, at $30 (includes rehearsals and performance), or at $50 (includes admission to all festival events). Neither fee includes the cost of the Lux Aeterna sheet music, which is $7.95/copy, and must be ordered separately through the Hal Leonard website.
Benefits of the festival include:
- A one-hour choral masterclass with Morten Lauridsen (individual choirs only)
- Singing 8-10 minutes of Mr. Lauridsen’s works in concert (individual choirs only), followed by a mass choir of 100-150 voices singing his Lux Aeterna, accompanied by chamber orchestra, with the composer in attendance (mass choir rehearsals are scheduled as part of the festival)
- The opportunity to attend other workshops with the composer. Topics include:
- New choral music
- Morten Lauridsen’s lesser-known works
- A talk-back with the composer
- Screening of Mr. Lauridsen’s personal documentary film, “Shining Night”
- Saturday lunch, snacks, and festival reception included
- One (1) complimentary ticket per registrant (individual choirs only; tickets sold separately)
The festival runs Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday all day.
For more information & registration details, feel free to contact me via the information below. I have also attached a few videos of Morten Lauridsen for your viewing pleasure; links are below.
Thank you for your consideration of this event and the positive impact it could have on the singers of our community. I appreciate your commitment to musical excellence and your support of the arts in the state of Arizona!
Sincerely,
Stephen Schermitzler
Director of Music, Church of the Beatitudes
Coordinator, Sing Phoenix! Choral Festival
(602) 264-1221, ext. 104
sschermitzler@beatitudeschurch.org