Ah, to be young and in tune

Teen choirs will be singing it up at Disney Hall on Friday. Photo/Craig Schwartz

More than 900 young vocalists from 25 area high schools are about to see first-hand that, yes, believe it or not, a career in music is possible.

On Friday, May 5, the 23^rd Annual High School Choir Festival will bring students from all parts of the county to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a chance to sing under the baton of Grant Gershon, Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.  By getting top-notch pros involved with the young singers’ preparation, the Grammy-nominated Chorale hopes to foster a lifelong appreciation for the arts while encouraging aspiring musicians.

“Being able to work with the chamber singers they see that level of experience, the life of a professional singer,” said Lesili Beard, education programs manager for the Chorale. “There are professionals in the Master Chorale now who once participated in the high school chorus.”

Friday’s festival is free to the public, but tickets are required, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 9 a.m. in the Walt Disney Concert Hall lobby.

About a year ago, individual choir programs were vetted for participation. Program size, past participation and representation of the diverse communities of Los Angeles County were all factors considered. For the chosen programs, the event becomes one of the year’s highlights.

“As a choir director, it gives my program incentive,” said Marsha Lynne Taylor, director of the Grant High School Vocal Ensemble in Van Nuys. “If you can imagine some of the kids never going to a music hall, never going to a concert… and here they find themselves performing at the Disney Hall.”

The students don’t come unprepared. After the selection process, Gershon met with choir directors to go over the musical selections and offer his personal edits and instructions. After that came numerous practices and rehearsals, assisted by members of the Chorale. Finally, the Chorale held two large rehearsals with about 450 students each (“to make sure the young performers don’t go into shock,” joked Beard).

At 11 a.m. on the day of the event, student singers and their audience will watch a complimentary performance by the Master Chorale and hear a demonstration of the Disney Hall’s massive concert organ.

At 1 p.m., the student program will begin, presenting songs spanning multiple languages and styles. The show will conclude with a rendition of Joseph Haydn’s The Heavens Are Telling, sung in unison by the full group.

The end result is surprisingly crisp, said Tom Pease, director of the William Howard Taft High School Vocal Ensemble in Woodland Hills, whose choirs have participated in the event for about the past 15 years.

“The kids are well-rehearsed and [Gershon] does a really great job of keeping them together” said Pease. “What you end up with is a really powerful, rich, full sound.”

Posted 5/3/12