“Sing Joy” with the Sierra Master Chorale

Grass Valley, Calif. December 6, 2023 – Celebrate the winter season and festive spirit with the Sierra Master Chorale and Orchestra, led by Conductor and Musical Director Alison Skinner. Join us for the enchanting performance of “Sing Joy” on Saturday, Dec 16, or Sunday, Dec 17. Skinner has curated a delightful program that captures the essence of light, joy, and celebration during this holiday season.

To craft a distinctive annual holiday concert for the SMC, Skinner consistently seeks fresh perspectives. This year, her focus gravitated towards the captivating phenomenon of light emerging from the dark of winter. Reflecting on the profound human inclination to generate light and hope during the darkest season, she identified it as a compelling theme. Morten Laurdisen’s soul-filling beautiful work, “Lux Aeterna,” emerged as the ideal centerpiece for the concert. Skinner envisioned a powerful program built around this work, which calls for a chamber orchestra to enhance its impact.

Building around the central theme, the program takes a delightful turn, transitioning from the light in the darkness to the joyful aspects of the holiday season. The repertoire includes holiday favorites such as “Silver Bells,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Deck the Hall.” Carols like “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” “Ding, Dong, Merrily on High,” and “The Very Best Time of the Year” promise to evoke the spirit of the season. Additionally, the concert features two Chanukah numbers: the lively dreidel song “S’Vivon ” and  “Everlasting Light,” which is a soaring melody by Broadway composers Sheldon Harnick and David Shire. Sheldon Herrick is best known as the composer of Fiddler on the Roof.

The Sierra Master Chorale’s preparation for this enchanting concert involves thirteen weekly rehearsals, supported by piano accompaniment. Members diligently devote five to ten hours per week outside of rehearsals to master their individual parts. The meticulous rehearsal process aims to achieve choral blend, tone quality, emotional expression, rhythmic precision, and overall unity. In the week leading up to the concert, both the chorale and the 24 members of the InConcert Sierra Orchestra rehearse together to perfect their collaborative performance.

“Sing Joy” performances will be on Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17. The 60-member Sierra Master Chorale and 24 piece orchestra will illuminate the holiday spirit in all of us.

The SMC is a high-caliber auditioned community choir founded in 2008 and is part of InConcert Sierra, a Nevada County non-profit organization presenting classical concerts, and robust music education offerings for all ages, since 1946. Alison Skinner has been the music director and conductor of the SMC since January 2019.

InConcert Sierra is building the new “Crown Point Events Center” that will include a conference center, black box theater, and an elegant acoustic concert hall that will become the home of InConcert Sierra and the Sierra Master Chorale as of fall 2024.

 Join us for a magical celebration of light, hope, and joy with the Sierra Master Chorale and Orchestra. For more information and ticket purchases, visit InConcertSierra.org.