When Lauren Buckley, newly appointed Artistic Director of the Hollywood Master Chorale (HMC) began programming her inaugural concert, she set herself a fairly lofty goal: to recreate a miracle.

 “The title, Let There Be Light, is an invitation to experience the miracle of the holidays through music,” says Buckley. “I’ve always envisioned that phrase, Let there be light, as one of the most miraculous moments in the Bible. My goal is for the audience to experience that sense of wonder and awe from the first moment the Chorale begins to sing through the very last. Without question, music can enhance the holiday season and make it brighter.”

However, the concert – which will take place on Sunday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church – should not only enhance the holiday season but also reflect the wider array of emotions that accompany it, Buckley continues. 

“Our goal is to present a program that touches every single concertgoer in a specific way. Joy, wonder, humor, even exasperation!” Buckley concludes with a smile.  “Haven’t we all experienced these emotions during the holidays?”

HMC will present both traditional carols as well as not-so-familiar pieces, with Edward Murray, Director of Music and Organist at historic Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, acting as accompanist. Music lovers will hear two traditional pieces long associated with the Christmas season – O Come, O Come Emmanuel and O Holy Night – as well as such holiday classics as Christmas Day by Gustav Holst, A Boy Was Born by Benjamin Britten, selections from Felix Mendelssohn’s Christus, and Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light by J.S. Bach.

Slightly more eccentric works by J.S. Bach’s ‘youngest son,’ P.D.Q. Bach, will round out the program: Throw the Yule Log on Uncle John, O Little Town of Hackensack, and Good King Kong Looked Out.

 “For me, songs with a humorous twist are a huge part of the holiday season,” confides HMC President Lyndia Lowy. “So you can imagine which ‘carols’ I especially enjoy singing!”

HMC will present music celebrating Chanukah as well, adds Lowy. “From our founding in 1995, our commitment to reach out to the community has played a major role in our concert programming,” Lowy explains. “So we always include works that speak to music lovers regardless of their faith or ethnicity. Music is the great unifier. And it seems especially important that a concert celebrating the spirit of the holiday season should reflect this.”

Further, patrons whose holiday celebrations in the past included caroling may be especially pleased to learn that Let There Be Light will conclude with a Carol Sing-Along, accompanied by an ensemble of brass players led by local trumpet player Rob Schaer.

“Audience members will not only have a chance to tap their feet, but raise their own voices in song,” says Lowy. “Including songs that everyone can sing is a lovely idea.”

 Another “lovely idea” is HMC’s choice of venue. For the first time in many years, the Chorale will perform at the historic Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church.

“We’re especially pleased to sing in a sanctuary with such lovely acoustics, ” says Buckley. “We hope there will be other opportunities for us there in the years ahead.”

But, ultimately, what excites Buckley most is the sound the Hollywood Master Chorale will create within the church.  “I'm very excited about this performance,” says Buckley. “We've been working hard to develop our particular sound. There’s a great enthusiasm in the group that's inspired me to continue to challenge them and myself.  Quite a number of new people have joined the group, so this performance represents the beginning of a    musical journey for all of us.

Buckley is becoming a well-known figure in the Los Angeles choral music world, since she also serves as the conductor of the Ebell Chorale, assistant conductor of the Pasadena Master Chorale, and vocal coach for the Los Angeles Daiku 

Tickets for “Let There Be Light”, which will cost $20, will be available online or at the door. Seniors and students can purchase tickets for the discounted price of $15. For additional information, please visit the Chorale’s website: www.hollywoodmasterchorale.org or call 323-960-4349.

 A dessert reception will follow the concert. Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church is located at 505 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, 90210.

ABOUT EDWARD MURRAY

Edward Murray is Director of Music and Organist at historic Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. He holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma and Southern Methodist University and has done advanced work at the University of Southern California.

He has been a prize winner in numerous important competitions, notably the American Guild of Organists National Organ Playing Competition, the Concours Suisse de l’orgue, and the international competition in Geneva.

Well-known in the Southland as a harpsichordist, he played more than ten seasons with the Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra and has performed with Musica Angelica, the American Bach Soloists, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, and others.

He has also championed new music for organ, giving local and regional premieres of works by Petr Eben, Daniel Pinkham, Libby Larsen, George Crumb, David Diamond, and others, including Olivier Messiaen’s monumental Livre du Saint Sacrement. He gave the southern California premiere of Stephen Paulus’ First Organ Concerto before a capacity crowd in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

He has served on the adjunct faculties of California State University at Los Angeles, Occidental College, and USC. He has performed as organist with many Southern California choirs, including the Hollywood Master Chorale.

ABOUT LAUREN BUCKLEY

This is LAUREN BUCKLEY’S premiere season as the Artistic Director of the Hollywood Master Chorale.  She hails from New Orleans, LA, where she started her love affair with music by singing in choirs and playing the piano.  She headed north for her collegiate studies receiving a BA in music from Princeton University and was the first undergraduate to pursue a certificate in conducting.  She continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, receiving a Postgraduate Diploma in Choral Conducting.

In 2002, she returned to New Orleans and became the Artistic Director of the Jefferson Performing Arts Society Children’s Chorus, a program offering choral experiences to children ages 3-18.  She was also the Music Director and Conductor of the Orleans Chamber Singers, an adult semi-professional chamber ensemble specializing in Renaissance and other a cappella repertoire. 

She moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to pursue her doctorate in Choral Conducting at the USC Thornton School of Music.  In 2010, she was selected as a conducting fellow at the Oregon Bach Festival where she studied with renowned conductor, Helmuth Rilling.  She has guest conducted the Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Choral Society of Southern California, and the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra.

In addition to her work with the Hollywood Master Chorale, Lauren is the conductor of the Ebell Chorale, the assistant conductor of the Pasadena Master Chorale, the vocal coach for the Los Angeles Daiku, and a private voice and piano instructor.  Lauren has also appeared as soprano soloist for the DeAngelis Vocal Ensemble, the Horizon Music Group, the Hollywood Master Chorale, the Choral Society of Southern California, the Zimriyah Chorale and the USC Chamber Singers.

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