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Stockton Chorale To Perform Jazzy “Mass In Blue”
Stockton Chorale

The Stockton Chorale will open its 2019-20 season – the organization’s 68th – on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13 with an energetic and soulful performance of Mass in Blue, featuring soprano soloist Liisa Dávila.

Imagine taking the text of the traditional Latin mass and reimaging it with big band jazz rhythms, daring vocal harmonies, and soulful and bluesy melodies sung by a spectacular soprano soloist. Chances are good you’d arrive at something like Mass in Blue, created by British composer Will Todd in 2003.

Conducted by Bruce Southard, the 45 singers of the Stockton Chorale will be accompanied by saxophone, bass, drums, and piano. Audiences will also be treated to sets by the 15-voice Master Chorale and the 25-plus voices of the Stockton Youth Chorale, conducted by Joan Calonico. The pieces performed by all the groups will contribute to the concert’s theme, “A Touch of Blue.”

A classically trained singer known for her vocal clarity and dazzling coloratura, Dávila’s performances have been described as “spell-binding” and “sublime”. She was most recently heard in Stockton in December 2018 as the featured soloist in the Stockton Symphony’s holiday pops concert. The Stockton Chorale is excited to collaborate with Dávila on a piece that challenges the boundaries between classical music and vernacular styles. More information about her is available at www.liisadavila.com.

Two performances of this family-friendly program will be held: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., at Cesar Chavez High School Performing Arts Center in Stockton; and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3:30 p.m. at The Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi.

Adult tickets are $26 advance (online or by phone) and $30 at the door. Children and full-time students are admitted free.

Advance tickets are available from the Chorale’s website: www.stocktonchorale.org or by calling 209-951-6494.

Tickets are also available from any Chorale singer for $25.

The Stockton Chorale is directed by Dr. Bruce Southard.

Southard, who also directs the choral program at San Joaquin Delta College, has a Doctorate in Choral Conducting and has directed choirs of all ages in California, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The Stockton Chorale, founded in 1952, is an auditioned community chorus of singers from the San Joaquin County region. A registered 501(c)3 non-profit, the Stockton Chorale organization supports a family of choruses for every age and level of skill and interest. For more information about the concerts or to join as a singer, visit them online at www.stocktonchorale.org or www.facebook.com/thestocktonchorale.