At the world premiere of “Meet Me for Noche Buena” on December 3rd, with composer Saunder Choi (L), lyricist Aileen Cassinetto, conductor Robert Istad (R), and Pacific Chorale members.
“The Grammy-winning Pacific Chorale, one of the nation’s leading choirs, launches its signature holiday programming with two performances of “Carols by Candlelight,” spotlighting timeless traditional and contemporary holiday music, including the choir-commissioned world premiere of Meet Me for Noche Buena by noted LA-based Filipino composer Saunder Choi, a tenor in the chorus whose work has been described as “fresh and earnest” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Special musical guests organist Jung-A Lee and pianist David Clemensen join members of Pacific Chorale, bathed in flickering candlelight, for this distinctive seasonal program on Saturday, December 3, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 8:00 pm, in the hushed sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach…
“Regarding the new work commissioned by Pacific Chorale, Choi, the composer, says, “At its heart, Meet Me for Noche Buena is about journeys and relationships; people bringing and sharing their various holiday traditions in new places — whether you’re an American in Japan, an Italian in Argentina, or, like me, a Filipino immigrant who has found a home in California.” Sung in English and Tagalog, it is set to a poem by San Mateo County’s poet laureate [emerita], Aileen Cassinetto, also a Filipino immigrant…”
Aileen Cassinetto 