Friday December 9: OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR WINTER CONCERT.

This year’s Oak Park High School Winter Concert will feature outstanding choral selections. Among them are the 8-part a cappella classic Moses Hogan spiritual, The Battle of Jericho, a Australian Aborigine number, Tunggare by Stephen Leek, another very difficult a cappella number performed by the Advanced Women’s Choir from southern Mexico, Las Amarillas, arranged by Stephen Hatfield and two beautiful ballads: I Am Not Yours by David Childs, sung by the women and Till the Stars Fall from the Sky, arranged by Jay Althouse, sung by the men in the choir.

The Holiday section of their program will be the presentation of a Choral Medley, “A Glee-ful Christmas,” which will include seasonal favorites such as Jingle Bells, The Most Wonderful Day of the Year, Merry Christmas, Darling, and Angels We Have Heard On High, staged by Ms. Lisa Hughes and will highlight many of our Oak Park High School choir students.

The last section of our OPHS Choir Winter Concert will consist of the stunning mass by James Whitbourn, the Son of God Mass, composed for Soprano Saxophone and organ. James Whitbourn, a Brittish composer born in 1963, has an international reputation as a composer of choral music and as a composer for film and television and concert hall. His choral works have been performed on every inhabited continent in the world, especially the Son of God Mass. Soprano Saxophone Soloist will be Gary Rautenberg, who has performed with the Steve Allen Big Band, The Jimmy Dorsey Big Band and his own big band, Sound Advice. Gary has traveled and performed with many entertainers including Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minelli and Glady’s Knight and the Pips and has worked as a recording artist on numerous albums, on national television and for radio commercials.  On keyboard will be Michael Williams, the Oak Park High School Choir accompanist and acclaimed pianist and composer.

The concert will conclude with a beautiful arrangement of Sim Shalom, arranged by Mark Brymer for choir and cello, sending a message and prayer for universal peace. You will NOT want to miss this incredibly beautiful and entertaining evening of music! Tickets will be sold at the door for $10/adults, $5 for students without an ASB card.  Oak Park High Students will an ASB card will be admitted free of charge. The concert will be held in the OPHS Pavilion and will begin at 7 p.m.  The Oak Park High School Choir is under the direction of Ms. Heidi Cissell.

The Oak Park High School Choir will also be performing Holiday Favorites at the Motion Picture Hospital in Calabasas, the Joaquim Miller Transitional School in Reseda and at the Reagan Library “Holiday on the Hill” Celebration on Sunday December 11, along with the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Bill Benson.  (More information and ticket information for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library “Holiday On the Hill” event can be found by logging on to: www.reaganfoundation.org/events).