The 50-voice Santa Clarita Master Chorale will present Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah, accompanied by a professional orchestra, on Sunday afternoon, March 18, at 3:30 p.m. at the College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center, Santa Clarita. Elijah presents several key, dramatic incidents in the life of the prophet, including his warning that the terrible drought signaled God’s wrath, his resurrection of the widow’s son, his defeat of the priests of Baal and the coming of rain, his suffering under King Ahab, his vision of God on Mount Horeb and his ascent into heaven.
Composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn visited Great Britain many times during his life. He was close to Queen Victoria, frequently conducted the London Philharmonic, performed piano recitals and was well established in British society. So it was natural that the choral festival in Birmingham would ask him to compose a new work for them.
The premiere of Elijah on August 26, 1846, in Birmingham, was hugely successful. There was an orchestra of 125 and a chorus of 271. Although audiences traditionally did not applaud at oratorio performances, The Times described the public’s reaction on this occasion as a “Unanimous volley of plaudits, vociferous and deafening!” The listeners demanded that eight sections – four choruses and four arias – be repeated during the performance. Elijah became as popular in English musical life as Handel’s Messiah had previously become. It remains one of the most popular choral masterpieces performed today.
Tickets range from $14 to $26 and are available by telephone or mail order. Order forms are available on the Chorale’s website, www.scmasterchorale.org.
The SC Master Chorale will be joined by professional soloists Bradley Ellingboe, bass-baritone, in the title role; “America’s Tenor,” Steve Amerson; Caroline McKenzie, soprano; and Tracy Van Fleet, mezzo-soprano. Before the concert, at 2:30 p.m., there will be a free lecture by the Chorale’s Artistic Director, Allan Robert Petker.
For more information, please call 661-254-8886 or write: Santa Clarita Master Chorale, P.O. Box 800459, Santa Clarita, 91380-0459.