Vox Obscura performs at First Lutheran Church in Venice CA in their popular Masters in the Chapel concert Series. This concert is offered free of charge thanks to the support of donors and will explore the diverse landscape of the European Renaissance through choral and instrumental music. Featuring repertoire by Josquin, Tallis, Byrd, Fernandes, Guerrero, Gesualdo, Falconieri, and more!

Al Almanza bass & violin Anastasia Gastelum alto Andrea Aldana alto Andres Valenzuela tenor Benjamin Johnson bass & guitar Christian Guebert tenor & recorder Emily Valenzuela soprano. Erik Der baritone & percussion Gretchen Kirby soprano & harp Holly Roehl soprano Jocelyn Nguyen alto Jordan Kirby bass Kaitlyn Mensen alto Keinan Hernandez bass Mitchel Piantanida tenor Timmy Maggs countertenor & cello

FREE, no tickets required. Learn more at: www.flvenice.org/masters-in-the-chapel

Join us for an evening of transformative music as part of our season's exploration of metamorphosis. Gabriel Jackson's “Exile Meditations” makes its United States premiere, presenting a seven-movement journey of exile, longing, and the quest for identity. Through powerful texts and evocative music, Jackson delves into the deep emotional landscape of displacement and the search for belonging.

Anne Dudley's “One Touch of Nature” for chorus and piano will receive its world premiere. Inspired by Shakespeare's "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin," this six-movement work draws from texts by Algernon Charles Swinburne, Bessie Rayner Parkes, Rabindranath Tagore, and John Burroughs. Dudley explores our fractured relationship with the natural world and nature's capacity for renewal, concluding with a reflective soprano solo that invites listeners to ponder their own connection to nature.

Together, these works create a profound narrative of transformation and resilience. “Exile Meditations” captures the painful journey of exile and the enduring hope for a homeland, while “One Touch of Nature” reflects on the healing and unifying power of the natural world.

Program Repertoire

One Touch of Nature by Anne Dudley (United States Premiere)

Exile Meditations by Gabriel Jackson (United States Premiere)

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A rare concert of Orthodox music with excerpts from Rachmaninoff’s legendary night vespers along with sacred music from Byzantine and Slavic traditions. Vox Obscura will be joined by professional oktavist Alexander Mayang. Located in the gorgeous St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Basilica in Irvine, CA.

Tickets will be on sale in early 2025.

PREMIERE|Project Festival is a world-class destination for living composers. Spending a weeklong residency with Choral Arts Initiative, twelve select composers will complete a workshop-commission experience culminating in this final performance! After the performance featuring 12 world premieres, join us for a complimentary reception in the courtyard to connect with the composers and Choral Artists.

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