Performances highlight local composers and organization’s deep local history

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The San Luis Obispo Master Chorale has announced its 40th anniversary and 2024-25 season, featuring three diverse concerts at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo. Each performance features choral masterworks by world-renowned and local composers, conducted by Thomas Davies, music director and founder, plus free educational community presentations. 

The season’s programming begins with the Nov. 24 concert, “Encore!” This presentation features a selection of movements from favorite compositions from 40 years of performances. Relive exciting musical moments of past SLO Master Chorale concerts by experiencing a potpourri of individual movements from the greatest masterworks ever written and performed by the Chorale. Plus, hear the world premiere of a new work commissioned by the SLO Master Chorale in honor of its 40th anniversary from local composer Meredith Brammeier titled “That Music Always Round Me.” Brammeier’s commissioned work will be the highlight of the performance, which also includes selections from works by well-known composers (Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams, Vivaldi) as well as other local artists (Craig Russell, Ron Kean). A selection from Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” is also sure to be a crowd favorite.

Next, the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale presents its annual singalong Messiah as a part of their “Holiday Festival” concert on Saturday, Dec. 21. This family tradition includes the audience singing various choruses from Handel’smasterwork, as well as a few well-known carols. In addition, the SLO Master Chorale will perform a variety of beautiful seasonal works and will be joined by Los Angeles’s Westwood Brass and Paul Woodring on the Forbes Pipe Organ.

The season’s final concert on April 27, 2025, is a performance of Verdi’s “Requiem,” a work that requires a full, powerful orchestra, excellent singers, exceptional soloists, and a dynamic conductor. Four soloists — soprano, alto, tenor, bass — will join the SLO Master Chorale on stage to bring life to the masterpiece’s robust rhythms, majestic melodies, and considerable contrasts, sure to evoke powerful emotions alongside the liturgical text. 

The San Luis Obispo Master Chorale also invites the community to attend “Beyond the Notes,” a lecture series that accompanies the Chorale’s November and April concerts. The educational events strive to present an increased appreciation for music and live performance, as well as spread awareness about the arts.

The November lecturer is local professor and longtime friend of the SLO Master Chorale, Dr. Alyson McLamore, a professor of music and distinguished teacher at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The first of two events will explore how choral singing has evolved over the centuries and the cultural doors that opened as a result. In the second presentation, attendees will enjoy a guided conversation with founders Thomas and Susan Davies, also the SLO Master Chorale accompanist, moderated by McLamore, who has written program notes for the Master Chorale since 1992. Discover little-known facts and interesting tidbits about the history of the SLO Master Chorale from its leaders over the past 40 years.

Next spring, Dr. Gregory Harwood, professor and director of graduate studies at Georgia Southern University, will visit to present in April 2025. Harwood’s presentations will encourage an enhanced understanding of the context of the music of the Requiem, offering an in-depth look at the piece and the history behind the music. More details about these presentations are available at slomasterchorale.org. 

All concerts are given in Harold Miossi Hall at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on the Cal Poly campus. Tickets are available for purchase at pacslo.org or by calling the PAC box office at (805) 756-4849. Season ticket packages are available.

About the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale:

The San Luis Obispo Master Chorale (originally known as Cuesta Master Chorale) is an auditioned ensemble that specializes in the performance of large masterworks for choir and orchestra. Members of the ensemble come from throughout San Luis Obispo County. Thomas Davies, musical director and conductor, has led the performances since the fall of 1984. The SLO Master Chorale is proud to be celebrating its 40th Anniversary season.

Feature Image: The San Luis Master Chorale has scheduled three concerts — in November, December, and next April — to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Photo Courtesy of SLO Master Chorale