Pasadena Chorale Makes History With Dual Holiday Concert Format

The Pasadena Chorale is breaking new ground this holiday season by presenting two distinct December concert formats for the first time since establishing its holiday concert tradition in 2008. The innovative programming approach, which follows the organization’s 2009 founding, showcases both large-scale performances and intimate chamber music, demonstrating the organization’s artistic versatility.

“There’s no better time for choral music than at the holidays!” says Jeffrey Bernstein, Founding Artistic and Executive Director. “But this is the first year we’ve offered two separate programs in December!”

Following their recent large-scale “Light of Hope Returning” performance featuring 500 singers, the Chorale will present “Twilight of the Year,” featuring 16 singers in an intimate setting at Altadena Community Church, 943 E. Altadena Drive, in Altadena on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. [Editor’s note: the Saturday concert is sold out.]

The program combines traditional favorites like “Silent Night” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” with contemporary pieces, including a new setting of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

“I think the audience will feel almost like they’re inside the music,” Bernstein explains, highlighting the acoustic advantages of the venue’s “shoebox” shape, high ceiling, and natural reverb, which particularly enhance the predominantly a cappella performances in the 200-person capacity space.

The repertoire spans over 500 years of musical history, featuring works ranging from Rachmaninoff’s “Bogoroditse Devo” to Emily Feld’s “Ubi Caritas.” “All the pieces relate in some way to familiar December themes: darkness and the search for light inside, birth and the hope that children bring, a longing for home,” says Bernstein.

Since its founding, the Pasadena Chorale has performed over 100 concerts, evolving from carol sing-alongs to various formats including major works like Handel’s “Messiah.” The organization has collaborated with prestigious institutions including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and won the 2017 American Prize in Choral Performance.

The Chorale maintains its commitment to cultural equity and inclusion through free programming and accessibility, while operating educational initiatives including “Listening To The Future” and “The High Notes.”

For tickets, see https://givebutter.com/twilightoftheyear