Oakland Youth Chorus’ 40th anniversary celebration on December 13, 2014 to feature premiere of a newly-commissioned composition by Bay Area bassist, bandleader and composer Marcus Shelby. The composition, written specifically for the Oakland Youth Chorus, fuses the traditions of classical art music with the forms of gospel, jazz and blues which have a longstanding tradition at the chorus and within the greater Oakland community.
Oakland, CA, December 13, 2014 – At 6:00 pm on December 13, the Oakland Youth Chorus (OYC) Chamber Singers, Concert Chorus, Middle School ensembles and other East Bay youth ensembles will perform a newly-commissioned work by composer Marcus Shelby in celebration of Oakland Youth Chorus’ 40th anniversary. Commissioned by Composers and Schools in Concert specifically for the Oakland Youth Chorus, this new work celebrates OYC’s programmatic emphasis on bringing diverse people and cultures together through music and singing.
This new work is part of a greater concert celebration that includes music from around the world. “This 40th anniversary concert pulls together a number of threads in OYC’s history,” says OYC Executive Director Keri Butkevich. The concert includes music from celebrations such as Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights and cultural works such as Niska Banja, a Serbian Gypsy Dance; El Vito, a traditional folk song from Andalusia; and Kaki Lambe, a ritual dance piece from the coastal area of Guinea. “Artistic Director, La Nell Martin has done an amazing job of raising awareness and appreciation in our singers for an incredibly diverse range of musical genres and styles,” says OYC Executive Director, Keri Butkevich.
Composers and Schools in Concert helps to provide youth music students the opportunity to work closely with a professional composer to learn about the process of music composition. CSIC Executive Director, Lisa Oman says, “CSIC Projects benefit schools, students, and the public with music and dialogue centered on collaboration between composers and schools.”
Join the singers of Oakland Youth Chorus to celebrate the holidays and four decades of friendships, songs, community, and creating harmony through diversity in Oakland and the East Bay.
The concert will be held at 6:00 PM on December 13 at the First Presbyterian Church, 2619 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612. Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/889424. For more information visit http://oaklandyouthchorus.org/ or www.composersandschools.com or contact Lisa Oman, CSIC Executive Director, at omanl@composersandschools.com or (831) 471-5761.
###
Composers and Schools in Concert (CSIC) is a nationwide organization based out of Santa Cruz, California. Led by Executive Director Lisa Oman, it is the only organization in the United States dedicated to providing high school students with an educational experience in the professional field of music composition through composer commissions, workshops, and a contemporary score library for young performers.