Master Chorus Eastside to perform at Benaroya Hall

Master Chorus Eastside, along with four other performing arts groups, will present “Glorious!” at 2 p.m. on April 27 in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. In a festival-style format, the event will showcase the solo and combined talents of Master Chorus Eastside, Cantaré Vocal Ensemble, Seattle Bach Choir, Choral Arts and the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra.

Master Chorus Eastside, along with four other performing arts groups, will present “Glorious!” at 2 p.m. on April 27 in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. In a festival-style format, the event will showcase the solo and combined talents of Master Chorus Eastside, Cantaré Vocal Ensemble, Seattle Bach Choir, Choral Arts and the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra.

“This time, we each get our own moment in the sun and then combine at the end to perform a large work,” said Linda Gingrich, artistic director and conductor of Master Chorus Eastside. “It’s going to be quite wonderful.”

One of the pieces in the Chorus lineup is called “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine,” a difficult piece to master, Gingrich said.

“It’s really about human inspiration,” she said. “It’s exciting to perform — it’s really stretched us.”

Each ensemble will perform a 15-minute set of its own repertoire, and for the finale, the combined artists will join forces under the baton of conductor Rodney Eichenberger for a performance of Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, with soloist Janeanne Houston.

In addition to Poulenc’s work, performed by more than 200 local artists, the program offers audiences the opportunity to hear a sampling of five of the region’s most accomplished community-based performing arts groups in a venue that is a visual and aural feast for the senses.

For more information call the MCE office at 425-392-8446, or visit its Web site at www.masterchoruseastside.org. General admission tickets are $29, available from Master Chorus Eastside, Ticketmaster outlets or at 206.292.ARTS.

Master Chorus Eastside often combines the choral art with dance, poetry and visual effects. Their repertoire ranges from large choral/orchestral masterworks, to a cappella and multi-cultural repertoire, to its informal family-style “All-American Independence Celebration.” MCE performs on the Eastside and across the greater Seattle area.

Sammamish Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director/Conductor R. Joseph Scott, has grown from a handful of dedicated musicians to the full-sized ensemble. With a focus on Sammamish and the surrounding communities, SSO makes great orchestral music readily accessible to all residents, and increases the public’s musical literacy through educational programs and performances by local musicians.

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Issaquah school choirs to perform

The third annual “Mostly Americana Concert” will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 at Issaquah High School, 700 2nd Ave S.E. This year the tribute event will incorporate more than 350 singers, drum and brass from Issaquah High School, American Desserts, singers ages 9-75, the best of the performing groups in the Issaquah School District and guest choir Breath of Aire. The event is free for veterans, $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students.