Published : Sept. 2, 2014 - 20:26
The Camarata Music Company Chamber Singers will hold its “Camarata Pops” concert this month to usher in autumn with some easy listening.
The concert will be packed with choral arrangements of familiar songs from the last century, including musical numbers and pop hits.
It is one of the CMCs four major yearly performances, with a stage musical in the summer and a traditional performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in the run up to Christmas.
The CMC’s conductor and artistic director, Ryan Goessl, has a background in classical choral music, but understands the importance of catering to different preferences.
“My doctorate is in choral conducting and I personally like classical music myself, but not everybody has the same taste, so we try to get a wide variety of music throughout the year,” he said, adding that the group has performed quite unusual pieces, such as last year’s “African Sanctus,” which blends pop, classical and African music.
“This one is much more of a calm, much more relaxed concert. People can just sit back and enjoy listening to the music,” he said.
“Last year we did a lot of pop also, but we did mix it a little bit more. This year, the focus is a little bit more on easy listening, fun music that the audience can enjoy the entire time.”
The CMC Chorale. (Camerata Music Company)
Choral arrangements will include “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” and “Sweet Caroline.” There will also be vocal soloists and a performance of Gershwin’s “Three Piano Preludes.”
Goessl added that the pop performance was a good way of introducing and attracting new members.
“It’s also a concert that we use to help try to recruit people to the choir,” he said. “They are able to sing music that is familiar to them, that’s easier and they will be able to sing it at a high quality.”
The CMC also does outreach work at hospitals, orphanages and other centers for the underprivileged, performing concerts and giving gifts and playing games with children there.
To help pay for this outreach, the CMC is holding a networking fund-raiser on Oct. 10 at Hyatt Hotel. The “Fall Into Music” event will feature performances by the CMC chamber choir, raffle prizes including plane tickets to North America and gifts for attendees.
“Camarata Pops” will be performed at Jungdong First Methodist Church in Central Seoul at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13. Tickets are 15,000 won in advance and 25,000 won at the door. Tickets for “Fall Into Music” are 80,000 won in advance or 95,000 won at the door.
For reservations for either concert, contact tickets@camaratamusic.com.
By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)