Press Releases
Voices 2009
Cypress Masterworks Chorale & Chamber Singers
Featuring our many gifted soloists
Dr. Sheridan J. Ball, Director
Dates/Times: Saturday, May 16 - 7:00 P.M. Sunday, May 17 - 4:00 P.M.
Location: Cypress College Campus Theater Address: 9200 Valley View - Cypress, CA
South of the 91 Freeway - between Lincoln Avenue & Ball Road
Whether your musical taste ranges from Mozart to Mercer, Gilbert & Sullivan to Jackson Browne, or Lerner to Verdi, you’re bound to hear old favorites plus be introduced to new captivating songs at the upcoming Voices 2009 concerts in the Cypress College Campus Theater. Show tunes, operatic jewels, comedic classics, romantic ballads – these concerts have them all, presenting a broad spectrum of musical talent. The Cypress Masterworks Chorale and Chamber Singers will perform at both the concerts, on Saturday evening, May 16th, at 7:00 P.M. and also on Sunday afternoon, May 17th, at 4:00 P.M., but most of the other selections will be offered at just one of the two programs.
Notably, the Cypress Jazz Singers under the direction of Dr. Kate Reid will be a featured attraction Saturday night. An added special appearance that evening will be the bell choir from Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Sunday’s show will be highlighted by two guest ensembles, Meritáge and Anon and Beyond.
Since most of the talented soloists will be singing at just one of the performances, if you come Saturday night you’ll be tempted to return the next afternoon to not miss any of the special musical acts.
Looking ahead, many of these singers will be performing in the Southern California Master Chorale’s encore presentation of Carmina Burana with the Marina Del Rey Summer Orchestra on July 9th. This group will also be making a concert tour of Germany and Croatia in 2010.
Ticket Information “Hotline” (714) 484-7140
$12.00 - General Admission
$8.00 - Senior Citizens & Students
$6.00 - Groups of 10 or more
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.
His choirs have toured internationally throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Alaska. They have performed for the California Music Educators Conference, the American Choral Directors Association and the Choral Conductors Guild, and have appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican twice and Carnegie Hall on three occasions.
In June, 2008, Dr. Ball’s professional chorus, the Southern California Master Chorale, toured China, performing in Beijing, Tianjin and Xi’an. The group is comprised of vocal musicians with whom Dr. Ball has worked over the course of his 30 years of conducting in the Southern California region. They perform regularly with the Long Beach Symphony, the Golden State Pops Orchestra and the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony.
Dr. Ball has taught music in Salzburg, Austria, and Florence, Italy. In 2001 he made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall. He is currently an Associate Conductor for MidAmerica Productions in New York City.
Manzoni REQUIEM - by Giuseppe Verdi
Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Camerata, Soloists & Orchestra
Dr. Sheridan Ball, Director
Date/Time: Saturday - April 6 - 7:30 PM and Sunday - April 7 - 3:00 PM
Location: Eldorado Park Community Church
Address: 3655 Norwalk Blvd. - Long Beach, CA
East of the 605 fwy - Between Carson & Wardlow (Lincoln & Ball)
On the first weekend in April the Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Camerata and Concert Orchestra will present Verdi's monumental masterpiece, the Manzoni Requiem, featuring the soloistic talents of soprano, Lori Stinson; mezzo soprano, Holly Harvey; tenor, Alvin Brightbill; and bass, Cedric Berry.
Soprano, Lori Stinson, has numerous operatic performances to her credit including appearances with opera companies in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, South Bay, Long Beach, New York City, and Los Angeles. She has also been a featured soloist with the Utah Festival Opera, Opera Pacific, the Redlands Bowl, Glimmerglass Opera, and the Aspen Opera Theater. In conjunction with her operatic appearances Lori has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Valley Symphony, Amherst Symphony, California Philharmonic, and the Torrance Symphony. She also provided the voice for Alison Elliott in the TV movie "The Song of the Lark." Lori was a western region finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions and the Lyric Opera of Chicago studio auditions, and a winner in the Richard Tucker Foundation awards.
Mezzo Soprano, Holly Moore-Harvey, has spent most of her life in Orange County but has been away for the past several years pursuing other performance opportunities. Holly received her degree in Vocal Performance from Cal State University, Fullerton and continued her postgraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been a featured soloist with the Santa Barbara Master Chorale, Saddleback Master Chorale, Orange Coast College Chorale, Bel Canto Society, and the Los Angeles Bach Festival. She has also performed in the Oregon Bach Festival and the William Hall Master Chorale. Holly's opera credits include leading roles in La Cenerentola, Hansel & Gretal, Old Maid and the Thief and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Additionally, she has been the alto soloist for St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach and is currently engaged as a soloist for the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Hills.
Bass, Cedric Berry, received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from USC. He has performed a variety of operatic roles, primarily from the Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini repertoire, and has been appearing regularly with the Los Angeles Opera since 1995. Cedric’s most recent appearances include performances with the Long Beach Opera and the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. In addition to his operatic credits, Cedric has also been a featured performer with the Arizona Symphony, Bakersfield Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, Pacific Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Cedric has received a number of vocal awards including first place in the 1998 Metropolitan Opera Western Region Competition.
Tenor, Alvin Brightbill is a versatile performer adept in a variety of styles ranging from Bach and Verdi to Britten and Stravinsky. Al has been a featured soloist with the Carmel, Oregon, and Los Angeles Bach Festivals; the William Hall and Roger Wagner Chorales; and the San Diego and Los Angeles Master Chorales. He has also performed major roles with the Portland Opera, Western Opera Theater, the Los Angeles Guild Opera, and the Long Beach, Santa Monica, Irvine, La Jolla, Aliso Viejo and Bakersfield symphonies. He has recorded with a variety of renown directors including Robert Shaw, Roger Wagner, Helmuth Rilling, Sir David Willcocks, and recently appeared with jazz legend, Dave Brubeck. Al also provided the voice for Carmine in an operatic spoof on "Laverne and Shirley" and is the voice for Rodney Dangerfield in the soon to be released film "The Fourth Tenor." Al holds degrees in Voice and Conducting from Chapman University and the California Institute of the Arts, and serves as the Director of Choral activities at Saddleback Community College and the Geneva Presbyterian Church of Laguna Hills. He is in constant demand as a soloist, vocal and choral clinician, and adjudicator.
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale and Camerata, a combined ensemble of 130 voices, has attained a reputation for excellence; due in large part to performances presented at regional music festivals and featured appearances for the Choral Conductors Guild, the American Choral Directors Association, and the California Music Educators Association.
The Cypress ensembles have toured throughout Europe and Russia, performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican and Radio Vienna. Last Spring they made their third appearance in New York City's famed Carnegie Hall where Dr. Ball conducted Ralph Vaughan William’s dramatic masterpiece, Dona Nobis Pacem.
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. He served as the Chairman of the Cypress College Music Department for six years and is currently celebrating his 20th season as director of the Cypress Masterworks Chorale.
Tickets: $15.00 General Admission
$13.00 Groups of 10 or more
$14.00 Sr. Citizens, Students w/ID and Children 12 & Under
Tickets & Information “Hotline” (714)
Serenade to Spring
Cypress Masterworks Chorale & Chamber Singers
Dr. Sheridan J. Ball, Director
Date/Time: Sunday – March 30 - 4:00 PM
Location: Cypress College Campus Theater Address: 9200 Valley View - Cypress, CA
South of the 91 Freeway - between Lincoln Avenue & Ball Road
To herald the arrival of Spring the Cypress Masterworks Chorale and Chamber Singers will perform an eclectic cornucopia of concert favorites in their Sunday afternoon concert. In addition to the chorale works presented, several talented soloists will be featured.
The offerings run the gamut from light opera selections including Cole Porter’s Every Time We Say Goodbye and Jerome Kern’s Old Man River to traditional opera highlights by Jacques Offenbach and George Bizet. More contemporary composers such as Morten Lauridsen, Z. Randall Stroope and Aaron Copland will be represented with lyrical or spirited compositions.
The sentimental will be touched by the tenderness of Roses I Send To You and Rene Clausen’s romantic Set Me As A Seal. Get reintroduced to The Girl From Ipanema and Moonglow. Discover how aptly named Sounding Joy is.
Other composers and arrangers whose pieces will be showcased include Orlando di Lasso, Gwyneth Walker, Cecil Effinger, Gail Kubik, Carlos Jobim, Teena Chinn, and John Rutter.
No matter what your musical taste, you will find many selections to delight you in this varied program.
Ticket Information “Hotline” (714) 484-7210
$12.00 - General Admission
$8.00 - Senior Citizens & Students
$6.00 - Groups of 10 or more
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.
His choirs have toured internationally throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Alaska.
They have performed for the California Music Educators Conference, the American Choral Directors Association and the Choral Conductors Guild, and have appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican (twice) and Carnegie Hall (thrice).
Dr. Ball has taught music in Salzburg, Austria, and Florence, Italy. In 2001 he made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall. He is currently an Associate Conductor for MidAmerica Productions in New York City and plans to take his singers back to Carnegie Hall in the Spring of 2009.
This coming June Dr. Ball’s professional chorus, the Southern California Master Chorale, will be touring China, performing in Beijing, Tianjin and Xi’an. The group is comprised of vocal musicians with whom Dr. Ball has worked over the course of his 30 years of conducting in the Southern California region.
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Chamber Singers & Orchestra Proudly Present Mixin’ It Up with Mozart
Works by Z. Randel Stroope, Kirby Shaw . . .
and others, and featuring
The Coronation Mass
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with soloists
Sopranos: Grace Lee, Maureen Lombardino, Nicole Morrisey & Wendy Stokes
Altos: Dorcas Trueman & Cindy Anderson
Basses: Michael Le Doux, Leonard Lee & William Shelly
Tenors: Paul Shirts & Jeff Wiatt
Dr. Sheridan Ball, Director
Sunday - October 28 - 4:00 PM
Cypress College Campus Theater - Address: 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress
South of the 91 fwy - Between Lincoln & Orange
On the weekend of November 5/6 the Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Camerata, Concert Orchestra and Soloists will present their opening concert of the 2005-2006 season, featuring works by Bach, Vivaldi and Handel.
This program, titled “Goin’ for Baroque,” will open with the chamber ensemble, Cypress Camerata, performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s buoyant setting of the Magnificat. This will be followed by Antonio Vivaldi’s famous setting of the Gloria, as presented by the Cypress Masterworks Chorale. Following intermission both ensembles will combine forces for George Frederic Handel’s concise and jubilant, mini-masterwork, the Dettingen Te Deum, which was written in commemoration of the 1743 British military victory over the French near the German town of Dettingen.
Featured soloists for this concert are sopranos, Susan Montgomery (Long Beach) and Lori Stinson (Van Nuys); altos, Holly Harvey (Mission Viejo) and Teresa Raridan (Brea); tenor, Gerald Seminatore (Fullerton) and basses, Tyler Thompson (Fountain Valley) and Richard Kinsey (Long Beach).
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale and Camerata have toured extensively throughout Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. They have performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican and Radio Vienna, in addition to three appearances in New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. The Chorale recently performed at the Sydney Opera House, in conjunction with their New Zealand-Australia concert tour and traveled to Italy last summer for concerts in Naples, Rome, Florence and Venice.
The Masterworks Chorale has been invited to perform at the California Music Educators State Conference in Sacramento this Spring, and an “Alaska Choral Cruise” is on the agenda for July 15-22, 2006.
A concert tour to Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia is currently in the planning stages for the summer of 2007.
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. He served as Chairman of the Cypress College Music Department for six years and is currently celebrating his 25th Anniversary Season as director of the Cypress Masterworks Chorale & Camerata. Dr. Ball is also an Associate Conductor for MidAmerica Productions in New York City.
General Admission - $20.00
Sr. Citizens and Students - $15.00
Children 12 and under 1/2 Price - $10.00
For ticket reservations or further information, Please Call: (714) 594-4249
www.cypresschorale.org
"Requiem" by John Rutter
featuring the Cypress Masterworks Chorale & Soloists accompanied by Chamber Orchestra
Dr. Sheridan J. Ball, Director
Date/Time: Saturday – May 17 - 7:30 P.M.
Location: Cypress College Campus Theater
Address: 9200 Valley View - Cypress, CA
South of the 91 Freeway - between Lincoln Avenue & Ball Road
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale is proud to present the ethereal Requiem by contemporary English composer John Rutter. This compelling work premiered in Dallas, Texas in 1985. Wrote one reviewer: “The immediate success of the Requiem composed in memory of John Rutter’s father, who had died the previous year . . .was nothing short of miraculous. In the first six months after publication it received over 500 performances in America alone. The Requiem exudes an aura of consolation, brought about through Rutter’s own bereavement at the time, and is composed in a language which he describes as ‘one that (his) father might have enjoyed listening to.’” Only three years later, in 1988, the Cypress chorale first offered the Requiem to our local community. Now after a score of years a reprise of their heralded performance is long overdue.
Chorale members Nicole Morrissey and Cindy Green are the featured soloists. Dr. Sheridan Ball, director of the Masterworks Chorale, is particularly pleased that Ernest Ehrhardt, assistant principal cellist of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, will be part of the accompanying ensemble. He will bring his artistry to the haunting solo passages that underscore the “Into The Deep” movement which is based on Psalm 130.
The evening’s concert will begin with a prelude of selections sung by the Chamber Singers, a new vocal group on the Cypress College campus this academic year.
Ticket Information “Hotline” (714) 484-7210
$12.00 - General Admission
$8.00 - Senior Citizens & Students
$6.00 - Groups of 10 or more
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.
His choirs have toured internationally throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Alaska.
They have performed for the California Music Educators Conference, the American Choral Directors Association and the Choral Conductors Guild, and have appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican (twice) and Carnegie Hall (thrice).
Dr. Ball has taught music in Salzburg, Austria, and Florence, Italy. In 2001 he made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall. He is currently an Associate Conductor for MidAmerica Productions in New York City and plans to take his singers back to Carnegie Hall in the Spring of 2009.
This coming June Dr. Ball’s professional chorus, the Southern California Master Chorale, will be touring China, performing in Beijing, Tianjin and Xi’an. The group is comprised of vocal musicians with whom Dr. Ball has worked over the course of his 30 years of conducting in the Southern California region.
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Camerata & Orchestra Proudly Present "MUSIC OF THE MASTERS"
Grand Mass in C minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Blue Danube Waltz - Johann Strauss II
Symphony of Psalms - Igor Stravinsky
featuring
Sopranos, Maria Cristina Navarro and Judith Siirila
Tenor, Gerald Seminatore and Bass, Steven Pence
Dr. Sheridan Ball, Director
Date/Time: Saturday - April 2 - 7:30 PM and Sunday - April 3 - 3:00 PM
Cypress College Campus Theater - Address: 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress
South of the 91 fwy - Between Lincoln & Orange
On the weekend of April 2/3 the Cypress Masterworks Chorale, Camerata and Concert Orchestra will present their annual “Music of the Masters” concert - this year featuring works by Mozart, Strauss and Stravinsky.
The program will open with Igor Stravinsky’s stirring and dynamic Symphony of Psalms, written in 1930 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony. It’s one of history’s curious coincidences that Stravinsky, at that particular moment in time, was in the midst of a personal spiritual renaissance and had recently returned to the Eastern Orthodox faith of his childhood. Consequently, the resulting composition became a profound profession of faith robed in 20th century harmony, neo-classic architecture, and the bubbling brew of Stravinsky’s driving “primitivism.” Symphony of Psalms transformed choral/orchestral writing for every composer that followed, fostering a broad appreciation for this new vibrant musical vocabulary.
Following the Symphony of Psalms, the program will take a dramatic turn to a traditional favorite, Johann Strauss the Younger’s beloved waltz, By the Beautiful Blue Danube. Written in 1867, the Blue Danube “has been one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire,” and has been frequently used in cinematic features ranging from a 1943 Daffy Duck cartoon to a more recent Monty Python “exploding version.” Contemporary fame, however, rests primarily on its use in Stanley Kubrick’s influential film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Following a brief intermission, the Masterworks Chorale, Camerata and Concert Orchestra will combine to present Mozart’s towering Grand Mass in C minor. First performed at St. Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg in 1783, this Mass was probably a peace offering by Wolfgang to his father, Leopold, who had strongly opposed his son’s recent marriage to Constanze Weber. The orchestral and vocal forces of this monumental masterpiece - composed at the ripe age of 27 - are larger than any other sacred composition written by Mozart. The C minor Mass contains a rich mixture of lyric, operatic solo writing contrasted by complex, soaring fugues for double chorus. Featured soloists for this presentation of the Grand Mass in C minor are sopranos, Maria Cristina Navarro (Irvine) and Judith Siirila (Glendale) with tenor, Gerald Seminatore (Fullerton) and bass, Steven Pence (Costa Mesa). Ms. Navarro and Ms. Siirila have appeared with the Cypress Masterworks Chorale on a variety of occasions, and Mr. Pence was recently featured in the Chorale’s holiday presentation of Handel’s Messiah. Dr. Seminatore, a vocal instructor at California State University - Fullerton, will be appearing for the first time with the Cypress Masterworks Chorale but, like the other soloists, has had extensive experience as an established concert performer.
The Cypress Masterworks Chorale and Camerata, a combined ensemble of 120 singers, has toured throughout Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, and has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, the Vatican and Radio Vienna, in addition to three appearances in New York City's famed Carnegie Hall. The Chorale recently performed at the Sydney Opera House, in conjunction with their New Zealand-Australia concert tour, and will travel to Italy this summer for concerts in Naples, Rome, Florence and Venice.
Dr. Sheridan Ball received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. He served as the Chairman of the Cypress College Music Department for six years and is currently celebrating his 24th season as director of the Cypress Masterworks Chorale & Camerata. Dr. Ball is also an Associate Conductor for MidAmerica Productions in New York City.
General Admission - $14.00 Sr. Citizens and Students - $10.00
Children 12 or under, or Groups of 10 or more - $8.00
For ticket reservations or further information, Please Call: (714) 995-4832
www.cypresschorale.org/