Choral Artists of Carmel will present their fall concert, The Soul and the Prayer, on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00–4:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Monterey.

The concert will feature the world premiere of “The Soul and the Prayer,” by Dr. Frederick B. Mabalot with text by director Robin McKee Williams. David Dally will be the solo violinist for the premiere and Patrick Lord-Remmert from New York City will be the baritone soloist. Dr. Mabalot, Choral Artists of Carmel Composer in Residence, will speak to give insight into his breathtaking music. He has degrees from The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a doctorate from the University of Washington. Dr. Mabalot will also conduct David Dally’s Monterey Strings and Leberta Lorál from the piano.

The concert will showcase music of Dr. Mabalot, as well as music from other contemporary living composers, some of whom will also be present at the concert. The program celebrates the choral art form at its finest with United Kingdom composers Paul Ayers’ “The Isle is Full of Noises” (in English and Mandarin), Kenneth Leighton’s “Magnificat,” and John Tavener’s “What God is We Do Not Know” and “Eternity’s Sunrise.” Pieces by American composers include Composer in Residence at Harvard University Carsen Cooman’s “Nunc Dimittis,” Elaine Hagenberg’s “The Music of Stillness,” and Dr. Mabalot’s “Ubi Caritas Et Amour” and the world premiere of “The Soul and the Prayer.”

There will be many thrilling highlights during the concert. The excellent David Dally and his Monterey Strings with Matt Bourne (West Bay Opera pianist) will accompany soloists, including operatic and concert soloist Leberta Lorál, soprano Heather Green (Staatsoper Berlin), baritone Michael Orlinsky (West Bay Opera), soprano Aimée Puentes (San Francisco Opera), soprano Celesti’anna Jordan (San Francisco Opera), mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm (San Francisco Opera), mezzo-soprano Anna Yelizarova (San Diego Opera), baritone Patrick Lord-Remmert (NYC Gilbert and Sullivan Society). Ms. Green will perform “Tomorrow Never Knows,” her own composition, accompanied by David Dally’s Monterey Strings. Mr. Orlinsky will sing “The Most Amazing Fact,” his own composition, also accompanied by David Dally’s Monterey Strings. Present in the audience will be Christopher Pratorius Gomez, UC Santa Cruz composer for “La Virgen a Solas,” to be sung by Ms. Jordan. Soprano Jody Lee from the Carmel Bach Festival will also be a featured soloist.

Perhaps this will be the most beautiful and thrilling concert yet by Choral Artists of Carmel. The sublime singing, choral music, and instrumentals will be something to truly celebrate. All are invited to come and enjoy the concert! For those craving even more, recorded Zoom interviews with director McKee Williams and composers will be available for viewing at www.choralartistsofcarmel.org. The profiled composers will include Dr. Frederick B. Mabalot, Carson Cooman, Paul Ayers, Elaine Hagenberg, Michael Orlinsky, Christopher Pratorius Gomez, and Heather Green. Interviews with additional composers will also be available for viewing.

The Choral Artists of Carmel choir enriches the community with beautiful music and includes local, national, and international singers. Their repertoire spans five centuries from early baroque to pop, with an emphasis on classical choral works. Originally founded and performing as the Hartnell Community Choir, the Choral Artists of Carmel have appeared in concerts at Ely Cathedral in Cambridge, England; Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City; Steinbeck Center and Hartnell College in Salinas; and churches on the Monterey Peninsula. Building upon the backbone of her dedicated choir, McKee Williams includes soloists, musicians and composers she has learned about from her participation in the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) mentoring program for conducting.

There is a suggested donation of $30. Tickets will be available at the door.
For more information, call 831-809-9112 or email choralartistsofcarmel@gmail.com.

Available for interviews:
Robin McKee Williams, 831-809-9112, raluscombe@aol.com