Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Orange County Mormon Choral Organization: Virtuous, Lovely, & Praiseworthy Music

If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. (Article of Faith #13)
I would like to make a good report about lovely music I heard over the weekend.

Last Saturday, I went to see the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization (OCMCO) perform at the Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The theme of OCMCO's 2009 annual spring concert was The Lord Is My Shepherd which was appropriate for the Easter celebrations. The concert gave a moving and inspiring presentation of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Overture to Candide as well as Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18. The choir also sang some African-American Spirituals which were pleasing to the ear and soul.

I was blown away by the choir. However, I was also equally impressed by the two directors, Brett and Brandon Stewart. They are two brothers who both have graduate degrees in music and are the founders of OCMCO. I appreciate the directors, for going beyond just a simple choir by having a choral organization composed of choirs composed of saints of all ages backed up by a wonderful orchestra.

That is what made The Lord Is My Shepherd a phenomenal concert. Not only was there a choir full of adults but that there was a choir composed of youth, a children's choir and a "sunbeam" choir. Each of these choirs were magnificent and were complimented nicely with the Orange County Mormon Orchestra. This is what makes the OCMCO unique because it is the only Mormon choral “organization,” (including the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir) that consists several choirs, including those for children, youth, and adults, and an orchestra.

If you are able, I suggest that you attend future OCMCO events and hear the awesome and amazing music created by LDS members who reside in Orange County. I also highly encourage my readers, if they can, to make a donation to OCMO which will go to help support good, uplifting and inspiring music, which is rarely heard today.