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For anyone who has attended a Camerata concert, you know that the choir members don’t just loiter around the lobby and concert hall waiting for Dr. Bass to beckon them to their places. Nary a tuxedo nor black dress should be seen anywhere before the concert begins. So, where are those invisible singers lurking as … Continue reading Camerata Behind the Scenes: In the Green Room →

It’s a good thing that Peanut wasn’t G.F. Handel’s dog — he never would have put up for being ignored during that 3-week period when the master composed Messiah! Considering that the oratorio comprises almost 3 hours in its entirety, that is quite an accomplishment. You can see that Mr. Peanut is ready for the holidays … Continue reading Handel With Care: A Baroque Trivia Quiz →

Long Beach Camerata Singers will perform Handel’s Messiah on December 21 and 22, 2019, with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. There are many reasons to attend what promises to be a beautiful performance; today we will focus on the use of the Baroque violin and why that is important and interesting. Handel composed his famous oratorio … Continue reading Handel’s Messiah and the Baroque Violin →

What do you get when you introduce a world-famous TV Director to a world-famous choral conductor? That’s what happened recently at a lunch in Westwood near the UCLA campus when Long Beach Camerata Singers Artistic Director, James K. Bass, met Michael Lange, Film and TV Director since 1981 with over 250 TV shows to his … Continue reading Evening of Song — Evening of Fun →

Peanut never lacks for an audience because he expects everyone he encounters to pay attention to him. Perhaps we singers need to take a lesson from him and have higher expectations of our friends and family to attend our choral performances. Choirs understand that they have great built-in audience potential living in their singers’ address books. How many friends and close family does each choir member have? 10? 20? Our goal is to make sure that when we perform, all of t

One of the most extraordinary aspects of Handel’s music is the use of “word-painting,” the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song’s lyrics. For example, ascending scales would accompany lyrics about going up; slow, dark music would accompany lyrics about death. This technique is employed throughout Handel’s most famous work, “Messiah.” Today we will examine the use of word painting in two arias, “Ev’ry Valley,” for Tenor and “But Who

We all know that GF Handel is famous for his iconic chorus from the oratorio, Messish, the Hallelujah Chorus. He’s so famous, it turns out, that even Homer Simpson likes his music. This is evidenced by the fact that the Hallelujah Chorus has appeared in the soundtrack of The Simpsons not once, not twice, but FIVE times! “Bart Gets An F” (1990) — Bart is about to flunk out of 4th grade. A snowstorm saves him, to the accompaniment of the Hallelujah Chorus. Other music in

GF Handel, like most composers of his era, borrowed and recycled musical themes on a routine basis. Today, we would consider the practice at best, distasteful, and at worst, plagiarism. But in Handel’s time it was a sign of respect. As we know, “Messiah” was composed in just 24 days. Part of the reason Handel was able to accomplish this remarkable feat is that four of the major choruses in the oratorio were “repurposed” from earlier work that the composer had done. In th

December is typically the busiest month of the year for choral musicians, and this year is no exception for the fine singers of Long Beach Camerata Singers. As the reputation of the group and of choral music grows in our area, the calendar has become crowded with concerts and performance engagements. First up for the holiday season, is Camerata’s own performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2018. Marking the 11th annual mounting of this holid

In a recent interview with the Artistic Director of Long Beach Camerata Singers, Dr. James K. Bass, we discussed his approach to the group’s upcoming performance of Carmina Burana: Peanutsez: What makes Carmina Burana an enduring favorite? Dr. Bass: First of all, the piece has a special combination of rhythm, melody and imagery. PS: Imagery? DB: Yes! First there’s the big beginning, “O Fortuna,” and then we are immediately introduced to the imagery of spring — the ma

Why is Carmina Burana so popular? Perhaps it is the simple, repeated melodies, and the insistent rhythms. It is also the connection between past and present, the yanking of early medieval poetry into the present day and the universality of the human experience that we discovered in the process. Here’s a little background on the composer and the piece in advance of Long Beach Camerata Singers’ April 22 performance. Carl Orff (1895-1982) was a German composer known mainly f

It’s a good thing that Peanut wasn’t GF Handel’s dog — he never would have put up for being ignored during that 3-week period when the master composed Messiah! You can see that Mr. Peanut is ready for the holidays in this photo, wearing his little hunter’s cap. The little guy is surprisingly good natured about having his photo taken! Here’s some interesting trivia about this beloved piece for your reading pleasure: Messiah is rich with vast effects derived from simple means,

Mr. Peanut is getting ready for the Holidays. If you watched his Thanksgiving Message, you know he is expecting lots of goodies. Today Peanut would like to recommend that you attend the upcoming performance of Handel’s Messiah by the Long Beach Camerata Singers — it’s a holiday tradition! Here are 5 big reasons to attend this year’s show: Bring Family and Friends Together — In a world laden with consumer goods, why not invest in an afternoon with the people who are importa