CHORALE TO APPEAR IN NEWPORT

Music director John Currie and the Los Angeles Master Chorale will open a five-program series with Bach’s Mass in B-minor at 8 p.m. on Friday at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 600 St. Andrews Road, Newport Beach.

Soloists and a chamber choir of 30 will be drawn from the 140-member chorale. The size of the choir for the remaining concerts in the Friday series will vary from 16 to 24 members.

The series will continue:

--Jan. 15: “Viva La France”: Debussy’s “Chansons Charles d’Orleans”; Ravel’s Chansons; Hindemith’s “Chansons on Poems of Rilke”; Poulenc’s “Chansons francaises,” and other works.

--Feb. 12: Pergolesi’s Magnificat; Haydn’s Mass No. 7, “Missa in tempore belli” (“Paukenmesse”), and Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor, with violinist Steward Canin and oboist Joel Timm.

--March 11: “America, Scotland, England and Italy”: music by Montiverdi, Samuel Barber and folk music arranged by John Currie.

--April 29: Bach’s “St. John Passion.”

Tickets are $12. For tickets and further information, call (714) 241-1020.