Chorale Turns to Traditional American Music

Eastern Europe may seem an odd source for an inspiration about traditional American music. But that’s where John Alexander’s thoughts traveled some months ago when he planned the program for Saturday’s performance by the Valley Master Chorale.

Alexander, artistic director of the 150-voice group, is a staunch advocate of classical music. He wouldn’t be caught doing a night at the pops. But this time around, the chorus is presenting a middle ground of sorts--a night of traditional American songs.

“I’ve been to the Eastern bloc several times, and in all the countries I’ve found that the traditional music is very important,” said Alexander, a music professor and chairman of choral activities at Cal State Northridge. “I admire that. The choirs use folk music, but it’s done in a classical idiom.”

In Saturday night’s appearance at the Reseda High School Auditorium, the Valley Master Chorale will be joined by an orchestra. On the program are Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs,” Randall Thompson’s “Frostiana” and several songs from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”

The works range from the familiar--who doesn’t know Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”--to some played so seldom that Alexander had not heard them. That is the case with the “Frostiana” pieces, Robert Frost poems backed by Thompson’s music done with full orchestra.

“Randall Thompson is a very conservative classical American composer,” said Alexander, who also directs the Pacific Chorale of Orange County. “He wrote the pieces for piano and choir, then later for orchestra. The later version is rarely performed, and I’m looking forward to it very much.”

The Copland works are arrangements of traditional American songs. “I Bought Me a Cat” is a children’s song that has the choir making the sounds of geese, ducks, cows, pigs and other animals.

Perhaps the most familiar of the songs is “Shall We Gather by the River.”

“Lots of people know that one, but not everyone knows a song like ‘Ching-a-Ring Chaw,’ ” the choir director said. “It was very popular in the 19th Century. There’s evidence of minstrels singing it up and down the rivers on river boats and all through the Midwest and the South.”

Alexander believes the program is valuable both as music--he ranks “Porgy and Bess” as the world’s greatest folk opera--and as heritage.

“It’s important that we keep our American traditions alive,” Alexander said. “We keep our classical music alive and our new popular music alive. But not always the kind of music we’ll be performing.”

“An Evening of Americana” by the Valley Master Chorale under the direction of John Alexander will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday at Reseda High School Auditorium, 18230 Kittridge St. Tickets are $12-$15 general; seniors and students, $10. Call (818) 362-3572 or (818) 885-3093.