Master Chorale Tells Schedule for 37th Season

In addition to the West Coast premiere of Paul McCartney’s “Liverpool Oratorio,” the 37th season of the Master Chorale of Orange County will include a holiday program Dec. 13, Bach’s “Passion According to St. Matthew” on March 21 and Beethoven’s Mass in C and Ninth Symphony on May 15.

All programs except the Bach will take place at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. The Bach program--scheduled for the 307th anniversary of the composer’s death--will take place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach because the Center does not have a pipe organ.

The Beethoven program will enlist the Chapman University Alumni Choir and University Singers, in addition to the Master Chorale, for a total of more than 300 singers. The collaboration will mark Hall’s 30th anniversary next year of teaching at the school.

The McCartney program, announced last week, will launch the season on Oct. 24.

McCartney has been invited to attend the concert, which as of now would be only the third performance of the work, according to chorale music director William Hall. Hall said he has been working for four months to secure the rights to the 98-minute piece, the former Beatle’s first classical composition, written in collaboration with Carl Davis in honor of McCartney’s hometown.

Hall said McCartney and his rock band are scheduled to be on tour in the U.S. this fall and that McCartney is not scheduling any concerts for Oct. 24 so he can attend the performance in Orange County. “He wants to be here because this will be the first time someone has conducted it other than (Carl Davis),” said Hall, who would conduct the work himself.

But Joe Dera, a spokesman for McCartney in New York, said a tour is “in the very early planning stages and it’s too early to say if (McCartney) would be available to attend the performance.”

The Oratorio received its world premiere June 28 in Liverpool. Its U.S. premiere came Nov. 18 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Reviews have been mixed: Critics have called the music and text sentimental, though some of the tunes have been praised.

Season tickets, on sale April 15, will range from $60 to $185. Single tickets will go on sale about a month before each program. Tickets to the “Liverpool Oratorio” will range from $25 to $100; other single ticket prices will be announced.

Information: (714) 556-6262.