Chorale Season to Include Premieres, Oakland Ballet

The Pacific Chorale will present the Oakland Ballet, offer several local premieres and emphasize American composers during its four-concert 1994-95 season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

The ballet will dance John Butler’s 1959 choreography to Orff’s “Carmina Burana” on May 13, the final concert of the season, on a program that also includes the Orange County premiere of Stephen Paulus’ “Voices.”

As previously announced, the Chorale will also collaborate with Laguna Beach-based Ballet Pacifica on Feb. 26 in new choreography by company artistic director Molly Lynch to music by Norman Dello Joio, Libby Larsen and Gian Carlo Menotti. James Jones’ choreography for Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzes” will complete the program.

The season will open on Nov. 6 with Morton Lauridsen’s “Mid-Winter Songs,” Howard Hanson’s “Streams in the Desert” and Brahms’ Requiem.

On Dec. 18, a concert of holiday music is scheduled, including the Orange County premiere of Conrad Susa’s “Carols and Lullabies.”

John Alexander will conduct all the concerts, which will start at 7:30 p.m. except for the May 13 which will begin at 8 p.m.

Season tickets are $46 to $155. Prices for tickets to individual concerts will be announced. For information, call (714) 252-1234.

In other Chorale news:

* Alexander and the chorale’s Professional Touring Ensemble of 23 singers will be the resident choral ensemble of the California State University system’s summer arts program, July 18 through 31 at CSU Humboldt in Arcata.

* The 70-member Pacific Chorale Children’s chorus is singing in four English cities as well as at the Bournemouth Music Festival during its first tour, which ends July 2.