San Fernando Valley Master Chorale
The new San Fernando Valley Master Chorale had its debut concert in June of 1999. Their stirring performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Verdi’s Requiem were enthusiastically received with standing ovations. The Chorale represents membership from fifteen local choral organizations with 80-100 singers participating. The San Fernando Valley Master Chorale offers a three-concert season, and have performed Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity and Handel’s Messiah, David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus, P.D.Q. Bach’s Oedipus Tex, and the Brahms Requiem. They were honored with an invitation to perform the Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem for the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre’s 2003 season. In June of 2005 they joined Mr. Danne as he directed an orchestra and chorus of 175 singers in a performance of the Requiem by John Rutter at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
The Philharmonic Choir, Premiere Chorale and Orchestra
The Chorale and Orchestra perform choral masterworks, jazz and musical theater, a unique combination for Los Angeles concert goers. The group hosts an annual ‘Evening of Jewish Music’ and a Messiah Festival. Other performances have included choral works such as Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Haydn’s Creation, the Brahms Requiem, Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity, James Domine’s Requiem and Luke and Sarah with the San Fernando Valley Symphony and the Durufle’ Requiem with guest conductor Paul Salamunovich. Their recent performance of the Faure’ and Rutter Requiems marked the third season in which members of the Church of Scientology Choir joined the Chorale and Orchestra. Performances with the new San Fernando Valley Master Chorale included Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Verdi Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. A series of Bach works including the B Minor Mass, St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion were performed with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society Chorus at Artemis Ham Hall, University of Las Vegas. Opera and musical theater programs have included Amahl and the Night Visitors, Bizet’s Carmen, ‘Great Opera Choruses’, and music from the Broadway stage. The Chorale’s series honoring Jewish composers opened in 1995 with Broadway, Our Way I-V, Bernstein Remembered, An Evening with Irving Berlin, A Tribute to Richard Rodgers, and Where There’s Fosse, There’s Music. They recently performed A Tribute to Ray Charles with guest conductor and accompanist Dwight Elrich, and a concert with guest conductor Marvin Neumann of the Mozart Coronation Mass and Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise.
The Premiere Chamber Chorale
The Premiere Chamber Chorale had their debut concert performing an eclectic collection of sacred pieces. They have appeared on the Philharmonic Choir Concert Series performing the Brahms New Liebeslieder Waltzes, the Schifrin Rock Requiem, “A Medieval Feast for Christmas”, The Nutcracker Suite with the San Fernando Valley Symphony, “A Sacred Concert” featuring Howard Hanson’s Cherubic Hymn and the Bach Cantata #4. In 2001 they was chosen to perform the premiere of a Requiem by Los Angeles composer Dev Dosaj at the ACDA Western Division Conference in Honolulu.
The Men of the Premiere Chorale
The Men of the Premiere Chorale perform Music of the Cormen, a group originally produced by Walter Gould of Century Artists, with arrangements by Robert DeCormier. They have been featured on numerous Premiere Chorale shows and have opened for Frank Ferrante in An Evening with Groucho. “The Men of the Chorale, well-ordered, brilliantly directed, and dipping into a repertoire that encompasses three centuries and at least a dozen nationalities, provides an incomparable evening of musical delight”.
They were honored with an invitation to perform at Lincoln Center for the 2003 ACDA National Conference in New York City.
Terry Danne, Artistic Director & Conductor
Terry Danne is the Founder and Artistic Director of the new San Fernando Valley Master Chorale and of the Premiere Chorale. He is also a voice instructor and director of the Philharmonic Choir at Los Angeles Pierce College. Mr. Danne has extensive conducting experience in both the choral and instrumental fields. Upon receiving his Master’s Degree from Indiana University, Mr. Danne served as assistant conductor to Roger Wagner, Dr. Charles Hirt and Jane Hardester, and prepared the Premiere Chorale for Robert Shaw’s performance of the Bach St. Matthew Passion at the Hollywood Bowl. He served as a guest director in residence at the University of Southern California, the University of California at Los Angeles, Claremont College and California State University at Humboldt. His group, the Cormen, produced by Walter Gould and Robert DeCormier of Century Artists, gained national attention with a tour of Community Concerts and College Fine Arts Concerts while his trio, Sugar and Spice, participated in U.S.O. tours of Japan and Vietnam. As a singer, Mr. Danne has appeared with professional opera and musical stock companies, as well as performing in nightclubs, television and movies.
His experience with youth groups includes instructional posts at the elementary, secondary and college levels. His Kids of the Century performed Burt Konowitz’s “Salute to Miss Liberty” at the National Jazz Educators Conference and with the Little Orchestra Society in performances at Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Danne also pioneered the show choir concept with the Marina High School Mariners.
As Arts Administrator for fifteen years, he served as Director of the Idyllwild Community of the Performing Arts, a project for the University of Southern California, and at the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Music. After establishing the Premiere Chorale and under his sponsorship, he co-founded the L.A. Jazz Choir and provided the forum for the California Boy Choir’s contract with Colombia Artists. He has appeared as conductor at the Greek Theater, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Avery Fisher Hall and Century City’s “Joy to the World” and the ACDA Western Division conferences in 1994, 2001, and at their National Conference in New York City in 2003. In June of 2005, he appeared as Guest Director at New York’s Carnegie Hall.