Music Reviews : ‘Christmas With John Currie’ at the Pavilion

“This isn’t a concert,” confided a cheery John Currie to the audience Saturday afternoon at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, “it’s a party.”

“Bah, humbug!” thought some skeptics, clearly seeing the Los Angeles Master Chorale, members of its Sinfonia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and a grand piano crowded onstage behind the conductor.

But “Christmas With John Currie,” designed to dismantle barriers, uplift, even educate, indeed went beyond customary concert format. The loquacious host-conductor had jolly good verbal fun with the public, perhaps a tad more than seemly. He also paid eloquent tribute to the beauty and greatness of some works that many may not only have been hearing, but hearing of for the first time.

These included three a cappella pieces (Bruckner’s motets “Virga Jesse” and “Ave Maria,” and Sweelinck’s “Hodie Christus Natus Est”), as well as “The Shepherds’ Farewell” from Berlioz’s “L’Enfance du Christ.” All demonstrated the Chorale’s plush pianissimo and mastery of delicate sonic balances. A few less-than-together entrances and cut-offs revealed a modicum of weariness as well.

The Children’s Chorus proved quite as adept at singing unaccompanied as their adult colleagues, whether in unison (where combined purity of sound and perfect pitch sense were beguiling) or parts. They also showed--in the glorias of “Ding, Dong, Merrily”--that trouble with fast notes begins early in life. For their self-effacing director, Rebecca Thompson, they memorized everything, even the German of “O Tannenbaum.”

For the sing-along portion, besides standard carols, a meaningful version of “Good King Wenceslas” was featured, with various audience segments voicing different characters in the narrative.

Finally, the public was cajoled, goaded and otherwise charmed into learning and performing on the spot the world premiere of Currie’s “Christmas Scene for Orchestra and Audience: The Weather.” The assemblage rose with considerable artistry to the requirements of its canonic meanderings, not to mention a high F the composer admitted was out of his own reach. Watch for scuttlebutt of an original cast album.

A Currie premiere had opened the proceedings: his Fanfare celebrating the Chorale’s 25th anniversary. Subtitled “Gloria in Excelsis Deo! Viva la Musica!,” it wasn’t nearly as catchy as “The Weather.”