Damien Sneed, composer, conductor and Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, along with his acclaimed choir, Chorale Le Chateau join the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in its 4th Annual “Holiday Sing” concert on Friday, December 18th, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in the Mary Flagler Cary Hall at 450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th avenues, located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborood in New York City. “Holiday Sing” is free, reservations are recommended. To RSVP, visit www.OSLmusic.org/RSVP or call 212.594.6100.
At this festive, family-friendly sing-along, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s accompanies as audience members become the choir—no matter their age or singing experience. Sneed, who will prepare and lead the audience in singing the melodies and harmonies to holiday favorites from across cultures. Conductor, James Moore, will lead Orchestra of St. Luke’s. “I am totally thrilled to have the opportunity to orchestrate and arrange music for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s,” says Sneed. “I grew up listening to their Grammy Award-winning projects they recorded with my mentors Jessye Norman, Wynton Marsalis, Kathleen Battle and Renee Fleming. This will be another surreal experience that is definitely beyond my wildest imagination.”
Sneed has arranged and orchestrated several selections, which will be performed by Orchestra of St. Luke’s along with Chorale Le Chateau including “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Los Peces en El Rio,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adore Him Medley),” and “Bashana Haba’ah.” Other selections include “HANDEL’s Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah” and William Dawson’s a cappella arrangement of “Mary Had A Baby” for chorus. Also, selected members of Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s will also have an opportunity to showcase the talents they have developed in Orchestra of St. Luke’s intensive in- and after-school instrumental instruction program on Sneed’s arrangement of “Joy To The World.”
Sneed’s unique brand of blending classical, jazz and gospel has become his signature style in the various music genres. Founded by Sneed, Chorale Le Chateau has gained a global reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance period pieces to art songs to jazz, spirituals, gospel, and avant-garde contemporary music. Members hail from various parts of the world and come from various performing arts institutions and venues such as The Juilliard School, The Metropolitan Opera, Howard University, Yale University, The City University of New York and more. Ensemble members include professionals, GRAMMY® Award winners, college professors, students and ministers. Chorale Le Chateau has performed in concerts and other events around the world, and was featured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in the U.S. tour of Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration in October, 2013 and currently featured in the new award-winning PBS documentary, Everyone Has a Place.
“Holiday Sing” will be followed by a reception with hot chocolate and other holiday treats. The annual event brings together family, friends, and neighbors in the spirit of the season, and has become a tradition in Orchestra of St. Luke’s Midtown Manhattan community.
Orchestra of St. Luke’s is one of America’s most versatile and distinguished orchestras, collaborating with the world’s greatest artists and performing approximately 80 concerts each year—including its Carnegie Hall Orchestra Series, Chamber Music Series and The Morgan Library & Museum and Brooklyn Museum, and summer residency at Caramoor Music Festival. In it’s 41-year history, Orchestra of St. Luke’s has commissioned more than 50 new works, has given more that 175 world, U.S. and New York City premieres; and has appeared on more than 100 recordings, including four GRAMMY Award winners and seven releases on its own label, St. Luke’s Collection. Pablo Heras-Casado is Orchestra of Luke’s principal conductor.
Orchestra of St. Luke’s grew out of a chamber ensemble that began giving concerts in at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village in 1974. Today, the 21 virtuoso artists of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble make up Orchestra of St. Luke’s artistic core.
Orchestra of Luke owns and operates The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, where it shares a building with the Baryshnikov Arts Center. The DiMenna Center is New York City’s premier venue for rehearsal, recording, and learning, having quickly gained a reputation for its superb acoustics, state-of-the-art facilities, and affordability.
Earlier this month, Sneed joined multiple award-winning opera star Lawrence Brownlee in concert for “The Crypt Sessions” at the Church of the Intercession in Harlem. Sneed also partnered with author Karen Chilton for the inaugural production of The Soul Now Sings: A Musical Christmas Journey at the Greene Space at WNYC/WQXR in the SoHo section of New York City. The Soul Now Sings tells a story of hope and transformation and featured a mix of Sneed’s original classical, gospel, and jazz infused arrangements.
