The Loyola Marymount University Department of Music hosted the fourth annual C4 California Catholic Collegiate Choral Festival on Saturday, November 3, 2018. Participating choirs came from Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, Saint Mary’s College of California, University of San Diego, and LMU. The C4 festivals, always held in the fall, rotate between the northern and the southern schools.
The all-day festival returned to Southern California this year with LMU serving as host. The LMU Consort Singers, under the direction of Mary Breden, DMA, represented LMU in the festival activities. In Murphy Recital Hall, morning rehearsals and workshop sessions were held with guest clinician, Jo-Michael Scheibe, DMA, Chair of the Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the USC Thornton School of Music. Afternoon sound checks, a final combined chorus rehearsal and evening performance took place in Sacred Heart Chapel.
The evening concert opened with a choral welcome presented by the combined LMU Concert Choir and Consort Singers. Each of the festival choirs performed their own short program and the evening closed with a powerful performance of works of Josu Elberdin, Dan Forrest, and Shawn Kirchner by the 132-voice combined festival choir, conducted by Scheibe. Scheibe later complimented the “wonderfully prepared singers who were so engaged, hardworking and terrific musicians.”
The C4 festival has developed into a wonderful collegial and educational opportunity for all of the institutions, with quality choral ensembles presenting moving performances for their peers. The opportunity to work with a nationally and internationally recognized choral conductor/educator always provides a memorable day of music growth and sharing for the young singers and their conductors.
