Joel Lish conducts the Brentwood Palisades Chorale and the Palisades Symphony at the Methodist Church on Via de la Paz in a concert in 2019.
By BERNICE FOX
In their second concert since returning after the worst of Covid, the Brentwood Palisades Chorale will be singing Sunday evening, May 7.
Along with the Palisades Symphony, the Chorale will be performing the music of a couple of historical heavyweights: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johannes Brahms.
The concert begins with a beautiful piece by Brahms, set to a poem called Schicksalslied. The German title translates to Song of Destiny. Though relatively short, it is considered one of Brahms’ important works.
Mozart’s glorious and powerful Requiem follows. After writing more than 600 pieces of music in his lifetime, this requiem was Mozart’s final composition. Though he died at age 35 in 1791 before it was finished, the piece was completed by a student of Mozart, based on notes and other material the composer had left.
The Brentwood Palisades Chorale was founded in 1963 by the late Frances Cain. Joel Lish created the Palisades Symphony three years later, in 1966. The Symphony gives seven concerts each season, two with the Chorale.
At this Sunday’s concert, Susan Rosenstein, who’s been director of the Chorale since 1987, will conduct Brahms’ Schicksalslied. Then, Lish will conduct Mozart’s Requiem.
In addition to founding the Palisades Symphony, Lish is a professional violist. And for many years, he was chair of the music department at Palisades High School.
Along with being the Chorale’s director, Rosenstein also is music director at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and associate conductor of the SoCal Chorale.
The May 7 concert is at Community Methodist Church, 801 Vía De La Paz, Pacific Palisades. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
