Oratorio Project
(un)american: THE ORATORIO (2024)
FREE COMMUNITY EVENT
Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7PM
Granada Hills Charter High School
Highlander Hall
10535 Zelzah Avenue
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(Un)American: An Oratorio is an original work about the events surrounding the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC). HUAC was formed in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyal and subversive activities being carried out by ordinary Americans against the United States. Words and melodies have been written by choir students from Granada Hills Charter High School, in collaboration with professional teaching artists from the Master Chorale. The 40-minute work has been fully harmonized for choir, soloists and instruments and will be premiered by students joined onstage by singers from the Master Chorale.
Musical Movements
Movement 1: Red Scare
Movement 2: Communist Party
Movement 3: House Un-American Activities Committee "HUAC"
Movement 4: Guilty by Suspicion
Movement 5: Hollywood Blacklist
Movement 6: Resistance
Movement 7: Yippies page
Movement 8: Today
PAST residencies
STONEWALL: THE ORATORIO (2023)
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Oratorio Project is part of our Voices Within program. It immerses high school students into a collaborative process to write a large, complex work similar to an opera. Students delve into history and culturally rich subjects in order to find an epic story to tell through music. The curriculum is geared towards the maturity of high school age youth and combines elements of music composition literacy skills, and 21st Century learning such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Throughout the semester-long residency, students work in small groups to write the libretto (the story) and create the melodies for each movement of the oratorio such as an aria, duet or chorus. As groups develop their individual movements, they are mentored by the artistic team to incorporate techniques that capture the voice of the character, propel the momentum of the plot, and paint the mood of the scene. After the oratorio is complete, students audition for featured roles and are coached vocally to prepare for the culmination performance.
The completed oratorio is premiered by the participating choir classes to a school-wide assembly and repeated for a community audience. The performance features the choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists who are joined by eight members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
The Oratorio Project, a Voices Within program, is made possible by generous support from the California Arts Council, The Rose Hills Foundation, the Edward A. & Ai O. Shay Family Foundation, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, The Green Foundation, The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Water and Holly Thomson Foundation, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California, William H. Hannon Foundation, John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation, Lon V. Smith Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, and The Music Man Foundation.
For more information about our education programs, contact:
JOSÉ MEZA
Education Programs Manager
jmeza@lamasterchorale.org