Delos artist John Alexander gave his final performance with the Pacific Chorale this weekend as he retires from leading the ensemble. The Orange County Register offers a rave review of the emotional performance:

“Saturday night at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Pacific Chorale bid farewell to its longtime artistic director, John Alexander, who is stepping down after a memorable 45-year tenure. Many former chorale members were in attendance. Remarkably, the only speech of thanks came from Alexander — instead, the performance spoke volumes eloquently. … This was the fourth time Alexander has led Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony in [the] massive four-movement [Symphony No. 1 by Ralph Williams]. I doubt there’s an American conductor who comes close to matching that record, and Alexander and his forces set a very high bar Saturday night for anyone who wants to take on the challenge. … [The program] showed off the chorale at its finest: sensitive musicality; sonorous tones, particularly in the men’s sections, and precise diction. Alexander has clearly left the chorale in great shape for his successor…as the chorale celebrates its 50th-anniversary season.” —Bob Thomas, Orange County Register

Read the full review on OCRegister.com

John Alexander Recordings on Delos