John Alexander and Pacific Chorale at their Finest

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