Pasadena Presbyterian Church Vocal Soloists to Present Free Concert Nov. 16

Pasadena Presbyterian Church’s four professional vocal soloists will present a free concert of secular solos, duos and ensembles on Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary, 585 E. Colorado Blvd, (corner of Madison Ave.) in the Playhouse district of downtown Pasadena.

The concert — the second event on the church’s 2013-2014 “Friends of Music at PPC” concert series — is free of admission charge (a freewill offering will be taken). Free parking is available and the church is fully accessible to the mobility-impaired.

Soprano Judith Siirila, mezzo-soprano Adrian Estabrook Mora, tenor Micheal Lee Smith and bass/baritone Michal Dawson Connor will sing operatic works by Bizet, Offenbach, Puccini and Verdi, along with songs by Samuel Barber, Gerald Finzi and Charles Ives. Folk songs, musical theatre selections, and Zarzuela arias are also on the program. Pianist Paul Floyd will accompany the singers.

In addition to serving as section leaders for the church’s Kirk Choir — which sings in the church’s weekly Sunday morning English-language worship services and offers two special concerts during each Friends of Music season — each of the vocalists maintain active solo careers in opera and musical theatre.

Upcoming events on 2013-2014 Friends of Music series are:

December 14 is 69th annual Candlelight and Carols concert. All of the church’s choirs participate in this annual holiday tradition that includes plenty of audience caroling.

Feb. 1 is Crown City String Quartet.

March 15 is Organist Timothy Howard, who is also the church’s Director of Music, plays his annual recital at PPC.

April 18 is 17th annual Good Friday Devotional Concert. The Kirk Choir, community singers, soloists and orchestra — directed by Timothy Howard — perform Bach’s “ St. John Passion.”

May 17 is Dorothy Young Riess, organist, plays a recital

June 1 is Jazz for the City, the annual close to the FOM season, featuring The Afro-Cuban Jazz Project, led by Trumpeter Josiel Perez.

The church also sponsors its weekly free-admission “Music at Noon” concerts, which feature an eclectic mix of local, national and international artists, from 12:10-12:40 p.m. each Wednesday.

About Pasadena Presbyterian Church

Founded in 1875, Pasadena Presbyterian Church is the oldest congregation in the city. It continues to be a leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination as three languages (English, Korean and Spanish) combine to worship, study and serve as one integrated congregation.

Music has been an integral part of the church’s outreach to the community since Dr. Howard Swan became the church’s music director in 1940. The church currently has hundreds of people participating in nine different choral and instrumental ensembles throughout the year under the overall leadership of Dr. Timothy Howard, Director of Music and Organist. For more information, visit http://www.ppc.net.