The celebratory multimedia event delves into the human experience of struggle and determination, sacrifice and hope, gratitude, joy and love.
America’s Got Talent’s Golden Buzzer-winning vocal sensation Angel City Chorale (ACC), led by Sue Fink, Artistic Director, announced today their concert, ROOTS: Singing Our Stories, on Saturday, June 18th and Sunday, June 19th at UCLA’s famed Royce Hall. The celebratory multimedia event delves into the human experience of struggle and determination, sacrifice and hope, gratitude, joy and love.
With visual storytelling, animation, choreography, and inspiring vocal performances, the performance will feature the ensemble of 150 diverse voices, along with the Angel City Youth Chorale. The selection of songs will represent a broad cross-section of the cultural heritage of Chorale members, in seven languages from four continents, and accompanied by a full orchestra.
“ROOTS is a bold undertaking that’s sure to strike a chord with all who experience it,” said Sue Fink, Artistic Director. “We are so proud to be an example of how folks with diverse backgrounds can come together to create something beautiful. Come find yourself in our shared stories.”
The concert will unfold in four parts:
Overture
- “The Promise of Living”: Aaron Copyland’s iconic Americana song from his opera the Tenderland
Songs of Our Origins and the Journey
- “Kuttanadan Punjayile”: A popular take on the celebration song performed in the Kerala region of India during the boat race festival
- “Iisang Bangka (One Boat)”: Written by the Filipino rock band the Dawn – a rhythmic song of Unity
- “Rozhinkes mit Mandlen”: Yiddish folk song from the Ukraine – a mother’s lullaby to her child promising freedom
The New American Experience
- “Folk Song Medley”: A tribute to early American Life including Amazing Grace, I’ll Fly Away, Will the Circle be Unbroken
- “Shenandoah”: Traditional American Folk Song
- “Mach Jhi”: A Native American song Telling us to stand proud and never forget where we came from
- “Hold On”: A traditional Spiritual
- “Stand Up”: Cynthia Erivo‘s powerful Anthem from the movie Harriet
What Roots Us Now
- “Se”: Composer Ennio Morricone’s beautiful Love Song from the movie Cinema Paradiso
- “Gracias a la Vida”: Violeta Parra’s gorgeous homage to the beauty of life itself
- “That’s Los Angeles”: A hilarious view of living in Los Angeles
- “Still I Will Love”: An upbeat closer pointing us forward
The concert will also feature a performance by the Angel City Youth Chorale (ACYC), a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, Venice & Burbank along with the Walgrove School, who will perform two songs:
- “Let it Grow”: Adapted from the movie “The Lorax” based on the book of the same name by Seuss
- “Rise Up Together-Ubuntu”: Written for the children of ACYC, a song inspired by the South African concept of the oneness of humanity.
The concert will take place on Saturday, June 18th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, June 19th at 3:00 PM. The Saturday evening performance will also be live streamed. Tickets are available from $25 – $110; to purchase tickets and donate to Angel City Chorale’s ROOTS, please visit https://angelcitychorale.org/roots. Follow Angel City Chorale on Instagram @angelcitychorale; on Facebook @angelcitychorale; and on Twitter @angelcitysings for the latest updates.
Health and Safety Information:
Royce Hall strongly recommends masking for all guests ages 2 and older. Guests who are not yet up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations must remain masked while inside of the venue. Royce Hall strongly recommends that all guests be fully vaccinated or receive a negative COVID-19 test prior to attending any event. For health and safety information, please visit roycehall.org
ABOUT ANGEL CITY CHORALE (ACC)
Now in its 29th year among the premier choral groups in Southern California, Angel City Chorale is proud to represent the spirit and diversity of Los Angeles in its membership, its music, and its outreach activities, thereby fulfilling its mission of “Building Community One Song at a Time.” Celebrated Artistic Director Fink founded the Chorale at world-famous McCabe’s Guitar Shop in 1993 with 18 singers – which has now grown to over 160 talented and dedicated singers, presenting a broad and eclectic repertoire including classical, gospel, jazz, pop and world music.
The chorale is best known for its performances on NBC’s top-rated talent competition America’s Got Talent (2018), making it all the way to the semi-finals. Hailed by Simon Cowell as “one of the best choirs we’ve ever had,” the Chorale earned the coveted Golden Buzzer, touching nearly 20 million viewers with their rich sound and compelling message of unity and diversity. The video of Angel City Chorale’s captivating performance of Toto’s “Africa” has been viewed more than 80 million times by people around the world.
Watch the promotional video below!
