The Santa Monica College (SMC) Music Department presents the SMC Jazz Ensemble, SMC Chamber Choir, SMC Concert Chorale, and SMC Jazz Vocal Ensemble in “Duke Ellington: From the Sacred to the Secular.” The ensembles — under the direction of Keith Fiddmont and Jeremiah Selvey — will perform on Thursday, June 6, and Friday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. in The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th Street (at Santa Monica Boulevard), Santa Monica.
The collaboration of two conductors and four music ensembles showcases performances from each of the ensembles, using excerpts from Duke Ellington’s three Sacred Concert settings as the centerpiece to celebrate the merging of music from the jazz club with the profundity of sacred ideals. Situated within the context of the civil rights movement, Ellington’s jazz voice is infused with the sounds of the Black church and layered in subversive texts and subtexts.
The evening features performances by guest soprano soloist and USC student Victoria Lowe and guest tap dancer and SMC alum Sarah Reich.
Tickets are $15 general admission (plus a modest service charge); free for all students with any student I.D. Advance tickets can be purchased online at smc.edu/tickets or by calling 310-434-3005 (Monday-Friday; limited hours). Tickets may also be purchased — starting 45 minutes before the performance begins — at The Broad Stage Box Office at the SMC Performing Arts Center. Free parking on premises. Seating is strictly on a first-arrival basis.
More information is available by calling 310-434-4323.
Submitted by Grace Smith