Come June, you’ll have two chances to saddle up and “git” along to songs from the Wild Wild West.  The Santa Clarita Master Chorale marks its 10th anniversary with a special performance in the venue where it all began, Saturday evening, June 6, at 8 p.m. at the Valencia United Methodist Church and then on Sunday, June 7 at 3:30 p.m. at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons.
To share its “Happy Birthday” with the Valley, the Chorale is sponsoring a series of special events throughout the next season, and offering new ways to become involved in this dynamic group that has dedicated itself to offering choral excellence and excitement.
The June performances, “How the West Was Sung,” will have a few surprises, as the Chorale mixes it up for its salute to the frontier. 

Award-winning songwriter and musician Steve Hill will don his cowboy best to emcee the concerts.  This versatile music maker plays about every string instrument imaginable – and sings!  He has penned several buckets full of music – you’ve heard of “God Loves Country Music,” right? – and we hear he has a special gift to share with the Chorale!

Arranger Mack Wilberg – on the music faculty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir no less – is on the bill with his take on two folk favorites, “Shenandoah” and “Old Joe Clark.”

Chorale accompanist Jan Sanborn’s “Loren Janes Silver Screen Medley” celebrates another pioneering spirit: her husband.  Loren’s appeared as a stunt double for such Hollywood luminaries as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson – even Debbie Reynolds in How the West Was Won.  Jan picked a few movies that Loren worked on and set songs from each in this medley.  You already know him:  Loren’s the one doing that cowboy whistle for Jan after every Chorale performance!

American choral wunderkind Eric Whitacre’s “Water Night” will be sung.  This is a sensual and captivating choral painting using the poetry of our Mexican neighbor, diplomat Octavio Paz, who won the 1990 Nobel Prize for literature.  U.S. composer Libby Larsen has set three pioneer texts to music in a work complete with whoops and hollers called “The Settling Years.”  And if your toes aren’t tapping by then, come to hear Kirke Mechem’s “Skip to my Lou!”  A bit of Broadway completes the program with favorites from “Paint Your Wagon.”

The Chorale’s performance home is the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons (COC), 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.  For ticket information, visit www.scmasterchorale.org or call 661-254-8886 or e-mail info@scmasterchorale.org .