Mastersingers Present 11th Annual Celebration of Latin American Music

The Mid-Columbia Mastersingers and Artistic Director Justin Raffa are proud to present their 11th annual Latin American Music Celebration. They will be partnering with Canticus Vocal Ensemble, a chamber ensemble from Yakima led by Scott Peterson. The project will encompass three performances over one weekend, at venues in Pasco, Yakima, and Sunnyside.

The featured work on the program is “Missa Latina” by Bobbi Fischer, a setting of the Latin Mass for solo soprano, mixed choir, and a band consisting of violin, bandoneon (accordion), and a jazz ensemble of piano, double bass, drums, and percussion. The word “Latina” not only refers to the Latin text, but also to the musical style which makes use of Latin-American rhythms. Elements from Argentinian tangos mingle with Caribbean rhythms and Latin jazz, with space provided for instrumental improvisations. The work builds a bridge between the music of Europe and that of South America. Naomi Isabel Ruíz will be the soprano soloist, with George Woodward on accordion. 

The Mastersingers are thrilled to collaborate for the first time with Canticus Vocal Ensemble of Yakima, one of the newest musical performance groups to appear in the Central Washington region. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Canticus is a chamber choir of singers who come from an area that encompasses Ellensburg, Yakima and Sunnyside. They present a variety of music from various genres and historical periods, performing choral music at a high artistic level suited for a small choir.

The Tri-Cities performance will be Friday, March 1 at 8:00pm at St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Pasco. Tickets are $25 for adults, free for K-12 students. This production is part of the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers 2018-19 season, and tickets can be purchased online at www.mcmastersingers.org or by calling 509-460-1766. Mastersingers is proud to partner with STCU who be serving as the March 1st concert sponsor.

Additional performances are Saturday, March 2 at 7:30pm at The Seasons Performance Hall in Yakima, and Sunday, March 3 at 4:00pm at St. Joseph Parish in Sunnyside. Please visit the website for more information on these events.

The Mastersingers are also pleased to present the Mastersingers Youth (MY) choirs in concert on March 11 at CBC at 6:30pm. Admission is free for all but reservations are encouraged through the Mastersingers website at www.mcmastersingers.org.

To receive free notifications about Mastersingers concerts and events, join our text club by texting the word “choir” to 78816. This program is made possible in part by grants from the Washington American Choral Directors Association, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.