Cgals Chamber Choir invited to perform at Carnegie Hall with Composer/Conductor Alexander L’Estrange

Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY) announced today that Wilna Liebenberg and the Cgals Chamber Choir has been invited to participate in a performance of Zimbe! by Alexander L’Estrange on the DCINY Concert Series in New York City. This performance is planned to take place on Friday, May 24, 2019 in Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Composer/Conductor Alexander L’Estrange.

These outstanding musicians will join with other choristers from around the world to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a choir of distinction. Alexander L’Estrange will serve as conductor of the performance and clinician for the residency.
Why the invitation was extended
Dr. Jonathan Griffith, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for DCINY states: “The Cgals Chamber Choir received this invitation because of the quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated by the singers as well as the exceptional quality of their audition recording.
“It is quite an honor just to be invited to perform in New York. These wonderful musicians not only represent a high quality of music and education, but they also become ambassadors for the entire community. This is an event of extreme pride for everybody and deserving of the community’s recognition and support.”
The singers will spend 4 days and 3 nights in New York City in preparation for their concert. “The singers will spend approximately 9-10 hours in rehearsals over the 4 day residency.” says Griffith, “Not all of the time is spent in rehearsals, since there is so much history and culture to see in New York City. However, the performance is the primary purpose for their visit to the city.” Members of the community are encouraged to give financial
support in sending these singers to New York by contacting Karen Miller via email at info@cgalschamberchoir.com.
Composer Alexander L’Estrange
Alexander L’Estrange (b.1974) is an award-winning English choral composer and arranger of international acclaim. Educated at Oxford, he gained a First Class Honours Master of Arts degree in Music. His compositions reflect his back-ground in the English choral tradition and as a professional jazz pianist and double bass player. Alexander L’Estrange presents his music to choirs and their directors with the energy and infectious enthusiasm which has become synonymous with his name.
L’Estrange is best known for his grand-scale choral fusion works which draw together singers of all ages. The first of these was Zimbe! Come sing the songs of Africa! which received over 150 performances worldwide within its first five years and quickly established his reputation as one of Britain’s most popular living composers. Zimbe’s success has spawned a popular series of 40-minute choral commissions for SATB, unison children’s choir and jazz quintet. L’Estrange’s sacred choral works have been recorded by the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae on a disc entitled On Eagles’ Wings; his song output includes Love’s Philosophy, three settings of poems by Shelley, Tennyson and Byron.
L’Estrange arranges for world-class a cappella groups The Swingle Singers, Voces8 and The King’s Singers, for whom he wrote and produced their Great American Songbook album. As Consultant Editor of Faber Music’s Choral Basics series, he has written hundreds of arrangements of songs from across the musical spectrum.
DCINY Productions
Founded by Iris Derke and Jonathan Griffith, Distinguished Concerts Inter-national New York (DCINY) is the leading producer of dynamically charged musical excellence. With its unforgettable concert experiences in renowned venues, empowering educational programs, and its global community of artists and audiences, DCINY changes lives through the power of performance.