Child’s Christmas in Wales is a new work, at least on the West Coast.  It was commissioned in 2003 for a mixed choir, soloists, and chamber symphony in New Jersey. Matthew Harris comes to us this Sunday with a composing track record as long as Santas beard, and with the kudos that come from doing much more with his choral scores than anyone ever expects. So I found out by Googling “Matthew Harris Composer”.  I asked two of the Chanteuses, who are also in the Camerata, how they liked the work.  They were excited, and now so am I. went to his website to check things out.  He is quite modest about commissions for choral works. There are plenty of them, and serious choral directors say it

Lovers of classical music might normally expect a soothing musical experience from the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, but when the ensemble performs “The Titans” at Memorial Auditorium Saturday, concertgoers will witness some of orchestral music’s most dramatic and hard-hitting pieces. “It’s going to be big, and it’s going to be loud,” Executive Director of Camellia Orchestra Roberta McClellan said. “Most people are used to seeing smaller ensembles, but this has a lot of people all playing this music together.” More than 85 Sacramento-based musicians will take the stage to perform two of the three pieces, which include Bach’s “Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor;” Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto

‘Charms, Spells and Enchantments.' The title alone was enough to intrigue me. But the question remained: Would the Camellia Symphony Orchestra’s performance entrance me? For 47 years, the CSO has brought its breathtaking sounds to Sacramento, showcasing the work of its talented and passionate volunteer musicians. And for 47 years, area residents have enjoyed and supported the orchestra. The music unveils a tale that words perhaps cannot, but a little background information helps set the stage. ‘Charms, Spells and Enchantments’ is composed of three unusual masterpieces that are not frequently played. Each one is “derived from worlds of fantasy and magic … capable of transporting the recept