Special Events

Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory may be best known for its unparalleled scientific endeavors such as landing the Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars, but on Tuesday, December 18, another side of the organization will be on display. The JPL Chorus, founded earlier this year in a partnership with the Pasadena Symphony Association, presents its first annual Evening of Classic Christmas Music at 7:30pm in Monrovia’s Live Oak Vineyard Church.

“This is a group that is very dedicated and working extremely hard to make beautiful music,” explained Donald Brinegar, Director of Choruses with the Pasadena Symphony Association. “They are absolutely filled with the season’s cheer.”

The chorus is comprised of nearly fifty employees coming from a wide variety of roles within JPL, including scientists, engineers, administrators, software, business people, and more. They rehearse each Wednesday afternoon, trading lab coats for chorus folders. The JPL Chorus debuted in May, and performed over the summer with the Pasadena POPS in their highly-acclaimed summer concert series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Sharing the stage with the JPL Chorus will be Pasadena City College’s Donald Brinegar Singers. The Donald Brinegar singers have recorded more than ten CDs and received nominations for seven GRAMMY first-ballot awards.

“As our colleagues at JPL must always be precision perfect as well as super-humanly creative, so are our musicians of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS, which makes for an exciting partnership in this city of Arts & Sciences,” noted Paul Jan Zdunek, Chief Executive Officer of the Pasadena Symphony Association.

The evening’s program includes holiday favorites, such as “Joy to the World,” “Lo How a Rose e’re Blooming,” and “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” among other carols. Two of the pieces were arranged by JPL engineers in the chorus: “What Child is This” by Todd Barber and “Love Be Ours” by William M. Owen. There will also be a sing-along section of the concert for the audience to participate.

“The audience is in for a real treat,” continued Brinegar. “There is so much enthusiasm and joyfulness coming from this group.”

Admission to the JPL Chorus Winter Concert is free and does not require reservations. A freewill offering will be taken with all donations will be given to the Monrovia Unity Center; suggested donation is $10. The concert will be held at Live Oak Vineyard Church in Monrovia on Tuesday, December 18 at 7:30pm. For additional information, contact the Pasadena Symphony Association at 626.793.7172 or online at PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org.

IF YOU GO:

• What: Evening of Classic Christmas Music
• Who: The Pasadena Symphony Association’s JPL Chorus
• When: Tuesday, December 18 at 7:30pm
• Where: Live Oak Vineyard Church | 1307 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia
• Cost: Free, but a freewill offering will be taken with all donations will be given to the Monrovia Unity Center; suggested donation is $10

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File Under: Community, General News, Special Events

Pasadena is a city rich with the arts and sciences, and the new JPL Chorus is perhaps the perfect blend of both. Formed earlier this year in partnership between the Pasadena Symphony Association and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the JPL Chorus is comprised of JPL employees who rehearse weekly under the direction of Donald Brinegar, the Pasadena Symphony’s Director of Choruses. The JPL Chorus will debut in a free, public concert with the Pasadena City College Chamber Singers on May 5 at 7:30pm at Ambassador Auditorium.

The JPL Chorus is comprised of 53 employees who rehearse each Wednesday evening. Their concert program includes a mixture of classical repertoire to popular, with composers ranging from Benjamin Britten and Lennon/McCartney.

According to Stephen Kulczycki, Deputy Director of Communications and Education at JPL (and a member of the bass section), the idea for a chorus came about after talking with Pasadena Symphony CEO Paul Zdunek about how the two organizations might be able to partner.

“I suggested that we might get good participation if we tried a chorus, and Paul agreed,” explained Kulczycki. “We put out some test balloons, got about one hundred people to express some interest, and by the time we started rehearsing we had about fifty people regularly involved.”

The singers come from a wide variety of roles within JPL, including scientists, engineers, administrators, software, business people, and more. “The idea is to celebrate JPL with our group’s enthusiasm about music and singing. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think what Don brings to this particularly is a great sense of joy in the experience,” continued Kulczycki.

The JPL Chorus concert featuring the Pasadena City College Chamber Singers on May 5 at Ambassador Auditorium is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. For additional information about the Pasadena Symphony Association or for a full schedule of concerts, contact the Box Office at 626.793.7172 or visit www.PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org.

IF YOU GO:

• What: JPL Chorus Concert
• Who: JPL Chorus of the Pasadena Symphony Association and the Pasadena City College Chamber Singers, under the direction of Donald Brinegar (Pasadena Symphony Director of Choruses)
• Where: Ambassador Auditorium; 131 St. John Ave, Pasadena, CA 91123
• When: Saturday, May 5 | 7:30pm
  
• Cost: Free

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File Under: Community, General News, Special Events

The weekend celebration of Spring will be a great and fun way to get acquainted with the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the beautiful new summer home for the POPS.

There will be art installations, plants for sale, a Marketplace, live entertainment, food and much more to enjoy. Festivities begin Friday evening, May 4, and continue through Saturday and Sunday. See below for more information directly from the Arboretum:

Who spiked the punch at the LA Arboretum?

Join us Friday evening, May 4, to find out – with tequila cocktails by Nobleza Tequila and wine flights offered by Phantom Rivers Winery, accompanied by appetizers from Claud & Company Catering and the Peacock Café.  Not to mention our Beer for Books booth, where all proceeds will go toward new books for the Arboretum Library.

Accompanied by big band music from the Big Band Theory, it is the perfect backdrop for enjoying a stroll through our garden sculpture exhibits:  Earth Dreams – Beyond the Sculptural Landscapes, where you will also have a chance to meet the artists.  The Ladybugs pictures above are an example of some of the amazing art you will see.

The fun continues on Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6, with plenty of kids’ activities, live entertainment throughout the day, food trucks, guided tours through our beautiful gardens, and much more!

There is a fantastic lineup of educational Q&A sessions from top garden experts. These forums feature topics on everything from bee-keeping and backyard chickens, maximizing your edible garden production to drought-friendly ornamental landscaping.

And don’t forget your shopping opportunities!  Our Marketplace will have over 50 vendors with a full array of garden accessories, and over 25 Plant Vendors & Societies offering unique plants and great information.  Our Arboretum Gift Shop will be offering special discounts on all merchandise as well.

GROW! will also be the first opportunity to see our newly designed Garden for All Seasons – a demonstration garden of cutting-edge water harvesting techniques and urban homesteading principles.

Download a flyer with event details here!

For complete details visit our website at www.arboretum.org and click on Garden Festival or contact Nancy Yoshihara at 626.821.4667 or nancy.yoshihara@arboretum.org.

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File Under: General News, Pasadena POPS, Special Events