THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The California Lutheran University Choir and Women’s Chorale will open their seasons with an eclectic Homecoming Choral Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, in Samuelson Chapel.

The program will begin with the Women’s Chorale singing “Laudate Pueri” by Italian composer Giovanni Battista Gajani. The women will also perform Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus’ “The Earth Sings” for piano and percussion based on aboriginal Australian and Iglulik Eskimo texts.

The CLU Choir will perform “Make Music Sweet.” Jenni Brandon of Los Angeles composed the piece based on poems by James Joyce. Also featured will be “Forever Young,” original music by award-winning composer John Corigliano to Bob Dylan's lyrics.

“Jubilate Deo” by British composer William Walton, “Ngana” by Australian composer Stephen Leek and Carly Simon’s “Let The River Run” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson will also be performed.

CLU faculty member Heidi Valencia Vas will be the featured soloist. The Thousand Oaks resident has numerous opera, recital and oratorio credits and has been a featured soloist with The Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra.

Wyant Morton, director of choral and vocal activities, will conduct. The chair of the Music Department is in his 22nd year at CLU and has conducted the CLU choir for performances at the Lincoln Center and in England, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

The CLU Choir is the premiere choral ensemble at CLU. While dedicated to performing works that represent the university’s Lutheran heritage, it also embraces innovative new music as well as pieces expressing a multicultural perspective.

The CLU Women’s Chorale is comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores. It draws its repertoire from the wealth of choral music for female voices from a range of historical periods from classical to modern.

Donations will be accepted.

The chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu.