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Best Vocal Groups In Los Angeles

LA Children's Chorus header
(credit: Los Angeles Children's Chorus)

The more requested vocal groups in Los Angeles are mixed, meaning they are a concordant blend of both magnanimous male and female vocal instruments. From barbershop, doo wop and jazz groups to contemporary, vintage and classical ensembles, the City of Angels offers a melodic smorgasbord of quality entertainment whenever one's senses are in need of a visceral adventure. The Angelenos who perform professionally in choirs are already accomplished musicians in their own right, which makes for a more ear-pleasing assemblage. Of LA's wide selection of notable artisans, here are some admirable vocal groups that strike some predominant chords.

LA Children's Chorus
(credit: Los Angeles Children's Chorus)

Los Angeles Children's Chorus
585 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 793-4231
www.lachildrenschorus.org

Comprised of gifted teen and preteen vocalists, Los Angeles Children's Chorus is considered one of the nation's top youth choirs. Since its inception in 1986, the ensemble performs frequently in numerous concerts with some of the region's more prominent arts organizations, including the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale. Alternating among local, national and international engagements, the chorus' musical compositions range from classical and contemporary to an array of folk songs from the world over. Designed to help ambitious young singers reach the pinnacle of artistic workmanship, this commendable program cultivates, fine tunes and presents awe-inspiring shows that hit all the right notes.

Generic microphone singing mic
Los Angeles Chamber Singers & Cappella
P.O. Box 64888
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 575-9790
www.lacs.org

In well-defined and expressive delivery, this combined chamber choir performs contemporary songs written primarily by LA-based composers. To breathe life into centuries-old music, the ensemble's Grammy-winning expansion, Cappella, pays homage to 16th century European classics, 17th century Mexican arrangements and 18th century American standards. Directed by composer and master instructor Peter Rutenberg, Los Angeles Chamber Singers & Cappella represent two dozen of LA's more influential and pitch-perfect adult expressions. To learn about the company's ebullient educational outreach programs, career-building workshops and upcoming concert series, visit the company's website or send an email to voices@lacs.org.

Related: LA's Coolest Small Venues For Live Music

SONY DSC
(credit: The Concert Singers)

The Concert Singers
P.O. Box 90327
Los Angeles, CA 90009
www.theconcertsingers.com

Introduced in 1948, Los Angeles' oldest independent choral group performs a festoon of music styles, ranging from secular and modern day to Broadway show tunes and the emotion-driven madrigals of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The community-based ensemble performs at many venues throughout the greater LA region, including the Hollywood Bowl and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Some of The Concert Singers' themed events have included Elizabethan feasts, replete with period costuming and music interpretations of that golden period in English literature. Dedicated to preserving and promoting choral music as an art form, this group of expressive vocalists brings into the 21st century more than 400 years of musical history in select concerts worth attending.

red harmony
(credit: Red Harmony)

Red Harmony
(831) 588-9482
www.redharmony.com

Whenever music lovers hear the rhapsodic sounds generated by this jazz and pop group, their senses are filled with wonder and imagination. Trained musicians, Red Harmony consists of two sopranos, a duo of altos, a couple of tenors, a baritone and bass. This a cappella group's renditions of contemporary and secular music trends take audiences back to a time when the human voice was the only mechanism used to seize the listener's rapt attention. The company blends the vocalists' individual personalities with their diverse vocal fluctuations to create an original show filled with close harmonies and superlative articulation. Those seeking a melodious group for seasonal or themed festivities will not go wrong with this ensemble of proficient male and female musicians.

philippine chamber singers of los angeles
(credit: Philippine Chamber Singers Of Los Angeles)

The Philippine Chamber Singers of Los Angeles
16600 San Fernando Mission Blvd., Suite 39
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(818) 445-8771
www.pcsla.org

Since 2004, these phenomenal performers have grown from Christmas caroling to becoming a nationally-celebrated choral group. This highly decorated choir rose to regional fame in 2009 under the direction of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel's inaugural performance at the Hollywood Bowl. The group has also shared the stage with Filipino-American rapper Allan Pineda (née, apl.d.ap) of The Black Eyed Peas, actor Lou Diamond Phillips and actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens. In addition to its regular concerts throughout the year, the philanthropic chamber singers participate in special disaster relief performances to aid storm-ravaged areas in the Philippines. While doing its part to promote the rich Filipino culture through the grace of music, The Philippine Chamber Singers of Los Angeles delivers a number of American and international classics with vigor and prevailing inspiration. On May 25, 2013, this vocal force is slated to perform "Mozart's Requiem" at Carnegie Hall.

Related: LA Music Experts To Follow On Twitter

Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning freelance journalist who covers the glittering nightlife and bustling music scene in Los Angeles, among other topics of social interest. Some of her contributions to the entertainment industry have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Samples of her unique writing style can be found on Examiner.com.

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