MVMCO Presents Carols by Candlelight

The voices of the Moreno Valley Master Chorale and Orchestra (MVMCO) resonated throughout the walls of the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, as the singers presented Carols by Candlelight last Sunday. Viorel Gheorghe, the artistic director for MVMCO, had been working with the chorale since early September, rehearsing every Monday for two hours a week to prepare for the caroling. Gheorghe has been the artistic director for seven years and said he has enjoyed every single minute of it. He has directed the Carols by Candlelight every year since 2005. The evening began with a piece composed by Tomaso Albinoni and performed by the orchestra, followed by multiple pieces composed by Antonio Vivaldi and performed by the chorus. The featured talents of the night were soloists Camelia Voin, an internationally known opera singer and her student, Maribel Ruiz-Velasco. They each sang a piece as a solo and a piece as a duet. The night ended with a Christmas sing-along medley in which the audience was invited to sing along. Marilyn Puckett, president of the MVMCO, said she was "extremely grateful to be working with the chorale for over 13 years and bringing the community together to enjoy a beautiful night of caroling once a year for the holidays." Puckett explained that the chorale works together to suggests to the director different pieces to be performed and then they all together decide what will be presented at the annual concert. All who are interested are invited to stop by one of the group's rehearsals, which take place Mondays at 7 p.m. at Valley View High School, 13135 Nason St., Moreno Valley.