Santa Monica High School Winter Choral Concert: Motus Perpetuus VII

This annual concert of perpetual motion features all of the students in the Santa Monica High School Choral Music Program. Choirs are strategically situated throughout Barnum Hall, with songs following each other without applause, from one piece to the next.

From Gregorian Chants to the work of French composer Francis Poulenc, this year’s concert will intertwine one thousand years of choral music history as students traverse every area of Barnum Hall creating an exciting, immersive experience that is a perennial favorite of concertgoers. The concert concludes with the traditional singing of The Hallelujah Chorus, for which audience alumni choristers are invited to the stage to join in.

About the Santa Monica High School Choral Department:

The Choral Music Program of Santa Monica High School, under the direction of Jeffe Huls, is one of the most accomplished in the region, winning awards, competing in state and national vocal music competitions, and touring nationally and internationally. Approximately one hundred
seventy students participate in one of the five choirs in the program.

About Barnum Hall:

The 1200-seat Barnum Hall Theatre was built in 1938 by the Federal Works Project Administration (WPA). A fine example of Streamline-Art Deco design, Barnum Hall was designed by the architectural firm of Marsh, Smith & Powell. This elegant venue, home to Santa Monica High School’s largest theatrical presentations and concerts, boasts numerous architectural  features including an elaborate mosaic in the lobby and fire curtain in the theater, both designed by internationally recognized artist Stanton MacDonald-Wright. Recent restoration of the hall culminated in the installation of a Wurlitzer theater organ.