Leonard Bernstein wrote Chichester Psalms during a sabbatical leave from his tenure as director of the New York Philharmonic. Completed shortly after his Third Symphony, the work was written for orchestra and chorus singing texts in Hebrew. Maurita Phillips-Thornburgh conducts Cantori Domino with two-piano, harp and timpani. Additional works are performed in a collaborative effort with steel pan drummers from the Southern California Panharmonic Orchestra ­ an ensemble of more than 60 singers and musicians, led by Co-Directors David Gerhart and David Beery. This exciting setting is particularly fitting during this time when peace is such an elusive concept. Bernstein “awakes the dawn” (Psalm 108) with a crash of cymbals moving on to a wonderfully rhythmic joy Psalm 100, followed by the innocence of Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd . . .”) overlaid with the arrogance of warmongers in Psalm 2 (“why do the nations rage . . .”). In the third movement, Psalm 131, a statement of trust and hope is followed by Psalm 133, which breathes the ideal of unity. Presented by Cantori Domino.