IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers VOICES OF THE SEASON- The Los Robles Master Chorale directed by Lesley Leighton performs ts annual concert, "Holiday Presence" at Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park. The choir's musical choices for last Friday evening came from four continents and spanned four centuries. Last weekend marked a turning point in the life of the Los Robles Master Chorale. With the retirement of its artistic director and conductor, James Stemen, after 30 years, the mantle was passed to Lesley Leighton, herself a seasoned performer with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Leighton wasted no time in getting her new charges up to speed, as the chorale presented a refreshingly varied program of music under the theme "Holiday Presence" at the Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park. As it turned out, "presence" has a double meaning, as Leighton's reins-in-hand professionalism had as much to do with the group's performance as did its eclectic repertoire.

Most holiday concerts recycle the same group of Eurocentric carols and 20thcentury secular favorites, but Leighton selected a mix of music from non-English traditions and from different eras as well.

The first half of the program concentrated on world music, beginning with the harmonically rich "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" by Canadian choral composer Healey Willan. This was followed by Brazilian Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia's "Beata Viscera," a 200-year-old responsorial influenced by classical composers of that era, including Haydn and Mozart. German-Danish composer Dieterich Buxtehude's carol "In Dulci Jubilo" was next, accompanied by the sweet sounds of a flute duo and cello.

Next up was an exciting rhythmic work from the Kenyan Taita ethnic group, a Christmas spiritual titled "Natufurahi Siku Ya Leo." In the song of rejoicing, the choir was accented by a percussion quartet, including the energetic playing of Theodore Benedict on an African hand drum.

English composer John Rutter is one of today's most popular and best-known writers of choral music. In "What Sweeter Music," Rutter wrote a new, soaring melody to words written by 17th-century poet Robert Herrick.

USC music professor Nick Strimple was on hand to lead the preconcert discussion. The chorale performed his work "Ubi Caritas," a musical setting of an ancient Christian text accompanied by a haunting clarinet, played by Sonia Sielaff.

Two works from Jewish tradition concluded the first half: "Haleluya/Haleli Nafushi, a 17th-century song of praise, and a contemporary work by Coreen Duffy using words to the Hebrew liturgical mainstay "Adon Olam," set with an entrancing new melody. Although they weren't Hanukkah songs, they fit into the program nicely.

The second half of the concert focused more on contemporary music, with the oldest piece being one of the few familiar carols on the program: Lewis Redner's "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The highlight of this segment was "A La Nanita Nana," an exquisitely beautiful Spanish carol, arranged by Roger Folstrom, whose haunting melody eased from minor to major keys as the choir sang the words in both Spanish and English.

Also featured was the West Coast premiere of "Sweet Was the Song," a contemporary carol written by Matthew Brown, a recent graduate of USC's Thornton School of Music. Brown was on hand for Saturday's performance of his work.

The program concluded with "A Feast of Carols," a medley of three familiar English carols ("O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Born Today Is the Infant King" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas") and the chorus to Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," the 20th century's most popular Christmas song.

Despite the comfort of hearing familiar songs at this time of year, innovation and variety are also needed.

Lesley Leighton, in her inaugural performance with the Los Robles Master Chorale, hit the mark with this moving and inspiring collection of music.

To adapt the words of Robert Herrick for our purposes: "What sweeter music can we bring than a carol, for to sing."