If there is one word Lex de Azevedo would use to describe his "The Life of Christ: Hosanna" oratorio, it would be "moving." Writing the music for the oratorio, which uses only texts from the King James Bible, was a deeply affecting experience, he says.
"The performers, who re-live the events of Easter, are moved by it. Jenny Oaks Baker, George Dyer and the others, they tell me they will do whatever it takes to be there, to be part of it."
But, mostly, he hopes audiences will come away moved by the powerful story of those final events in Christ’s life. "We start with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, go on to the Last Supper, the trial, the crucifixion and the resurrection. I think it’s the only oratorio that includes it all."
"The Life of Christ: Hosanna" will be presented Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 261 S. 900 East. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $15.
Featured artists include de Azevedo on piano, Baker on violin, Dyer singing the words of Jesus, Greg Pearson as Peter, Melinda Lockwood as Mary Magdalene and Steve Bardsley as Pontius Pilate.
The work also uses two choirs: the Millennium Choir as the front choir and the Valley Choir as the antiphonal choir.
"The way it is set up, it is almost as much opera as it is oratorio," says de Azevedo. "You feel the story. You feel the characters."
"Hosanna" premiered in Jerusalem at the Sherover Theater in September of 2000. "That was an amazing experience," says de Azevedo. "It was a huge undertaking; we spent about a year working on it." That concert brought together about 600 singers from around the United States with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. The program was taped for television and released on PBS.
The work’s U.S. premiere was at the Dee Events Center in Ogden in 2001, and it was performed at the Crystal Cathedral in California, as well as in San Diego that year, but has not been presented since.
De Azevedo thought it would be nice to bring it back now. It is a story that reaches out to all Christians, he says. "And we have so few Easter traditions."

Lex de Azevedo threw a Christmas party Monday. It was filled with music, of course — bright, toe-tapping jazzy music, old-fashioned caroling music, spiritually uplifting "reason-for-the-season" music.
But there was also heritage — reminiscences of Christmases past woven into the context of a musical life — and family and friends gathered together to share the joy of the season.
There were also twinkly decorations that captured the magic of the season. And above all, there was a festive feeling of harmony and good will.
With de Azevedo at the piano, and with Christian Parry, Matt Clayton and Dan Chamberlain rounding out the jazz quartet, and the Millennium Choir doing the vocals, the party began with an upbeat that never let down.
The choir sang with energy and excitement, creating beautiful harmony and interesting vocal effects on the jazz arrangements: a lively "Jingle Bells"; a dramatic "We Three Kings" that managed to sound both ancient and contemporary; a medley of snow-related tunes that brought warmth to the stage; a striking "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
They were equally adept on a medley of Alfred Burt Christmas carols, all done a cappella, almost as if they were out caroling in the frosty air.
The mood shifted, but not the quality level, on a segment of excerpts from de Azevedo’s "Gloria," an oratorio based on biblical accounts of Christ’s birth. With film footage of a performance in Jerusalem as an introduction, the choir captured the joy and majesty of this old, old story. They were helped in that task by special guests Melinda Lockwood and George Dyer. Lockwood’s beautiful voice captivated and charmed as Mary; Dyer’s rich tenor imbued the Angel Gabriel’s words with power and emotion.
The piece was originally scored for an 85-piece orchestra — parts that de Azevedo played with 10 fingers. "Don’t try this at home," he joked. "We’re professionals." But his piano work throughout was quite amazing.
There were other standout performances: Lockwood also excelled on a tender, poignant "Breath of Heaven"; choir soloist Holly Dixon sparkled in a lively and fun version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." One Voice Children’s Choir brought sweetness to "Joy to the World." The young singers also added a true angelic touch to "Angels We Have Heard of High."
The evening even included home movies — scenes of the King Singers, accompanied by the "20-year-old geek" de Azevedo, which provided a nice segue into a special family moment.
Daughter Becky and several de Azevedo grandchildren joined in on a touching "Do You Hear What I Hear," which perfectly captured the feeling and flavor of this Christmas party.

by Carma Wadley
Deseret Morning News

When Lex de Azevedo was a boy growing up in California, his mother (one of the famous King Singers) had an annual Christmas party for all of her friends and colleagues. Alfred Burt was one of those friends, and each year he wrote a new Christmas song that he debuted at the party.

“I remember when I was 14, and he was there in a wheelchair with his latest song. He passed away two months later, and a group of his friends got together to record all the songs so his wife could get the royalties.” Those songs — including “Some Children See Him,” “Caroling, Caroling,” “The Star Carol” and others — have gone “into the repertoire of high school choirs everywhere. And it all started in our living room,” says de Azevedo.

So, it is no surprise that those songs have always held special meaning for him. A few years back, he produced his own CD featuring Alfred Burt’s songs. And this year, they will have a prominent spot in a Christmas concert that de Azevedo is putting together. The performance will be Monday in the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Sharing the program will be excerpts from “The Life of Christ: Gloria,” an oratorio de Azevedo wrote several years ago telling the Christmas story through music and a text taken directly from the King James Bible. Also on the program will be several new jazz arrangements of favorite Christmas songs.

Bringing the music to life will be the 36-voice Millennium Choir; tenor George Dyer, reprising his role as
Gabriel in “Gloria;” soprano Margo Watson, as narrator in “Gloria;” One Voice Children’s Choir, from Utah County; and
the Millennium Jazz Quartet. De Azevedo hopes it will be “an intimate experience,” reminiscent of those long-ago Christmas parties. He hopes people will have fun, as well as appreciate the messages and meanings of the season. “That’s what Christmas is all about.”

This marks de Azevedo’s first Christmas concert in three years. And the past three years have been a busy time for him. Among other things, he “took nine months to complete a two-year program at the University of California and got a master’s degree in jazz.” He loves jazz, he says. “I always have. That probably came from growing up among the King Singers.” His first recording session, in fact, came when he was in the 11th grade, playing as a studio musician for jazz great Stan Kenton. De Azevedo is the first to admit he had some amazing
experiences in the music world as he grew up, having regular contact with people such as Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Dean Martin. “At age 17, I was the music director for the Four Preps — as well as for the King Singers. I’d go to high school in the morning and work at Capitol Records in the afternoon. I was there the day Bobby Gentry walked in with her ‘Ode to Bobby Joe.’ I remember Glen Campbell coming in. My mother used to say I started at the top and have been working my way down.”

After completing an LDS mission, de Azevedo was offered a full-time job at Capitol. “My first job was producing a recording by a gag-singer named Mrs. Miller, who sang out of tune with sincerity. It was a huge hit.”

De Azevedo also played an important part in kick-starting the local music industry. “I had a dream of starting an LDS recording company, so we launched Embryo Records.” The studio’s first production was “Saturday’s Warrior,” followed by “My Turn on Earth.” What’s amazing, he says, is that they are both “still selling, still being performed.” He also produced Kurt Bestor’s first Christmas album. Back in those days, de Azevedo says, “my biggest battle was to convince Deseret Book to carry our music.” But in an interesting twist, Embryo Records was eventually sold to Excel, which was sold to Deseret Book — “and now they own the company.” De Azevedo is still making music. He has a couple of jazz CDs in the works. “They are kind of a follow-up to my earlier ‘Mountains’ and ‘Moab’ CDs.” He’s also involved with doing music for his daughter Rachel and her Signing-Time videos, which teach babies sign language. “I am so proud of my kids,” he says.

And, de Azevedo has had a great time combining his love of jazz with his love of Christmas. “With jazz, you just have a lot of fun. And combining jazz with a choir is rather unusual. It’s a great mix.”

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