High school students sing at Disney Hall

Wonder what the future of this country sounds like?

Harmonious. At least if you judge by the 1,000 voices of high school students gathered in Disney Hall downtown today for a choral festival.

Row after row of black-tie tuxedos and vibrant dresses and gowns filled the seats in the modernist hall. The teenagers have practiced for months to master songs centuries old from countries throughout the world. Vivaldi, Astor Piazaolla, Georgia Stitt, and Gabriel Faure were the musical favorites of the crowd, sung without instruments or occasionally a piano.

Nearly 1,000 students from 28 high schools in five Southern California counties are taking part. Grant Gershon, music director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, warmed up the choral contingent with a few physical exercises -- "everyone do jazz hands"; and motivational speak: "It's amazing that you're all here from throughout Los Angeles to other counties around us, all to be in a community of musicians."

As the rehearsal escalated from a few vocal humming exercises to a full-on gorgeous, soothing version of Vivaldi's works -- the teenagers' faces, as varied as this region is, eased into smiles.

The festival, now in its 19th year, opens to the public at 11 a.m. today with showcases by a group of high schools selected by audition. Santa Monica High School, Louisville High School, Agoura High School, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts were the selected groups.

At 1, a one-hour final performance of all 1,000 students will wrap up the festival, the final sound of a year's hard work for teenagers who've left the airwaves a little more pleasant. Not all teenagers' noise is bad.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta