Juan Francisco La Manna will end his eight-year stint as conductor of the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra next weekend by directing the orchestra and a group of community singers and actors in Benjamin Britten’s opera “Noah’s Flood.”

La Manna, who lives in upstate New York, is stepping down because the commute from the East Coast to Lawrence has become too demanding.

La Manna teaches piano and conducts the orchestra at State University of New York at Oswego and directs the Oswego Opera Theatre. He typically carved out time from his schedule to return to Lawrence the week before a performance to rehearse intensively with the orchestra.

“The players will be better served by someone in the (Lawrence) area,” said La Manna, who started conducting the orchestra in 1994. “I really loved conducting the orchestra, and we made some beautiful music together.”

“We will miss him a great deal,” said Chris Harnden, concertmaster for Lawrence Chamber Orchestra. “The technical as well as musical level (of the orchestra) he’s raised it a great deal. He’s a wonderful musician. It will be difficult to fill his shoes.”

“Noah’s Flood” is a fitting farewell performance for the conductor an opera based on the biblical story of Noah and the flood, which is often seen as a symbol of a new start.

La Manna said he conducted Britten’s work a couple of years ago at Oswego Opera Theatre and, because the response was so positive, pitched the idea of staging the show to the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra’s board.

“It’s a mystery play. In the early Renaissance, the guilds during Easter would present plays based on biblical themes,” he said. “What’s interesting to me is it’s not only Old Testament, but three times during the opera there are hymns that are totally Christian.”

The 50-minute opera tells the story of Noah and his wife, played respectively by baritone Chris Gilliam and mezzo-soprano Andrea Coleman.

The cast also includes Raintree Montessori School students, who play the animals, and Free State High School students, who take on a variety of roles, including the comical gossips.

	What: “Noah’s Flood,” an opera by Benjamin Britten, performed by the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, Raintree Montessori School and Free State High School students, and soloists Chris Gilliam and Andrea Coleman.When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. March 3.Where: First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.Admission: Donations will be accepted at the door.

La Manna said the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, which will number 30 for the “Noah’s Flood” performance, has a bright future.

“I see the players becoming a rare source in the community, and (maintaining) its high quality (of playing),” he said.

Harnden said the orchestra will start a search for a new conductor soon and will use guest conductors until the position is filled.