| | |
| ||
St. Louis Chamber Chorus offers a
golden concert for its golden jubilee
By Sarah Bryan Miller
POST-DISPATCH CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
Monday, Oct. 10 2005
It's been a half-century since Ronald Arnatt founded the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, and the celebratory tone of the Chamber Chorus' first concert of its 50th anniversary season was fully justified. But artistic director Philip Barnes wisely chose to concentrate on the musical present rather than linger in the past.
Sunday provided an appropriately golden afternoon on which to open a golden anniversary season, and the St. Louis Abbey's marvelous meringue of an acoustically felicitous church building was very nearly full. Two of the Chamber Chorus' three former music directors took part: Arnatt and Allen Carl Larson. The atmosphere before the concert and during the intermission had the flavor of a family reunion.
Larson conducted Stravinsky's Russian Orthodox-flavored "Credo" in admirably understated style. Arnatt, who was to have been a guest of honor at Friday night's gala dinner, was knocked out by a sinus infection but arrived in time for the concert.
Barnes took on Arnatt's scheduled conducting duty: Arnatt's engaging-but-challenging "Celebration." Commissioned for the occasion, it was the first of the six works that will be premiered at this season's concerts. Set to words by Arnatt's wife, Carol, that began "Leaping waves, dancing feet," it certainly kept the singers on their toes. "Celebration" benefited from soprano Emily Heslop's soaring solo over low-pitched men's voices.
Five of the afternoon's 11 works were included in the Chamber Chorus' maiden concert in 1956. The first of these, Grieg's "God's Son Hath Set Me Free," made a strong opening, particularly given the fine solo work of baritone Brian Reeves; the conclusion sent a chill down the spine.
The first half also featured a delightful five-part Kyrie for women's voices by the adolescent Mozart, and the Gloria from Ralph Vaughan Williams' gorgeous Mass in G minor. Both works were from the first concert collection, and both were well-sung; despite occasional rough entrances and a few minor intonation issues, the choir is in audibly good shape.
The second half opened with the Vaughan Williams Sanctus and Benedictus, and then moved to a ravishingly beautiful account of William Harris' classic of Anglican choral music, "Faire is the Heaven." A group of three exquisite Renaissance pieces demonstrated the Chamber Chorus' abilities in this repertoire.
That left Aaron Copland's enormous "In the Beginning." Musically, it belongs to Copland's folksy mode. As with all the Chorus' repertoire, it's for unaccompanied voices, and it represents a tremendously ambitious undertaking.
But with Barnes conducting and the considerable contribution of soprano Mary Chapman, it paid off. Chapman has a lovely, clear voice, with excellent diction and a sure, secure delivery. Barnes brought it all together and kept it there, with some extraordinarily tricky passages rendered cleanly for a nearly flawless delivery. It made for a most impressive conclusion to a splendid performance.
Copyright© 2005 St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch