UMS Choral Union - Jerry Blackstone

Thursday April 23 - Saint Francis of Asssisi Church Ann Arbor
This is the spring concert of the University Musical Society Choral Union. For full disclosure this is a group and performance that I am in so this review is simply a summary posted before the concert. It has been great fun preparing for this concert and I will cover each piece and my impression of them. Feel free to comment with your opinion of the concert.

Three Sacred Pieces - Mendelssohn

This set of three pieces will be conducted by Jason Harris, our assistant conductor. Each piece is a short hymn-like work. The first and last for the whole choir in 8 parts, and the second pice for women only in 4 parts.

Heilig

Veni Domine

Frohlocket, ir Volker auf Erden

Selections from All Night Vigil - Rachmaninoff

This is when the heart of the concert starts. These selections will run about 40 minutes and they will make up the bulk of the first half. The choir sings a cappella in church Slovonic. Think of this as the Russian version of litergical Latin. These works are thick with wonderful chords.

1 - Priidite, poklonimsia

2 - Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda

Karla Manson, alto

3 - Blazhen muzh

5 - Nine otpushchayeshi

Adrian Leskiw, tenor

6 - Bogoroditse Devo

13 - Torpar “Dnes spaseniye”

14 - Tropar “Voskres iz groba”

15 - Vzbrannoy voyevode

The soloist come from within the group. Look forward to number 6 "Bogoroditse Devo" it's my favorite. Listen for the Alto part about 2/3 of the way through. This is some of the best choral music ever written, in my humble opinion.

Intermission

The Passing of the Year - Johnathan Dove (b. 1959)

The soloists again come from within the group. This is a really great work with piano and percussion with choir. It is a modern work that originally was hard to understand, but it is certainly moving and interesting once spending some time with it.

Listen for the interplay of rhythmic pattern, in the first work "Invocation" you should listen for triplet quarters, eighths, and triplet eights all at the same time. This creates a thick set of rhythms not unlike a marching band drum line.

In "Ah, Sun-flower!" is made of some beautiful melodies passed around the sections in a fugue. These passages are really great and listen to the words, this section is great at evoking an emotion.

Lastly "Ring out, live bells" reminds me of the holidays. Again great rhythmic intensity, this time we hear double choirs singing one after the other. The ending calls for a thousand years of peace and it is quite special.

1. Invocation

2. The narrow bud opens her beauties to the sun

Linda Hagopian, alto

Kelly Ritter, soprano

Michael Peterson, baritone

3. Answer July

4. Hot sun, cool fire

5. Ah, Sun-flower!

6. Adieu! Farewell earth’s bliss!

7. Ring out, wild bells

O fortuna, from Carmina Burana - Carl Orff (1895-1982)

This is a greatest hits of classical, and it will be done with piano and percussion. A loud a raucous end to what should be a great show.