April 15, 2011
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The Lyric Consort, April 9, 2011
There are few things more pleasant than an evening of musical close harmony, and that's what The Lyric Consort delivered on Saturday evening the 9th. This eight-voice professional vocal ensemble enchanted the audience with its program of light spring songs--and a few spectacular exceptions.
Madrigals and traditional songs were pleasant parts of the first half of the program, including harmonically complex arrangements of "Kentucky Home" and "Home on the Range." Two contemporary pieces stood out, though: A song by Elliot Levine based on an e.e. cummings poem called "I Thank You God" and a Samuel Barber piece, "To Be Sung on the Water." But the standout song was highly unusual and unforgettable: a modern composition by Jackson Hill called "Voices of Autumn" written in the Japanese style and sung in Japanese. To those of us unschooled in what that means, the ensemble's director Alan Baker explained that, unlike Western music based on the heartbeat, Japanese music is based on the human breath. Think about it: breathing in and out as applied to music. The song had a very narrow note range, but it floated over the air like a series of horizontal pulsing exhalations. The effect was stunning.
In the second half of the program we were all delighted to hear familiar favorites like "Embraceable You" and "Tea for Two" (one concertgoer said he felt like getting up and waltzing in the aisle), another Samuel Barber piece, and the charming Irish children's song, "Tell My Ma". A powerful and achingly beautiful American spiritual, "Been in the Storm So Long" provided a vivid contrast. The program ended with the romantic "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."
The Lyric Consort excels in precise and perfect blend, and when they sing they sound like one voice in four parts. Their exquisitely controlled vocals are a delight, and it is no surprise that the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader called the group "exhilarating" and "a rare treat." Tenor Alan Baker and soprano Susan Kelly spent Friday afternoon working with Tussey Mountain Middle and High School students on their singing, and we thank Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour for a grant that allowed us to include that bonus activity.
There are few things more pleasant than an evening of musical close harmony, and that's what The Lyric Consort delivered on Saturday evening the 9th. This eight-voice professional vocal ensemble enchanted the audience with its program of light spring songs--and a few spectacular exceptions.
Madrigals and traditional songs were pleasant parts of the first half of the program, including harmonically complex arrangements of "Kentucky Home" and "Home on the Range." Two contemporary pieces stood out, though: A song by Elliot Levine based on an e.e. cummings poem called "I Thank You God" and a Samuel Barber piece, "To Be Sung on the Water." But the standout song was highly unusual and unforgettable: a modern composition by Jackson Hill called "Voices of Autumn" written in the Japanese style and sung in Japanese. To those of us unschooled in what that means, the ensemble's director Alan Baker explained that, unlike Western music based on the heartbeat, Japanese music is based on the human breath. Think about it: breathing in and out as applied to music. The song had a very narrow note range, but it floated over the air like a series of horizontal pulsing exhalations. The effect was stunning.
In the second half of the program we were all delighted to hear familiar favorites like "Embraceable You" and "Tea for Two" (one concertgoer said he felt like getting up and waltzing in the aisle), another Samuel Barber piece, and the charming Irish children's song, "Tell My Ma". A powerful and achingly beautiful American spiritual, "Been in the Storm So Long" provided a vivid contrast. The program ended with the romantic "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."
The Lyric Consort excels in precise and perfect blend, and when they sing they sound like one voice in four parts. Their exquisitely controlled vocals are a delight, and it is no surprise that the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader called the group "exhilarating" and "a rare treat." Tenor Alan Baker and soprano Susan Kelly spent Friday afternoon working with Tussey Mountain Middle and High School students on their singing, and we thank Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour for a grant that allowed us to include that bonus activity.
Nancy MacRae, Schellsburg