Music Extraordinaire

Roberts Wesleyan College has a new choral director. This weekend was his premier performance with the chorale. I have heard the chorale under other directors, and they are good, no doubt about it. The kind of concerts where you know the music is challenging and you are proud that the singers have risen to the occasion and seem to be enjoying themselves at the same time.

But this concert was different. From the first song I knew I was in for a rare treat. Here is a choir not just singing the right pitches and rhythms, but being EXPRESSIVE. I hear precious few choirs whose performances are riveting, but this concert was pure delight. I basked in the luxuriousness of the nuances in each piece. Never did I feel I was being manipulated or that there was an attempt to impress the audience with precision and effect.

This director is an artist. And not just mono-stylistic. Some directors do renaissance well, or gospel well. This director had a nice mix of various styles and each song was just right for the kind of music. Here and there, he sprinkled a little "stage business" - cute movements or poses that brought out the significance of the text. Nothing showy or overdone. Just nice touches to music that really said something.

Here is a choir I plan to listen to as often as I can. I hope they will consider cutting a CD. So far I collect recordings by the Robert Shaw Singers, Dei Gloriae, St. Olaf Choir and a few other choirs where the music is more than just sound. I would add this choir to my list in a heartbeat. It was definitely a walk on the delightful side.