Word: choiring
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...piece isolates colors of the orchestra, either in solo or choir, allowing for great contrasts in instrumentation and texture. The winds throughout were exceptional: the extended English horn solo of the slow second movement was technically flawless, delicate and expressive and balanced perfectly with the orchestra. The third movement, with its searing if not overbearing triangle tremolos, was carried by the performance of the timpani. When loud, as in the first and last movements, the brass was sharp and tight; when delicate, as in the opening chorale of the second movement, they showed amazing sensitivity to dynamics and melodic contour...
...understated, the winds were articulate and perfectly balanced. When the runs finally arrived in the upper strings the execution was clear and precise. After a climax, which perhaps could have been heightened, a cannon in the brass section follows. Here, with staggered entrances, the strength of the brass choir was fully exploited, each voice clear and sonorous...
...particular seemed the very bird described by her lines, "Sweet bird,.../ Most musical, most melancholy,/ Thee, chantress of the woods among,/ I woo to hear thy even song." Saffer's song floated through incredible trills and arpeggios which spanned several octaves without the slightest hint of effort. The choir, though little utilized in Handel's score, contributed a flawless, rich background for the soloists in music which also reminded one strongly of certain choruses of Messiah...
...concert was truly a visual as well as an aural treat. Symphony Hall, of course, was at its gilded rococo best, and nearly filled with a largely elderly audience. Rich blue purple velvet and white tie tuxes dominated the stage in both the orchestra and choir, providing a beautiful setting for the soloists' brocades, sequins, taffeta and diamonds. Nor did the non-musical excitement end there. A brief intermission provided opportunity to eavesdrop on the gossip of the very nattiest of the old Boston families or enjoy a cigar or rose in the lounge...
Leverett House Arts Society; Harvard University Choir & Morning Choir; H-R Society for Creative Anachronism; H-R Forensics Association; PBHA Reading for the Blind...