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Connecticut Choral Society Offered A Festive Holiday Concert

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Connecticut Choral Society Offered A Festive Holiday Concert

By Boyd Schlaefer,

Connecticut loves its choral music traditions, especially around the time of the holidays. Connecticut Choral Society added proof to this by attracting a large audience of music lovers to its concert of “Psalms and Carols: A Holiday Celebration” on December 15 at Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown. (The program was repeated the afternoon of Sunday, December 17.) Conductor John Robert Liepold led the chorus, orchestra and soloists of CCS in a well-planned and skillfully executed evening of holiday choral music, which spanned several centuries, styles and faiths.

To begin the concert the chorus surrounded the audience and sang the 13th Century Alle Psallite Cum Luya while proceeding to the choral risers set up in the front of the church. This was a very effective and practical way to begin this concert.

The audience then had the pleasure of hearing Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. The three-movement piece, sung in Hebrew on psalm texts, was obviously fun for the chorus to sing. The first movement danced nicely with flair. The second movement featured the young Ben Gagne, a member of Litchfield County Children’s Choir. His treble solo and the juxtaposition of two psalm texts in contrasting legato and agitated marcato style by the chorus were very effective.

The tenor and the bass sections added a beautiful unison section at the beginning of the third movement, followed by singing by the ladies that was just as beautiful. A string duet from the orchestra was lovely, and a solo quartet comprised of Sue Asetta, Bonnie Stevens, James Balmer, and David Peterson, from the chorus distinguished itself.

The audience was then treated to a prelude of the choral society’s upcoming spring concert when “Magnificat” from the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 was sung in an antiphonal style. Once again the chorus surrounded the audience, as would have been done when Monteverdi first conceived the monumental work. The orchestra played beautifully and again soloists (Martha Neitzal, Amy Bernon, Tom Sheehan, Paul Stroh, Joel Coffey, and Joshua Lindsay) stepped out of the chorus to add to a wonderful overall effect.

Following the intermission, the audience was invited to join in singing “O Come All Ye Faithful,” which added to the festive atmosphere of the evening. This led nicely into what many considered the high point of the evening: the Connecticut premiere of composer James Bassi’s Carol Symphony.

The three-movement composition is based on three familiar carols. The first movement, a beautiful and creative piece, is based on “The Carol of the Bells,” The second movement, based on “Wexford Carol,” featured mezzo-soprano Cheryl Lichtenstein as soloist, and the chorus.

The third movement was just plain fun. Titled “Dance,” that was exactly what the section did. The composer obviously had fun with this movement, based on “Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day.” His use of unfamiliar and mixed meters for the movement had the chorus on its toes both in a feeling of dance and as musicians. Mr Bassi was in attendance on Friday night and the audience gave him, the chorus and the orchestra a well-deserved rousing ovation.

The show continued with Anton Bruckner’s Virga Jesse, sung a cappella, before Mr Liepold brought the concert to an end with the chorus exiting the church in darkness while singing “Dona nobis pacem” as a round until one by one the voices faded into silence.

Mr Liepold conducted the entire evening with great energy and flair. One felt that all involved were having a great time making wonderful music.

 (Mr Schlaefer is an adjunct professor at Western CT State University in Danbury. A bass-baritone, he is also a member of New York City Opera.)

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