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One Voice proves exceptional again
CONCERT REVIEW At its 20th anniversary concert, the One
Voice Mixed Chorus proved that it can take on
challenging music with social punch.
By WILLIAM RANDALL BEARD, Special to the Star Tribune
Last update: January 27, 2008 - 12:02 AM
One Voice Mixed Chorus is a community chorus that was
founded to provide an opportunity for men and women in
the GLBT community to sing together. Social and
political values have always been as important to the
chorus' mission as musical ones. But for their 20th
anniversary concert, One Voice choir members raised the
bar, challenging themselves to new levels of musical
proficiency.
And they met that challenge.
The first half of the program was dominated by a rare
foray into the work of Johannes Brahms, under the
direction of guest conductor Vance George.
A four-time Grammy winner and former artistic director
of the San Francisco Orchestra Chorus, Vance held the
chorus to a high standard of musicianship including
idiomatic phrasing and excellent diction. He was a man
of great charm and style, who could make even the
schmaltzy "Liebeslieder" Waltzes sound serious.
The centerpiece of the concert was Brahms' "Nänie" (Song
of Mourning), a seldom-performed work akin in spirit to
the more familiar "German Requiem." For this, the chorus
was joined by the St. Paul Central High School Concert
Choir. The massed voices produced a professional sound,
making easy work of the music's dense textures.
A solo set by the Concert Choir, especially in a motet
by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, testified to the
outstanding music education program at Central High.
The second half of the concert, under artistic director
Jane Ramseyer Miller, returned to more familiar
repertoire, selections chosen as much for their message
as for their musical value. This is the kind of music
that truly inspires the chorus, and they sang with
passion and infectious energy.
This set also further demonstrated their ability to
handle disparate traditions. From the Civil War song, "Workin'
for the Dawn of Peace" that showed off a full, rich a
cappella sound, to John Rutter's "Distant Land," an
example of the English choral tradition, to the more
astringent anthem, "A Palette to Paint Us as We Are" by
St. Paul native Elizabeth Alexander, the chorus proved
its versatility.
One Voice remains a strong community choir -- and one of
the best in a very crowded field. Its recent artistic
growth sets it up well to move into its third decade.
William Randall Beard is a Minneapolis writer.
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