The Williamsburg Choral Guild’s program Sunday in the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church featured a Mozart vesper and three modern works, one of which was a U.S. premiere, all of which made for a pleasantly sonorous afternoon.
The focal piece around which the program was structured was Mozart’s “Vespere Solennes de Confessore,” a sacred work written for liturgical services in the Salzburg Cathedral, in Austria. The uplifting work effectively blends the Latin text with musical line in overall joyous and energetically charged Psalm-based segments, the majority of which are full-bodied and spirited. To these sections, the guild offered appropriately energetic and focused deliveries that enlivened the text, ably enhanced by guest soloists soprano Sarah Kate Walston, mezzo-soprano Phaedra McNorton, tenor Ben Kwak, and bass Branch Fields.
The one portion departing from the musical norm is the “Laudate Dominum” that defines peace and tranquility. It’s also the best known of the lot and often heard as a stand alone work. To this moment, Walston brought a beautifully developed soprano that was pure of tone and sincere in delivery that added elegance to the guild’s solid singing.
Noteworthy on this program was the U.S. premiere hearing of England’s Cecilia McDowell’s “A Time for All Seasons.” McDowell is one of the most prolific composers on today’s scene, having written huge numbers of works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, instrumentalists, choral groups, vocalists, brass and winds, and the stage.
Her skill was fully evident in “Time for All Seasons,” which superbly blends the Biblical text from Ecclesiastes 3 and its “to every thing there is a season” statement with poet Kevin Crossley-Holland’s more contemporary take on the Biblical sentiments.
McDowell’s composition is sophisticated and contemplative, her setting of text in concert with fascinating and diverse musical styles and the use of percussion for emotional impact creates and created a profoundly moving listening experience. In addition to a full chorus, she uses children’s voices in an innovative way to draw a running thread of Biblical text through the work. The guild brought its full forces to this selection, delivering a strong and impressive performance, well supported by members of the Williamsburg Youth Chorale whose deliveries brought messages of hope relative to the text. This was a notable moment and a worthy premiere.
Continuing with things modern, the guild also offered a solid performance of Emma Lou Diemer’s “Dream within a Dream.” Based on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, Diemer effectively crafted a poetic work that lyrically caught Poe’s somewhat dark sentiments and the curious bridge between reality and dreams.
Rounding off the modern works was Dan Forrest’s “You are the Music.” In addition to Diemer, Forrest is one of this country’s most established composers, one whose works are included in the international realm of choral endeavors. From its opening haunting notes by the French horn and equally haunting soprano vocal line, this gentle work speaks to the beauty of the inner spirit and its harmony. Walston was again featured soloist, this time singing from the balcony, where her crystalline sound floated over the audience. It was a compelling composition that was given a fine performance by the guild, Walston, and hornist Ellen Polachek.
Conductor Jay BeVille’s strong hand was again responsible for shaping this diverse and interesting program of strongly sung performances, ably assisted by Rebecca Davy’s commanding piano and organ accompaniment.
