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From yesterday's sublime Tosca, in singing anyway, to the ridiculousness of Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard, was a fun adventure this afternoon. David and I went to Mandel Hall at Chicago University, just down the street from our condo, to hear a lively performance of this operetta put on by The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Inc., and the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra.
It was a delightful afternoon with very good singing and playing.
Colonel Fairfax was well-sung by tenor David Fair, Sergeant Meryll by Peter Morgan, his son by Nathan Oakes, Jack Point, the Jester, in hilarious mode and wonderful diction in the patter songs, by Daniel Berry, Elsie Maynard by very fine soprano Anna Caldwell, Phoebe Meryll by equally good mezzo Samantha Attaguile, Dame Carruthers by mezzo Rachel Dawson, who was perfect for the part but needs the low part of her voice to fully bring it off, plus Brad Jungwirth as the Head Jailer and Assistant Tormentor, David Govertsen as Sir Richard Cholmondley, Anastasia Malliares as Kate, and David Jones as the Headsman.
Daniel Berry
All the parts were well sung in fairly accurate G&S style with various versions of British English. There were super-titles when the diction got lost so you could catch the wonderful words and the set was far more authentic than last night's black stage at Tosca.
The Chamber Orchestra played very well on the often tricky score which was conducted by Matthew Shepherd. The stage direction by Shane Valenzi was also excellent.
A fun afternoon of a great operetta!
Chicago is apparently a hotbed of good choral singers and good choruses. This afternoon David and I heard the Chicago Chorale, under the direction of Bruce Tammen, perform a glorious program of music by Rheinberger, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Bruckner in Rockefeller Chapel at Chicago University, just down the street from our condo.
This choral group has a sweet and well-blended sound but can rise to the occasion when brilliant volume is needed.
The concert opened with Abendlied by Josef Rheinberger, a lovely work I had never heard. This was followed by Brahms's Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, and Mendelssohn's Herr, nun lassest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren.
The last piece in the first half was Bruckner's sublime Os Justi. This is a work I used to perform with my choir at the Methodist Church in Red Bank, NJ in my days as a choir director and organist. It brought back fond memories.
The second half of the program was Bruckner's Mass in E Minor, a marvelous work which was also new to me. It was accompanied by an orchestra of clarinets, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, and trombones. It is essentially an a capella piece with the instruments entering as choir voices, rather than the typical accompanied choral work. The result was magical.
Mr. Tammen certainly knows his choral stuff! Wonderful sound, musical interpretation, and beautiful accuracy. My one quibble would be several entrances that were a bit sloppy, but that is neither here nor there.
We were delighted to hear this marvelous program sung by this wonderful choir and played by these fine instrumentalists.
Bravi!
PS A police shoot out delayed the start of the concert and several of the musicians were late arriving. The suspect, a murderer, was captured at 9:00 p.m. last night.
