Tonight she led Music of the Baroque in Handel's Judas Maccabaeus. The soloists were Yulia Van Doren, soprano, Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano, Thomas Cooley, tenor, and Eric Owens, bass.
Meg Bragle 
Thomas CooleyOf the four I liked Ms. Bragle and Mr. Cooley the best. She sang with a lovely legato line and executed the runs easily and musically. He also sang well but had to resort to falsetto for the high 'A's in 'Sound an alarm.
Years ago I was doing an adjudication at Syracuse University when a young tenor did exactly the same thing. He spoke to me afterwards and I told him' 'Never schedule an aria for an audition unless you own all the notes.' Falsetto high 'A's in that piece just sound like you are wimping out. His runs were very well sung and the rest of his singing was excellent.
Yulia Van Doren 
Eric OwensI have heard both Ms. Van Doren and Mr. Owens previously. Her voice seems to have grown since the last time I heard her. She still does chirpy things on high notes, but she has improved. I heard him in Otello at Glimmerglass this summer. That is obvious a better role for him. Tonight his voice sounded very covered and his runs were almost indecipherable.
The chorus and orchestra, as always, were wonderful. They performed with clarity and energy.
Both soloists and chorus could use a session with Madeleine Marshall's Singer's Guide to English Diction. Final consonants were seldom sung,especially the voiceless ones. I tried just listening through Part 1, without looking at the text, to no avail. By Part 2 I had to get out the specs and follow the words in the program.
I would much rather just watch Jane Glover conduct, which I really mostly did anyway. Watching her supple, musical gestures, you hardly needed to hear the music. Somehow, she is the music!
