I am so excited about the Willamette Master Chorus’ Winter Celebration Concert. Not only are they performing a “Collage Mass” under the direction of founding conductor, Dr. Wallace Long, they are partnering with the Willamette Girlchoir to perform one of my favorite Rutter masses, Mass for the Children. This will be the second time the Willamette Girlchoir has performed this piece, but the personnel are all different.
Written in five movements, this is a non-liturgical mass. It was first performed by the Willamette Girlchoir when the joined the First United Methodist Church Masterworks Chorale shortly after the piece was debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003. While Rutter is well known in the world of choral composition, Mass for the Children is a departure from his normal work, as it is written for the blending of adult and children’s voices. While Rutter finds the sound of the children’s voice to be irresistible, he also wrote this Mass as a celebration of the joy he received as a boy soprano when his chorus worked with adult choirs. There are also many who believe that this Mass was written in memory of his son, who died in 2001, however this has not been confirmed. Regardless of why it was written, it is a beautiful piece of music.
The opening Kyrie is absolutely gorgeous with the children’s choir slowly giving way to the adult voices marking the start of the day. As the piece continues, the movements are reminiscent of the hours that mark one day. The middle movement, Sanctus and Benediction was probably my favorite to sing. The blending of the two choruses with the orchestra is indescribable. This will definitely be a well spent Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.
The concert will be performed in Hudson Hall on the campus of Willamette University on Saturday, February 27 at 7pm, with a matinee performance on Sunday, February 28 at 3pm . For more information or tickets, visit www.willamettemasterchorus.org. Visit www.artsmartsalem.org for a listing of events for the current month and remember, “There’s Something to do in Salem”.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Salem Chamber Orchestra Offers Valentine's Gift Solutions
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, many may be looking for a unique gift to give that special someone. Enter Salem Chamber Orchestra with some very unique opportunities. Starting on Thursday, February 11, with a recital and ending on Valentine’s Day with a matinee concert Salem Chamber Orchestra offers three opportunities to celebrate with your valentine.
Thursday, February 11 at 7:30 in Hudson Hall, on the campus of Willamette University, Alessandro Traverna winner of the 2009 Piano E*Competition will perform a recital. In its fourth year, the E*Competition offers musicians from around the world to compete against each other performing on a Disklavier. The Piano-e-Competition, sponsored by Yamaha, started in 2002 and begins with invitation-only screened auditions held in Beijing, Paris, Los Angeles, Moscow and New York City. 2009’s competition included 71 young pianists – chosen from an unprecedented number of applicants from around the world – who had entered their digitally videotaped and recorded MIDI performances on Yamaha Disklavier Pro concert pianos.
On Saturday, February 13 at 7:30pm, Traverna will join the Salem Chamber Orchestra in concert at Hudson Hall as they present their third masterworks concert of the season. The concert will feature Traverna’s performance of Poulenc’s Aubade, concerto choregraphique . The orchestra will also perform Wagner’s Siegfried Idyl and Dvorak’s Serenade in D Minor op. 44. This concert will be repeated on Sunday, February 14 at 3pm also in Hudson Hall. For more information about this concert or the Salem Chamber Orchestra visit www.salemchamberorchestra.org. Tickets for these events are available at Absolutely Tix through Travel Salem at www.travelsalem.com/absolutelytix. Visit www.artsmartsalem.org for a listing of events for the current month and remember, “There’s Something to do in Salem”.
Thursday, February 11 at 7:30 in Hudson Hall, on the campus of Willamette University, Alessandro Traverna winner of the 2009 Piano E*Competition will perform a recital. In its fourth year, the E*Competition offers musicians from around the world to compete against each other performing on a Disklavier. The Piano-e-Competition, sponsored by Yamaha, started in 2002 and begins with invitation-only screened auditions held in Beijing, Paris, Los Angeles, Moscow and New York City. 2009’s competition included 71 young pianists – chosen from an unprecedented number of applicants from around the world – who had entered their digitally videotaped and recorded MIDI performances on Yamaha Disklavier Pro concert pianos.
On Saturday, February 13 at 7:30pm, Traverna will join the Salem Chamber Orchestra in concert at Hudson Hall as they present their third masterworks concert of the season. The concert will feature Traverna’s performance of Poulenc’s Aubade, concerto choregraphique . The orchestra will also perform Wagner’s Siegfried Idyl and Dvorak’s Serenade in D Minor op. 44. This concert will be repeated on Sunday, February 14 at 3pm also in Hudson Hall. For more information about this concert or the Salem Chamber Orchestra visit www.salemchamberorchestra.org. Tickets for these events are available at Absolutely Tix through Travel Salem at www.travelsalem.com/absolutelytix. Visit www.artsmartsalem.org for a listing of events for the current month and remember, “There’s Something to do in Salem”.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Kudos to Salem Audiences
Salem audiences have often been chastised for their boorish behavior at concerts. While at times it has been warranted, ( I think of the cell phone that kept ringing and the baby that kept crying during Itzhak Perlman’s performance at the Historic Elsinore Theatre) I have to say that after a recent concert I attended in Portland my hat is off to Salem concert and theatre-goers. I believe that the arts should be accessible to all and I was ecstatic to see such a diverse audience, but really, do people not understand that “No cameras or recording devices” applies to them as well?
I understand that attending your first classical concert can be a little scary if you don’t know what to expect. It is kind of like going out to dinner at a “fancy” restaurant and not knowing which fork to use. The etiquette can be a little daunting, but don’t be scared. There are a few simple things that can help you, and those around you, enjoy your evening out.
Unlike other genres of music, most classical music has multiple movements in one song. It is customary to applaud only after all of the movements have been played. While this is easier to follow when there is a printed program, a simple rule of thumb is that when there is a conductor, he will drop his baton (or his right hand) to his side or place his/her baton on the stand at the completion of the piece. In the case where there is not conductor (thing small ensemble), the performers will generally stand if seated or lower their instruments in front of them if standing to indicate that they are finished. If you still aren’t sure, err on the side of waiting to clap.
While it is wonderful to expose children to all types of music, if they are unable to sit still or are under the age of eight, it is probably best to hire a babysitter. Certainly once they have started to explore music in school, it is wonderful for them to be able to see the possibilities before them by seeing professionals perform.
Not sure what to wear? The days of black tie and evening gowns have gone by the wayside and while it is still not appropriate to attend a performance in exercise clothes or your pajamas, really anything goes. Be comfortable, you want to be able to enjoy the music and not be worried that your tie is choking you.
This brings me back to where I started. The camera thing, they really do mean everyone. Not only is it disrespectful to the artist to record them without their knowledge, it is distracting to those seated around you to see the light from your cell phone/camera. Take all the mental pictures you want and relive the memories that way.
Most of all, don’t be afraid. Music and theatre is meant to be enjoyed by all. Visit www.artsmartsalem.org for a listing of events for the current month and remember, “There’s Something to do in Salem”.
I understand that attending your first classical concert can be a little scary if you don’t know what to expect. It is kind of like going out to dinner at a “fancy” restaurant and not knowing which fork to use. The etiquette can be a little daunting, but don’t be scared. There are a few simple things that can help you, and those around you, enjoy your evening out.
Unlike other genres of music, most classical music has multiple movements in one song. It is customary to applaud only after all of the movements have been played. While this is easier to follow when there is a printed program, a simple rule of thumb is that when there is a conductor, he will drop his baton (or his right hand) to his side or place his/her baton on the stand at the completion of the piece. In the case where there is not conductor (thing small ensemble), the performers will generally stand if seated or lower their instruments in front of them if standing to indicate that they are finished. If you still aren’t sure, err on the side of waiting to clap.
While it is wonderful to expose children to all types of music, if they are unable to sit still or are under the age of eight, it is probably best to hire a babysitter. Certainly once they have started to explore music in school, it is wonderful for them to be able to see the possibilities before them by seeing professionals perform.
Not sure what to wear? The days of black tie and evening gowns have gone by the wayside and while it is still not appropriate to attend a performance in exercise clothes or your pajamas, really anything goes. Be comfortable, you want to be able to enjoy the music and not be worried that your tie is choking you.
This brings me back to where I started. The camera thing, they really do mean everyone. Not only is it disrespectful to the artist to record them without their knowledge, it is distracting to those seated around you to see the light from your cell phone/camera. Take all the mental pictures you want and relive the memories that way.
Most of all, don’t be afraid. Music and theatre is meant to be enjoyed by all. Visit www.artsmartsalem.org for a listing of events for the current month and remember, “There’s Something to do in Salem”.
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