July 6th, 2012
By Rick Pender |
Arts |
Posted In: World Choir Games
World Choir Games: 'Global Harmony'
Masonic Center performances high quality and appreciated
On Thursday evening I slogged through the humid, 100 degree soup
of downtown Cincinnati to hear a World Choir Games concert at the
Masonic Center on Fourth Street (next door to the Taft Theatre). I've
lived in Cincinnati for 32 years and covered lots of arts events, but
I've never set foot inside this honeycomb of stages, halls and meeting
rooms. The sold-out event I attended, "Global Harmony," was in a steeply
sloped, floridly decorated auditorium that seats approximately 1,000
people. A four-step set of risers was set up in front of a proscenium
with a curtain; the scenery was provided by three choirs, two
international groups — the Diocesan Schools Choral Society from Hong
Kong and the Stellenbosch University Choir from South Africa — both
highly recognized ensembles at the 2010 World Choir Games in Shaoxing,
China. The third choir had a shorter trek to Cincinnati; the Capital
University Chapel Choir, about 80 singers strong, came from Columbus and
held its own with the two groups from other continents.
The Hong Kong group, roughly 120 high school boys and girls, offered a
beautiful, restrained program of earnestly conceived works performed
with polish, some religious and some literary (the latter included a
piece based on Robert Burns' poem, "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose").
The singers from Capital University had the men attired in black suits,
shirts and ties, the women in long dresses with identical bias-cut
necklines but in varying colors, bright blue, maroon and navy. Their
program was an interesting mixture of pieces, with several uptempo
numbers — a lovely song by Dolly Parton, "Light of a Clear Blue
Morning," that featured a crystalline solo by Annie Huckaba, and several
rhythmic works, "Hehehlooyuh" and "Tshotsholoza," both of which evoked
strong responses from the audience. The latter, a South African number,
featured two forceful soloists, Chris Bozeka and Nicholas Klein, as well
as percussive accompaniment on African drums by Emily Riggin and
another chorus member (not named in the program).
The Stellenbosch choir, constituted of approximately 120 white and black
college students and which earned three gold medals in the 2010 World
Choir Games in China, presented a half-dozen songs plus an encore.
"Kiasa-isa Niyan," described by conductor André van der Merwe as a
counting song from the Philippines, used catchy choreography and motion,
including chest thumping, vocal clicking, head snapping and a sharply
executed bow at the end. The most moving number of the program, a
traditional Zulu song, "African Prayer." It pulled six strong-voiced
soloists (again, not named in the program) to the front of the stage and
placed two more among the audience for an emotional call-and-response
counterpoint that evoked a standing ovation.
In fact, each group was greeted with sustained applause as its singers
filed on stage and cheered with a standing ovation after their
performance. The audience was appreciative and wildly enthusiastic; some
were parents of the Capital University performers, but many others were
clearly people who simply love choral performances that are delivered
with finesse, creativity and enthusiasm. Fifth Street was choked with
buses bringing people from various hotels beyond downtown, here as
tourists to listen to these performances.
Oh, yes: The auditorium was comfortably air-conditioned, a fact
appreciated by those in attendance as well as the singers. It was a fine
way to be introduced to the possibilities of the World Choir Games,
here in the United States — not to mention in Cincinnati — for the first
time ever. I was proud to be in attendance.
Global Harmony is an Awesome idea...it all begins with one voice...ending with many voices. Cool, innovative concept- love it! Keep singing into joy, peace, and tranquility for all not just some.