Gospel concert is good for the soul WONDERFUL MEMORIES, A GOSPEL CONCERT WITH THE COLUMBUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CONDUCTOR, LESLIE B. DUNNER. By Barbara Zuck, Columbus Dispatch News Music and Dance Critic Theyre hot, hair-raising and guaranteed to get your blood circulating. No, were not talking spring tonics or elixirs here, merely a hometown brew called the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Community Gospel Choir, which may be the best cure for whatever ails you spiritually anywhere in central Ohio. The 80-voice choir, joined on the Palace Theatre stage by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, gave its annual spring program last night. It was a splendid performance, with glorious sounds from the choir and its numerous soloists and fitting offerings from the orchestra. Last nights program worked better than the one last year. Just in its third year of existence, the Community Gospel Choir has had to work a little with the orchestra to find repertory that works for both media. Gospel/symphonic collaborations are not all that common, and the CSO group is charting new territory. Last nights concert was significantly assisted by the talents of guest conductor Leslie B. Dunner. An Eastman School of Music graduate, Dunner now is assistant conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Dunner seems an ideal choice to lead an orchestral gospel program since he obviously is comfortable working in both genres. Not that many conductors have the requisite range of experience. The concert opened with the CSO accompanying the .choir in an inspiring hymn. Lift Ev’ry Voice by Hale Smith. The orchestra alone then completed the first half. Dunner brought two selections by African-American composers to our ears, Adolphus Hailstocks American Port of Call, an orchestral work of sweeping panoramic grandeur, and George Walkers Lyric For Strings, a lovely ode. Dunner also led a spirited rendition of Coplands enduringly popular El Salon Mexico. Replete with delightful solos from many principal players, this piece has an especially tasty role for the timpani. CSO principal timpanist Christopher Allen, hardly on siesta, played with gusto. Further orchestra solos, notably by co-concertmaster Boksoo Kim and principal cellist Luis Biava, highlighted a colorful rendition of Rimsky-Korsakovs Russian Easter Overture. Spirits soared progressively higher during the second half, much of which was conducted by Thornmy Adams, one of the choirs rehearsal coordinators. What Bernstein is to Mahler, Adams is to gospel. He is a show unto himself, and his performance definitely inspires both the singers and the crowd. Certainly a highlight of this portion of the concert was Amazing Grace, with three successive soloists, each singing in a different style. Eunice Givens combined a classically trained soprano with the heart of gospel Quan Howell gave us the rhythm and blues reading and alto Henrietta Hairston defined the gospel tradition in her gutsy rendition. Gail Tate-Cates delivered such a powerful rendition of Terry Heralds / Just Can7 Tell You with the CSO that the crowd wouldnt go home until she sang it again.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:22:51 +0000
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