Christmas at St. Paul’s
Today, December 13, 2009, I attended Christmas at St. Paul’s, the annual Christmas concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 306 Peyton Road SW, Atlanta, GA. What a wonderful experience! Some concerts I attend just because I know someone on the program and want to support them. I attend concerts at St. Paul’s also because I really enjoy them. Every year the Christmas program gets better. I like concerts that have a minimum of talking. Music Director Trey Clegg and St. Paul’s choirs delivered such a concert today.
When I saw that there were twenty selections on the program, I became concerned because I thought it might be a long day, especially since the pews are not padded. However, the program moved right along. They quickly moved from one selection to the next with no pausing for applause.
The accompaniment was provided by Dr. David Oliver at the organ and members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Clegg. They all sounded like the professionals that they are.
Most of the selections were sung by St. Paul’s combined choirs, but there were also selections by the Handbell Choir, The Women’s Chorus, Voices of Praise, and the Men’s Chorus. Soloists included Darian Clonts, Marcus Hill, Persis Bristol, E. Paulette Smith Epps, and Mickey Eaddy.
The program offered a variety of music from traditional carols and spirituals to contemporary gospel and classical. I particularly enjoyed O Come, Emmanuel. The choir sang it very well and seemed confident with the piece. I know that they have done it a number of times, but each time that I have heard them sing it they have done better. Some choirs never improve, but St. Paul’s choir sounds better every Christmas season.
Other highlights of the program included soprano Ann Marie McPhail singing Mozart’s Alleluia from Exultate Jubilate, and mezzo-soprano Pamela Dillard’s solo on John Rutter’s arrangement of O Holy Night. Ms. Dillard flashed a smile at the audience and seemed to really enjoy singing the piece, especially the high B-flat that she sang so securely near the end.
I regret that I did not tell you about this concert beforehand. I’m sorry to say that I forgot to post it. However, they plan to do it again next year, so I recommend that you prepare to attend Christmas at St. Paul’s during the 2010 Christmas Season. If Director of Music Trey Clegg continues on his current trajectory, then it should once again be better than it was the year before.
A Great Week For Music In Atlanta – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Morehouse and Spelman, Clark Atlanta
This is a great week for music in Atlanta if you love Christmas music. There is so much going on that you can’t possibly catch it all. I’m going to list just a few of the events.
The ASO Gospel Christmas
The ASO Gospel Christmas concert is on Friday, Dec. 4th at 8:00 PM and Saturday, Dec 5th at 2:00 PM in Symphony Hall. The program includes Carol of the Bells and For Every Mountain.
Handel’s Messiah
The ASO is performing the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah along with the Hallelujah! Chorus, and Part III of Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio), BWV 248 (1734). For those of you who think that you do not like classical music, this may be a good concert to attend because some of the music may be familiar. This concert is Thursday, Dec. 3rd at 8:00 PM and Saturday, Dec. 5th at 8:00 at Symphony Hall.
ASO Kid’s Christmas
The ASO Kid’s Christmas is Sunday, Dec. 6th at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM ; and Sunday, Dec. 13th at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM. This program features the musical Second Chance Christmas, with some favorite sing-alongs (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman”)!
Spelman – Morehouse Christmas Concert
The 83rd Annual Spelman – Morehouse Christmas will be Friday, Dec. 4 at 8:00 PM in the King Chapel at Morehouse College; Saturday, Dec. 5th at 8:00 PM in Sisters Chapel at Spelman College; and again on Sunday, Dec. 6th at 8:00 PM the King Chapel at Morehouse. The first time that I attended this concert I was about 7 years old. I have never forgotten it. That was the first time that I heard “Go, Tell It On The Mountain.” The youth choir director at my church in LaGrange brought us to the concert. I will always be grateful for that experience.
This concert is free! You should arrive early.
Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society
The CAU Philharmonic Society gives a very fine Christmas concert every year. I know because I attend it every year. Their group is small by comparison with Spelman and Morehouse, but director Glynn Halsey is known for the beautiful sound of his choirs. I’ve never been disappointed by CAU’s Philharmonic Society. This concert is Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4:00 PM. at the Park St. Music and Art Complex, 793 Park St., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30310. The concert is free.
Americolor Opera Alliance – 3kings and a PRINCE
Americolor Opera Alliance Presents
“3kings and a PRINCE” by Sharon J. Willis
Friday, December 18th at 8:00 P.M. and Sunday, Dec 20th at 5:00 P.M.
Starring
Mel Foster, Samuel Martin, Parker Burton and Wendel Stephens
at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center
3181 Rainbow Dr., Decatur, GA, 30034
for ticket information:
404-917-4137
This is an opera based on the nativity stories found in the Bible. It is becoming an Atlanta Christmas tradition. Don’t miss it.
For more information visit the Americolor Opera Alliance web site.
NYIOP New York Auditions
NYIOP New York Auditions from November 29th – December 2nd in NYC.
I am posting the information below from an email sent to me by NYIOP International.
You can go to their site and put yourself on the mailing list. The email updates seem to provide more information than their web site, or at least it seems that it is easier to find the information in their emails. If you are interested in the auditions, I’d encourage you to read this entire post.
Here is the complete information about the upcoming NYIOP New York Auditions from November 29th – December 2nd in NYC!
The NYIOP PREVIEW Auditions will take place on November 29-30 at NOLA Studios and will be attended by two North American companies, two or three European companies and a panel of agencies as well. The final two days of the auditions (Dec 1-2) will take place on the stage of Merkin Concert Hall and be attended by the entire panel of companies attending and probably a few more along the way! You will also note the repertoire to be cast for this session is finally in, see below. The fee is $395.00.
There is still a limited number of spots left in the PREVIEW auditions. Don’t miss it!
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church presents Stages: An Operetta
Ann Marie McPhail, soprano, and Pamela Dillard, mezzo-soprano, perform Stages, a new operetta whose libretto deals with the various stages of life. This promises to be an exciting and entertaining afternoon with these incredibly talented women. In 2008, Ms. McPhail and Ms. Dillard both graced the stage of the Opera Comique in Paris in a critically acclaimed long run of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Both women are professors of voice in the Music Department of Spelman College, and both women are staff singers in the Music Department St. Paul’s. Come enjoy an afternoon of drama and fabulous music making!
St. Paul’s is located at 306 Peyton Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30311. Visit their site at http://www.stpaulsatl.org/.
Sunday, November 22—3:00 PM
Free Admission
A love offering will be taken
- Yossele Rosenblatt: The Cantor With The Heavenly VoiceHe was said to have sung while still in the crib, and toured Eastern European synagogues before he was 10. And that was just the beginning. By the 1920s, Rosenblatt had transcended the boundaries of Jewish sacred music to become an international sensation. […]
- First Listen: Steve Reich, 'Double Sextet, 2x5'The composer's innovations have been distilled and polished to a new, compelling sheen in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet and the new, rock-inflected 2x5. Hear both works here until they're released on Sept. 14. […]
- Opera Noir: Alban Berg's 'Wozzeck'As he struggles with jealousy and poverty in this powerful tragedy, the psychologically disturbed title character endures ridicule from his superiors and undergoes bizarre medical experiments. […]
- Annihilating The Ivories: A Solo Piano Workout MixEven if the simple mechanics of "Chopsticks" elude you, you can still experience the rush of playing a piano concerto -- by exercising. The pieces in this mix are not recommended for the faint of heart. […]
- When Jazz And Not-Jazz ConvergeThe Dirty Projectors is a weird rock band. Guillermo Klein is an idiosyncratic Latin jazz composer. But their bodies of work converge in several surprising ways. Where do you see alignments, intentional or not, between jazz and its fellow genres? […]
- Lee Ritenour: A Half-Century Of Jazz GuitarWhen Ritenour visited the KPLU/Jazz24 studios on an unseasonably cool August afternoon, he arrived with a rhythm section hot enough to raise Seattle's temperature a few degrees: drummer Will Kennedy and bassist Melvin Davis. Together, they laid down three delightful tracks. […]
- First Listen Bonanza: Superchunk, Robert Plant, MoreThis week on NPR Music, we've got a whole bunch of full CDs to hear as part of our Exclusive First Listen Series. The albums, including new music from The Walkmen, Blonde Redhead and Mavis Staples, won't be out for another week, but you can hear the full recordings streaming online. On this edition of All Songs Considered, we've got select hig […]