NEWS
Home
Headlines
News at Five
Local
Sports
Region
Nation
World
Weather
Business
Computers
Auto
AP News
SECTIONS
Columnists
Obituaries
Police Report
Classified
Neighbors
Entertainment
Weekend
Features
Food
Access Magazine
Jill Magazine
The New Milford Spectrum
OPINION
Editorials
Letters
Thumbs Up/Down
Whaddya Say?
RESOURCES
Email News
Shopping
Mortgage Rates
Yellow Pages
Advertising
Employment Opportunities
SEARCH
Today's News
Archives
CT Links


 














Home | Headlines | Classified | Subscriptions | Online Forum | Staff


A Catholic musical leadoff to the season
By Frank Merkling
NEWS-TIMES ARTS CRITIC
2001-11-23

BETHEL — Sunday’s program by the Connecticut Master Chorale at St. Mary’s Church was called “Holiday Prelude Concert,” and it was indeed that.

Music director Tina Johns Heidrich had ransacked the boutiques and bazaars of choral music and come up with all sorts of colorful seasonal pieces.

The boutiques came first; the bazaars followed intermission.

Heidrich does her homework with skill and dedication.

The music was all highly professional, and for a while it was inspirational — Mark Hayes’ upbeat “This Is the Day the Lord Made,” Earlene Rentz’ up-from-a-hymn “Now Thank We All Our God,” F.M. Christiansen’s a cappella setting of the hymn known as “Fairest Lord Jesus” with a reedy soprano solo.

Next came an arrangement of carols, plus such modern touches as lush harmonization and a “Silent Night” in 4/4 time, followed by John Rutter’s gentle, tastefully contemporary “What Sweet Music.”

The boutique part of the afternoon was climaxed by Z. Randall Stroope’s three-part “Hodie!” — brassy and eccentric rhythms first by the excellent orchestra, then a section reminiscent of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” finally a triumphant anticlimax over a Bach chorale.

The bazaar part was terrific.

Heidrich, conducting with her customarily firm, fluent and shapely leadership, came up with numbers from Wales, South Africa, Trinidad, the Ladino world and our own gospels.

Standouts here included a pair of clearly set and sung excerpts from a John Williams movie score, nice work by the men alone and then the women alone (in “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy”) and a bouncily swung “Go Tell It on the Mountain” that was worthy of Broadway.

This finale delivered what Heidrich’s program notes had promised: “to send you home on a high note.” And the chorus covered itself with glory.
 


Division of Ottaway Newspapers,Inc.
333 Main St. Danbury, CT 06810 (203) 744-5100

The News-Times Online Edition is published daily Monday through Sunday.

All items copyright © 2001 by The News-Times unless otherwise noted.

Sports Local News At Five Headlines Home