by Joseph Hartman
December 9, 2006, Asheville, NC: Santa
Claus must have been reminded of home on this night in Asheville as
the temperature was low but
spirits were high. The masses, in need of a Christmas pick-me-up, piled
into the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at the Asheville Civic Center for
an evening of song and merrymaking with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra,
the Asheville Symphony Chorus, the Asheville Symphony Children‘s
Chorus, soprano Elizabeth Grayson, tenor William Martin, and of course
the jolly man in red, replete with an entourage of elves and a private
transportation service (apparently parked on the roof!). The stage
was filled with poinsettias and Christmas cheer abounded as ASO Conductor
and Music Direction Daniel Meyer took the stage to begin an enchanting
evening of holiday favorites.
The evening began with some film music — Merry Christmas, Merry
Christmas, from the hit movie “Home Alone.” The AS Chorus,
under the direction of Dewitt Tipton, had intensity and enthusiasm
but lacked
volume. This was obviously a problem with the hall’s sound-deadening
acoustic as it continued throughout the concert. After an entertaining
reading of Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, the AS Children’s
Chorus made their debut with an arrangement of Here Comes Santa Claus
by M. Christenson. This youth chorus is quite talented and turned in
an exceptional performance under the apt direction of Susan Hensley.
They were also involved in the next piece, Reindeer Variations by Lucas
Richman, whose Concerto for Percussion, The Healer, was featured
in the ASO’s last Masterworks series concert. This set of variations,
based on the names of Santa’s reindeer, was a little less serious
but confirmed his talent for composition. At the beginning of each
variation a member of the youth choir held up a sign with the name
of the reindeer for whom the section was written. Hilarity was abundant,
especially in the sultry (even swanky) “Vixen” variation.
The children ended their set with Sally Albrecht’s Cantate Domino,
which was beautifully done with an air of confidence that belied their
ages.
The first soloist on the program was Elizabeth Grayson, a soprano who
once used her talent to help her win Miss North Carolina. She joined
the
ASO
this evening to perform “Do You Hear What I Hear” in an
arrangement by R. Lowden. She nailed the high notes with cool aplomb,
but was weak in the lower range of her voice giving an uneven, if at
times fantastic, performance. Meyer and the adult chorus closed the
first half with selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” including
a rousing “Hallelujah” chorus. It’s always wise for
a conductor to end a set with this famous chorus because he is virtually
guaranteed a standing ovation.
After intermission, an executive from BB&T, who sponsored the concert,
made the faux pas that everyone left talking about. He came on stage
and twice referred to conductor Daniel Meyer as “David,” causing
many in the audience to bury their head in their hands, sympathetically
praying that he wouldn’t do it again. Meyer graciously accepted
his thanks and went on with a Leroy Anderson medley entitled “A
Christmas Festival.” The orchestra was expectedly in top form;
they drew the audience in playing with flair and spirit. Balance was
formed by positioning some more serious works in the center of the
second half, such as selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.
Aside from some wrong notes in the usually accurate brass section the
orchestra
turned in an interesting performance, drawing heavily on the Russian
soul of the work and keeping the dance structure of the music intact.
Tenor William Martin followed with a brilliant performance of “O
Holy Night.” His voice was superbly balanced and his tone full
of warmth. Using his exceptional range he gave an exciting, colorful
rendition of this solemn score. Grayson and Martin then joined both
choruses, the orchestra, and the audience in a holiday sing-along,
including Joy to the World, The First Noel, and Deck the Halls. I think
the success of the whole evening can be summed up by remarks of a patron
who sat in front of me. After the closing piece, “We Wish You
a Merry Christmas,” she turned to me as she was putting on her
coat and said, “If that doesn’t put you in the Christmas
spirit, nothing will.” I agree.
One thing Meyer and the ASO always do exceptionally well is to move
people with their passion and freshness. They’ve done it again,
Merry Christmas!
