by Karen Moorman
June 21, 2009, Durham, NC: Until
the moment she opened the letter that read “son wounded in
action, resting comfortably, shrapnel wounds,” Betty Friedmann
was strong. But when the dam broke and she wept, I witnessed how
fragile yet incredible is the bond between mother and child. So years
later, it came as no surprise that women in my pew at First Presbyterian
Church would reach for handkerchiefs. The central piece of the second
of two concerts, BraveSouls and Dreamers, “a dramatic
cantata” in ten sections, with words by Robert Espindola and
music by Robert Seeley, was performed by Triangle
Gay Men’s Chorus and conducted by John-Philipp Mullinax.
Joining the 25 voices were soloists Maurio Hines (baritone) Ryan
Chavis (tenor) Catherine Brand (soprano), (Eveyln McCauley
in Raleigh), Jim Burnette, Jr. (bass) and a reduced orchestra.
Drawn from the words of great peacemakers (Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, the
Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and others) the text of BraveSouls and Dreamers,
spun into a libretto for a sage, two soldiers, and Mother, is rich and meaningful.
Middle-eastern-like melodic passages within a colorful tapestry of harmony
and syncopated rhythms yield a contemporary tone.
The program also included several other pieces, all thematically related
to the ensemble’s 2008-09 "Peaceable Season." The chorus
opened the afternoon program with a call to worship in gorgeous sotto
voce with Brian A. Schmidt’s setting of "Lux Aeterna," symbolic
of the ancient Requiem Mass.
In conversation, Mr. Mullinax mentioned the challenges of staging BraveSouls;
a relatively small chorus on a tight budget led to compromise. Predictably,
the string section was realized by organ and piano, for example. Traveling
Broadway productions have slashed the size of their orchestras using synthesizers
and miniature pit orchestras, a practice that has radically altered the sonic
experience. In this performance, the sound produced by the small band of
woodwinds was dampened by the altar. And though the sanctuary has lively
acoustics that favored the chorus, the soloists were mic’d. Catherine
Brand’s heartfelt performance of the poignant “Epitaph” fell
short. Despite her best efforts and beautiful lyric soprano voice, the words
were lost, a casualty of insufficient amplification. Nevertheless, the message
was conveyed; undaunted, the conductor coaxed a strikingly dramatic quality
from his committed singers. Unencumbered by written music, the choral sound
was full and beautifully balanced.
There were exquisite moments. Bass Jim Burnette, Jr., accompanied by a beautifully
rendered English horn obligato, delivered a magnificent solo as Sage in the
second movement. And the soldiers’ "The Great Obscenity," sung
by Maurio Hines and Ryan Chavis, was moving, articulate and strong.
BraveSouls and Dreamers stands as a notable, thought provoking
piece. But it lacks the teeth of Britten’s War Requiem or
the hard edge of Penderecki’s Threnody to the Victims
of Hiroshima. Compared to these great works, it comes across
as sanitized mirroring of the saccharine news coverage dished out
during the last eight years and the self-medicating effect of radio
broadcasts of soothing classical music. Nevertheless, with it inspiring
text coupled with beautiful lyric melodies, the cantata projects
a sense of prayerful gentleness. And from this perspective, the
net effect is space to reflect. The audience rewarded the chorus
with three standing ovations. It was a fine performance.
*Orchestra: Joe Lupton, piano/organ; Lori Anderson, piano; Brian Muñoz,
clarinet/bass clarinet; Robert Burkett, oboe/English horn; Lucy Eckert, flute/piccolo;
Emily Rupp, bass (in Durham - at the previous day's performance, in Raleigh's
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, the bassist was Robert Hughes).
