By Spencer Lenfield CAMBRIDGE, MA — THE SOUND of a Harvard Commencement, for many, is the sound of choirs singing—exposed, organic, human. “To write for voices alone is a great challenge—it’s one of the purest tests of a composer’s craft and ingenuity,” says Richard Beaudoin, preceptor of music. The subtleties of the unaccompanied voice have […]
News and Notices
Unknown college choir tries a new tactic
WOODLAND HILLS, CA — Students walking along the Mall near the Freudian Sip were greeted Monday with echoes of the Pierce College Choir. The “flash mob” came following the choir’s performance at the Plaza del Sol Theater at California State University, Northridge. Members dressed in black tops and blue jeans began to warm up outside of […]
Wagner program reconciled the beauty of the music with the complexity of the man
REVIEW: The Essential Wagner with The Washington Chorus CLICK LINK: (Baritone Brent Stater, tenor Issachah Savage, soprano Othalie Graham and conductor Julian Wachner with The Washington Chorus and orchestra Sunday night in The Essential Wagner) “From the conductor, born to a Jewish father and Catholic mother, a diverse cast of soloists, choristers […]
John S. Long to retire after 38 years
By Nate Ellis PICKERINGTON, OH — Nearly four decades after inheriting an almost non-existent vocal music program at Pickerington High School, John S. Long hopes to “send them off singing” at his final performance on May 23. In 38 years of teaching, Long has seen quite a transformation of the Pickerington Local School District and […]
Tamara Brooks, noted choral conductor, dies
(JTA) – Tamara Brooks, a noted choral conductor, and the wife and musical partner of singer and actor Theodore Bikel, has died. Brooks, a Julliard-trained pianist and conductor, suffered a heart attack on May 19. She was 70. Brooks had a distinguished career as a conductor and educator who performed around the world. Director of […]
Shawn Kirchner, L.A. Master Chorale’s new composer-in-residence
By Jaime Wetherbe LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Master Chorale will appoint Shawn Kirchner as the Swan Family composer-in-residence, the company announced Monday at its board meeting. Kirchner, who has performed as a tenor in the Master Chorale for the past 10 years, will be the second person to hold the position in LAMC’s […]