"Messiah"
Winter Concert

Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005, 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
Meriden, Connecticut  

Church comes alive with sounds of the ‘Messiah’
By Ralph Hohman, Record Journal staff

MERIDEN — Each year, it seems, weather plays a role in Chorale Connecticut’s holiday concert.

If snow doesn’t keep people away (as it did two years ago, when a storm limited the audience to a brave few for two performances), it adds a cozy intimacy, along with the evergreen and the red ribbons that decorate the inside of the First United Methodist Church.

Saturday’s concert was such a night. Second day slush from Friday’s snowfall was no match for an audience that packed the church, as Chorale Connecticut presented a lavish performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” backed by a 15 piece chamber orchestra and four guest vocalists.

Chorale Connecticut Director Dorothy Barnhart conducted the concert, which lasted a bit less than an hour and a half. She seemed almost stunned when she turned to face the audience, which had risen at the start of the “Hallelujah Chorus” and stayed standing to applaud when it was over.

“Whoa,” Barnhart said. “I didn’t really see you ’till now.”

Snow usually follows the Chorale, Barnhart said.

“This year in came right — a day early.”

This was the first time since 1999 that Chorale Connecticut has performed “Messiah.” It’s an expensive show to do, with guest singers and more musicians that the Chorale usually hires. This year’s show was helped by $2,000 from the Rosa Ponselle Fund, sipping into an endowment left by Meriden’s late opera diva more than 20 years ago. The Chorale also sprang for a colorful artwork on the concert program, and sang with a similar, festive spirit.

The program began with the chamber orchestra, led by violinist and concertmaster Andrew Smith and featuring Mary Nelson’s delicate harpsichord, performing a selection from Arcangelo Corelli’s “Concerto Grosso.” The music set the mood nicely for Chorale Connecticut’s entrance.

The “Messiah” program gave each of the professional guest singers — soprano Beverly Myers, mezzo Laura Mashburn, tenor Wayne Rivera and bass Ted Stasiuk — moments in the spotlight. In the hushed church (the audience was told beforehand that the concert was being recorded), the music carried clearly to the back of the church. The choir had its own moments to shine between solos, and at the conclusion of the show, as the music built toward the climactic chorus.

After the big ovation, the audience was invited to join in on two verses of “Silent Night,” and asked to the post concert reception next door to the church at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center.

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"American Voices"
Spring Concert

Saturday, May 7, 2005, 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
Meriden, Connecticut  

DePaolo students join Chorale for weekend concert
By Ralph Hohman, Record Journal staff  

MERIDEN — Chorale Connecticut will give its guest performers a place of honor on Saturday night at the First United Methodist Church, in a program called "American Voices." "We brought in risers, and we're arranging them so they would be in front," Chorale Connecticut Artistic Director Dorothy Barnhart said this week, talking about the 31 singers from DePaolo Middle School of Southington, who will join in the 7:30 p.m. concert.

The collaboration, Barnhart says, took root a few years ago when she came to the school to do a workshop for Patricia F. Altieri, who teaches choral music at DePaolo. "We wanted to share our music with young people," Barnhart says, "to give them an opportunity to sing with adults in an exciting setting … When we decided to find a group that might be interested in singing with us, (Altieri) came to mind."

Tickets for the concert are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, $13 for seniors 65 and over and students. Kids 12 and under get in free with a donated canned good. For more ticket information, call (203) 238 2148 or click on www.choralect.org. The church is at 159 E. Main St.

The program begins with Chorale Connecticut singing alone, on selections that include "Amazing Grace" and Paul Halley's arrangement of "Wondrous Love." Billed as the Special Singers Ensemble, the students will sing alone in Swahili on "Dansi Na Kuimba," followed by "You Raise Me Up" (a hit for Josh Groban), and "Glory Bound." The students and adults join before intermission for "Freedom Trilogy" with one song from Greece, one from South Africa and a reprise of "Amazing Grace."

They had only one scheduled rehearsal together, on Wednesday night. And back at school, Altieri says, pulling the student singers together has been a juggling act, too. "We don't have a set time for us to rehearse," she says. "We're always pulling them from classes; we never have a hundred percent." The Special Singers Ensemble, she says, are almost all eighth grade students who sing in DePaolo's concert choir. They're used to performing in public, having sung at the local YMCA and at the Calendar House senior center in Southington. "They're going to go out and give it their best effort, I think," she says.

The second half of Saturday's program starts with Chorale Connecticut doing "Hoagy Carmichael: A Choral Portrait," including "Star Dust," "Heart and Soul," "Georgia On My Mind" and other classics. Chorale Connecticut also pays tribute to Moses Hogan, the New Orleans born pianist, conductor and arranger famous for his work with spirituals, who died in 2003 just short of his 46th birthday. "His music was just starting to take off, worldwide," Barnhart says. "He had a way of arranging that no one else had." Chorale Connecticut will sing Hogan's "Hear My Prayer," along with his arrangements of the traditional "Walk Together Children," "There is a Balm in Gilead" and "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord."

Following the Hogan songs, the student singers are scheduled to return and join with Chorale Connecticut on "How Can I Keep From Singing?" an old Quaker hymn. There's more planned before the post concert reception across Pleasant Street at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center. "We've been working on a special encore," Barnhart says. "So we hope we will be invited back to sing an encore."

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MERIDEN — Chorale Connecticut Artistic Director Dorothy Barnhart said last week that with only one holiday concert this year, the group was expecting a big crowd Saturday night at First United Methodist Church .

Barnhart knew what she was talking about: The church pews, including those in the balcony, were nearly filled. Chorale Connecticut was ready with a poised, unhurried performance titled "Mosaic Christmas." The concert was dedicated to Robert J. Cyr, Meriden 's former music education director and for decades one of the city's leading musical figures, who died Friday at 83.

"Mosaic Christmas" wasn't a typical revue of holiday favorites. Even the carols with which Chorale Connecticut closed out the program (the last few too late for inclusion in this article) were offbeat arrangements by contemporary American composer Stephen Paulus.

The concert's first half hour was devoted to "Messe de Minuit pour Noel" ("Midnight Mass for Christmas"), an often somber, sometimes majestic piece for which composer Marc Antoine Charpentier (circa 1645 1704) followed his habit of borrowing secular melodies for sacred music.

Backed by guest artist Ralph Valentine, tucked almost out of sight on the church's pipe organ amid the altar Christmas trees, and Molly McLaughlin and Nicole Hume on flute, the chorale made a big noise in a hushed room.

The second act began with Claire Happel alone, playing solo on Benjamin Britten's hypnotic hymn from the Suite for Harp. Happel, who is working toward her master's degree in harp performance at Yale, and pinch hit in last weekend's holiday pops concert with the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra, was then accompanied by Valentine on "Aria in Classic Style" by Marcel Grandjany.

A bit of an awkward delay followed, as Happel wheeled her harp down to floor level and got another round of applause, followed by a lull as the audience waited for the singers to return. But the dissonance chord with which Valentine began "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" perked up the show, and signaled that the carols would be more than stock renditions of old chestnuts. Oboe and handbell accompaniment made the songs festive, but not overly ornate.

Last year, Chorale Connecticut held two performances of "Christmas by Candlelight." The first drew a Friday night audience of only about 50, who braved a snowstorm. After shoveling out, the second performance drew better, but didn't fill the church.

This year, Barnhart said, Chorale Connecticut decided to book one date and hope for he best. The group got the weather, and the big audience, it had hoped for.

MERIDEN Planning a holiday concert can be a difficult task. Sure, you could rely on all the expected favorites, like "Deck the Halls, "Silent Night" and others, or you can try to educate your audience with different, rarely heard Christmas music.

Dorothy Barnhart likes to do a little of both. She and her Chorale Connecticut will present "Legends Of Christmas Past" on Saturday, which will combine music from the Renaissance era, Geoffrey Bush's "Christmas Cantata," audience participatory carols and more. The concert will take place at the First United Methodist Church. "The goal is to satisfy the musical aspect in terms of developing musicianship and camaraderie within the group," director Barnhart said. "Another important goal for us is to share what we know with an audience. You have to do enough things that people are familiar with because it makes them feel good. Our goal is to balance the programming."

So with that in mind, the chorale has included selections like Robert H Young's ''Advent Meditation" and "Hodie Christus Natus Est" by J.P. Sweelinck as well as carols like "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Bush's long "Christmas Cantata" will come right after intermission. Bush, who died in 1998, studied at school as a musician, but learned how to compose on his own, Barnhart said. "The music is very powerful," she said. "It's powerful in ways we didn't realize until we started working on it." The cantata is based on 15th century Christmas carols and was written in 1948.

The piece features guest oboist Marilyn Krentzman and soprano soloist Carol Calladine. Calladine, of Southington, is pleased to be highlighted for this concert. She has been a member of the chorale since 1994. "I'm excited that I have such a major role in this Christmas program," she said. The cantata "has a real nice mixture of old and new. It's very nice, very haunting." To prepare for the concert, the chorale worked with a consultant from New York City, Beverly Meyers. She is an expert in Renaissance music, said Barnhart. "She listened to the pieces and gave us pointers," she said. "She was a success. It was wonderful help for me so l could sit back and listen."

This concert will be the first for Chorale Connecticut that will feature an apprentice to the group Kristen Ceneviva, a Maloney High School student. Barnhart said that five young people auditioned for the chorale at the beginning of the season. "We didn't accept them because none of them were experienced in sight singing and working with a group that moves so quickly through the music," she said. "Instead, they decided to choose Ceneviva to work directly with one of the chorale members as an apprentice. She will sing in some of the selections on Saturday. "We decided of everybody she was the most ready," said Barnhart who added that she hopes to select other apprentices. "We're hoping this will catch on for future concerts."

MERIDEN Chorale Connecticut got its Christmas present early this year. After months of rehearsal, the 41 member auditioned chorale had a full house for its "Legends of Christmas Past" concert on Saturday night at the First United Methodist Church, a gift for any performance group.

A representative from the chorale even had to come out and ask the people in the pews to squeeze together as tight as they could to accommodate those who were standing in the back. The chorale was also lucky enough to have a blanket of crunchy, white snow outside to add to the already festive atmosphere. Inside the church, red draperies and green wreaths accentuated the cheerful feeling of the evening. Chorale Connecticut, under the direction of Dorothy Barnhart, is made up of singers from the central Connecticut area. The group began as an offshoot of the Meriden Symphony Orchestra five years ago.

The concert featured a number of Renaissance pieces, as well as Geoffrey Bush's "Christmas Cantata" and an audience participation segment which featured familiar carols like "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." The chorale set the mood at the beginning, as the members made their way down either side of the darkened church, holding lit candles and humming the beginning of "Veni, Veni Emmanuel," which first dates back to the 12th century. After arriving at the front of the church and arranging themselves in rows, they began singing the verses. By the time they got to the Rejoice!" part they had reached a full satisfying volume.

"Exultate Justi in Domino" by Ludovico Grossi da Viadana was uplifting. The members did well with the quick, short notes, and the voices of the different chorale sections intertwined nicely. "O Magnum Mysterium" was smooth and tranquil, as performed by the group. The piece was written by Tomas Luis de Victoria, who was one of the great Spanish composers of sacred vocal music, and was indeed quite spiritual, wrote the piece. The chorale also performed a simple and sweet "Il est ne Le Divin Enfant," a traditional French carol that encourages world peace, a message that just as necessary now as when it was written. It was performed by an apt ensemble, which also sang "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming."

"Hodie Christus Natus Est" by Jan Pieterz Sweelinck was a joyful and glorious conclusion to the first portion of the concert. The "Christmas Cantata" by Bush was written in 1948, and is based on 15th century Christmas carols. It is meant to be performed with piano and oboe, which were provided by accompanist Sandra Antonelli and guest oboist Marilyn Krentzman. The two instruments offered a nice introduction, which became somewhat dramatic. The cantata also demands quite a vocal workout from the singers, especially the sopranos, whose voices certainly penetrated the rafters.

If you're looking to participate in concerts such as this, Chorale Connecticut is looking for sopranos, tenors and basses. Call (860) 621 1653.

Mendelssohn had the right idea. Reflecting on a "sweet golden spring day," he wrote: "And why, at this time, bother to go to work?" "That's one of my favorite lines," said Chorale Connecticut artistic director Dorothy Barnhart. The line comes from the "Fruhlingsfeier" portion of Mendelssohn's "Sechs Lieder Im Freien Zu Singen" ("Six Songs To be Sung in the Open Air''), which will be part of Chorale Connecticut's spring concert, "A Garden of Songs."

The concert will take place at the Paul Mellon Arts Center at Choate Rosemary Hall on Friday at 7:30p.m.    This is the first time that a Chorale Connecticut performance will be part of the events series at the Mellon arts center. The director of the center, Paul Tines, called Barnhart a year ago to ask if she and her group would be interested. "We said, yes, wonderful. Obviously, it is a beautiful facility. It's perfect for our size," Barnhart said. Barnhart is especially excited to be leading her 32 member chorale at the arts center because she was vocal teacher at Choate for seven years in the late 1980's and early '90's.

The music featured in the concert reflects the circle of life, said Barnhart. "They are songs of majesty and hope. It sort of represents life cycles. It transports us from ordinary life to the music of the soul." Gaiety and joy can be found in "The king Shall Rejoice" by Handel, while the somber "Agnus Dei" by Barer is a familiar funeral piece. It's been challenge with the Barber work for the chorale members to breathe while they're singing. The way the music is written does not allow for many pauses. "What's so difficult for a choir is, the chorus cannot sustain for minutes on end without breathing," she said. "The challenge is breathing without people knowing they're breathing. It's probably the most difficult piece we've ever taken on."

Barnhart looks forward to performing the Mendelssohn music for the second time. Chorale Connecticut performed the same music two years ago and received plenty of positive reaction. While she was pleased with the chorale's performance at the time, she has since found more intricacies in the music. "In the meantime, I've really studied them," she said. "There are so many things I now know that I didn't know."

Tema Watstein, an 11 year old violinist from New Haven, will joining the chorale for the second time this season. She appeared with the group during its "Lights, Camera, Chorale!" concert last fall. She will play "Blue Tail Fly" by Richard Nance. "She's very talented," Barnhart said. "They (the chorale) were all thrilled. They loved working with her. She knew what to do, yet she's still a little girl."

The chorale will also sing three British folksongs by Louis Halsey, "When Morning Breaks" by Petker, "Danny Boy," "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Too Darn Hot." "It's going to be a great concert," said accompanist Sandra Antonelli. "Choate is a wonderful place to perform. The seats seem so close to you when you're on stage."

Chorale Connecticut has become the perfect vehicle for Barnhart to make her dreams come true. The group began six years ago as the Meriden Symphony Chorale and broke off to become Chorale Connecticut four years ago. Antonelli said the amateur vocalists in the chorale work hard to perform a professional quality concert. "The music is always very demanding," she said. "I think they all enjoy singing and are willing to put the time in." "I dream of what can be, and I think it's so important to follow that dream," said Barnhart, who hopes for music competitions and compact discs in the chorale's future. "But honestly, it's incredible how far we've come, and we're still 32 voices. I thought it would take 10 years to get where we are in six."

MERIDEN It was a delightfully decadent afternoon at Gallery 53 on Sunday's crisp, fall afternoon. A long table down the middle of the gallery was decked out with tasty treats, with chocolate as the primary ingredient. Cakes, brownies and more tempted the crowd of about 100, while fresh fruit, cheeses, crackers and dips satisfied those without a sweet tooth.

At the head of the table was an arrangement of champagne glasses and several bottles of the bubbly, as well as gallons of apple cider. And towards the back of the gallery was Chorale Connecticut, led by director Dorothy Barnhart. Sunday's event, "Celebration in High C," was a fund raiser for the chorale, which is raising money for its performance of Handel's "Messiah" on Dec. 18. The group is hiring professional soloists and an orchestra for the concert. Local merchants like Valencia Discount Liquor and Wine Shop. Just for You...Country Gifts, Tops Market, The Stone House and more donated goods to help make the fund raiser a success.

The chorale intermittently sang selections to entertain the audience and, in between, mixed and mingled with the crowd. The entertainment included songs like the somber "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair," the joyous "Little David," and an appetizer for the December concert, "And the Glory," which is a portion of "Messiah." "It's just a nice way to get to know our supporters," said Bill Guilfoile, president of the chorale. "It's nice in a small area like this. You get a nice acoustical impression."

Norris Brown of Wilton agreed. "It's a great idea. Someone said it's like singing in the shower. The acoustics are terrific," said Brown, a member of the audience. "I love mixing art appreciation with music appreciation," Dorothy Thurston of Naugatuck said. She came in support of her brother, Guilfoile. "It's great." Chorale member Florence Thibodeau was relaxing after singing the first group of songs, and enjoying the cool air coming through the entrance of the warm gallery. "It's a wonderful group to be part of," she said.    Thibodeau said that Sunday's fund raiser was something unique for the city. "It adds a different culture. The champagne, the chocolate. You don't see things like this anywhere else. It's a nice way to invite people to our concert."

Marc Rosen. owner of Valencia Discount Liquor and Wine Shop, said he likes to support local things that he loves. "We really like to get' involved," he said. "We enjoy the music, and if we want other people' to enjoy it, we have to support it." Director Barnhart appreciates that support. "What's nice is that all the local merchants shared their food and were very willing. People have been so gracious."