Unlike some folks, I make a conscious choice to go into concerts with open ears and excited anticipation. I'm on the performers' side: I want to fall in love, to mourn, to pray, to despair, to laugh, to become infuriated... to let the artists lead me into whatever they're exploring. I want to be wowed. But I've also heard enough performances by now to recognize when someone really is directly communicating something to me, and when I'm being forced to make their case for them. Of course the latter is more often the case than the former, but nonetheless I'm disappointed every time it happens.
And so it was with last night's Chanticleer concert, I'm sorry to say. I really like these guys, and have for a long time. It's always a joy when I have a chance to sing with past Chanticleerians at gigs here and there because, well, they just Do It Right: I usually know in the first couple of seconds of singing with someone whether they have an innate sense of musicality and the chops to back it up, and singing with these folks is always like butta. But last night wasn't butter, and I couldn't believe it. There were consistent, glaring technical problems, from high-range tuning issues to ensemble messes to false-start entrances. There were points when I found myself worrying on their behalf about potential train-wrecks. And even worse, I wasn't moved by their delivery of most of the pieces... not even the Monteverdi*! I mean, if you can't get me with those long Monteverdian descending suspension sequences, something's seriously amiss.
Of course there are positive things to be said. I'm liking the sound of their current | bass | line-up, with interesting voices all and a good sense of how to work together. (Here I should just like to say that Eric Alatorre, their longtime low bass, has like the bestest job in the world: All he has to do is whip out anything lower than an F and everyone gets that funny feeling in their pants and he's a superstar for the rest of the night. I mean, was that a B pedal at the end of Blues in the Night? Damn you, Eric!) I thoroughly enjoyed the Gustav Holst folksong settings; he uses those same tunes in his Suites for Military Band, and they brought me right back to my woodwind player days. The effect of the Tavener was strong, and though I personally find that piece boring as all get-out to sing, from the audience's perspective it's pretty stunning.
But even so, the only head-shakingly, jaw-droppingly good moments happened in the encores when they brought out Bishop Yvette Flunder, who is a guest artist on the album of spirituals and gospel music they released last month, How Sweet the Sound. She opened her mouth and sang the words, "There is a balm in Gilead," and I just about lost bowel control. When you hear a performer express herself utterly without artifice and with true conviction, you just know it: no analysis is necessary. It doesn't matter what "genre" they're working in; when someone is willing and able to share something so personal and heartfelt and warm with me, I'm more than happy to partake. The last 10 minutes or so of the concert were beautiful, compelling, and humbling. Amen, Bishop Flunder! (Now I just have to figure out whom I can hit up for a copy of that album.)
And now for another opportunity to get my hopes up: OMC and I will go to the Symphony tonight to hear Midori do the Beethoven violin concerto and John Adams's Naive and Sentimental Music. I've never heard Alan Gilbert conduct, and am looking forward to it. Thanks for the tix, Sr. K-!
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* The evening's program was:
Josquin, Gaude virgo
Ave maria chant
Victoria, Ave maria
Titov, The Angel Cried Out (even taking into accout the weird voicing at the beginning, eek)
Weelkes, As Vesta was
Lassus, Matona mia cara
Poulenc, Margoto va t'a l'iau
Monteverdi, 4 of the Sestina
Pearsall, Lay a Garden
Tavener, Song for Athene
Cary John Franklin, The Uncertainty of the Poet (Bananas! Funny.)
Augusta Read Thomas, 3 from Purple Syllables
Eric William Barnum, She Walks in Beauty (This was really the best piece in that competition?)
3 Korean folksongs (please don't say you're "going East" when you do these...)
2 Holst folksong settings
Ballad of Frankie & Johnny
Blues in the Night
Hold On (Keep Your Hand on-a That Plow)
Balm in Gilead
Imagine (surprisingly good, thanks to Bishop Flunder)
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