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SHEBOYGAN SYMPHONY’S MAY 10th CONCERT CELEBRATES BERNSTEIN

on 04/30/2008 07:44 AM

The finale concert of the SSO’s 2007-2008 season will take patrons on a musical journey from the Baroque to the contemporary. The Sheboygan Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Janet L. Herrick, will join the SSO to celebrate the music of Leonard Bernstein. Highly regarded as a composer, conductor, lecturer and educator, Bernstein’s repertoire spans several genres from jazz to musical theatre and the concert hall.

The evening’s complete repertoire will include Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and popular selections from Candide. Guest artist, countertenor Mark Crayton will perform solo and collaborate with the Symphony Chorus in performing Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.

Bernstein stated explicitly that the countertenor part may be sung by a countertenor or a boy soprano, but never a woman, to reinforce the liturgical meaning of the passage from the 23^rd Psalm, a "Psalm of David, " which was to be heard as if sung by the boy David himself.

Throughout history men who sing in this range have been referred to as male altos, male falsettists or countertenors. Originally the alto was a high male voice using falsetto to nearly reach the range of the female voice (contralto). This type of voice, also known as countertenor, was refined especially in England, where the church music of the 16^th and 17^th centuries was composed for this highly cultivated and powerful falsetto register. 

The Psalms and the first movement in particular, are noted among performers for their musical difficulty. The opening section of the first movement is often considered one of the hardest passages for choral tenors ever written, because of the vast range and rhythmic complexity. This section showcases another impressive component of the modern countertenor’s technique, the ability to maintain sustained lines and long phrases.

Guest artist, Mark Crayton, countertenor, is hailed by critics and audiences for the pure beauty of his voice, his expressive and insightful interpretations, and his natural musicality. He performs on concert stages and in opera houses throughout the US and Europe, and his extensive repertoire includes many diverse works. Composer Philip Glass and the Tony Award winning director Mary Zimmerman selected him to sing in the world premiere performances of Glass’s opera Galileo Galilei in Chicago, New York City, and London. When Crayton performs Chichester Psalms with the Sheboygan Symphony on May 10th, he will perform the piece for the 162nd time.

Eighth Notes
1. The concert is Saturday, May 10^th at 7:30 pm at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts.

2. Tickets are available for the May 10^th concert. Ticket prices are $38, $33, $28, $20 and $15 for students. Please call the Symphony Office at (920) 452-1985. Tickets are also available in the box office two hours prior to concert.

3. The Interludes Pre-Concert talk is a free event for concert ticket holders. Space is limited, an R.S.V.P is required. For more information contact us at business@sheboygansymphony.org or call 920-452-1985.

4. The May concert is sponsored by The Vollrath Company L.L.C.