By Paul Horsley

Episcopalians and Roman Catholics have had their differences over the centuries, conflicts that have at times engulfed their musical establishments as well, but locally the month of August has long been an “era of good feelings” between the two downtown Cathedrals, thanks to a concert series that is held alternately in both spaces. Since the ’90s the musical directorates at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception have co-hosted “Summer Music at the Cathedrals” on Sundays in August, and each year the lineup seems to grow more interesting.

Yes, the leadership of the two institutions have had their differences since the days of Henry VIII, but “the musicians are getting along fine,” says John Schaefer, canon musician and longtime organist at the Episcopal Cathedral, who organizes the series and performs frequently on the Cathedral’s 67-rank Gabriel Kney organ. At the “Gold Dome” Catholic Cathedral, South African-born music director Mario Pearson (one of the most interesting musicians in our city) will host the second annual “French Organ Festival” (August 24th), co-hosted by the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and featuring that Cathedral’s 50-rank Ruffatti organ.

* On August 10th the season features a program that many music lovers in Our Town have long awaited: the first installment of protean pianist Robert Pherigo’s foray into Charles Ives’ thorny “Concord” Sonata, in a program that also includes the participation of his lovely wife, Lyra Pherigo, a flutist and singer whose artistry I have long admired. Many will know Robert’s keyboard skills through his activities with NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, for which he learns the most absurdly difficult scores and plays them with the humble heroism of a Forrest Gump.

“Concord” has long been an ambition of his, and he’ll perform two of its four movements (“Emerson” and The Alcotts”) as part of a program of Ives and Copland. Lyra will join Robert (who is also a tenor and, like Lyra, a former KC Chorale member) in a set of Ives songs and, after the intermission, Copland’s setting of “At the River” and his Duo for Flute and Piano.

* The August 17th program is devoted to the annual performance of the Summer Singer of Kansas City, one of William Baker’s choirs, which this year brings an all-Handel program that is also presented the evening before (August 16th). Both are at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and feature members of the Kansas City Symphony. Baker is a master conductor who has led some of the finest choral concerts I’ve heard in this city. The program includes Dettingen Te Deum, Coronation Anthems and the Water Music Suite.

* The French Organ Festival at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (August 24th) will feature the Cathedral’s Scola Cantorum (with Mario on organ) and others including Nick Mourlam, John Davies, Mary Davis and Jan Kraybill, all performing on the magnificent Ruffatti organ whose installation was part of the Cathedral’s renovation project in 2003.

“The Cathedral’s Ruffatti organ is well suited for French organ literature,” Mario says. “Our buoyant acoustics as well as the vast array of tonal possibilities bring French organ literature alive in this space.

“In addition to marvelous music, there are also multimedia elements to engage the audience … two cameras on the organ so the audience views the organist playing live (and) a PowerPoint presentation to accompany each performance so the audience gets background information about the composer and the pieces they are listening to.”

* The final concert of the Cathedral season (August 31st) is a “Chamber Musiclet” featuring musicians from Grace and Holy Trinity. Tenor Douglas McConnell will perform the entirety of Schumann’s Dichterliebe, and baritone Paul Davidson sings Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel. Meribeth Risebig (oboe) and her sister Claudia Risebig (bassoon) also perform a duo concerto by Antonio Vivaldi.

The Summer Music series was founded initially because Kansas City’s cultural life was so deathly quiet during August. To this day the series remains “a way for people to hear some interesting musicians who might not be heard probably otherwise,” John says, “except in very intimate circumstances.”

SUMMER MUSIC AT THE CATHEDRALS

Unless otherwise indicated, for more information see kccathedral.org.

August 3rd, Grace & Holy Trinity: Members of The Margot Quintet from Austin, Texas (featuring mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Cass)
August 10th, G&HT: Robert Pherigo, piano and voice, and Lyra Pherigo, flute and voice, featuring music of Ives (movements from the “Concord” Sonata) and Copland (Duo for Flute and Piano)
August 17th, G&HT:: Summer Singers of Kansas City, led by William Baker, in an all-Handel program (festivalsingers.org)
August 24th, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, A French Organ Festival, led by Mario Pearson (kcgolddome.org)
August 31st, G&HT: Cathedral Musicians present Chamber Musiclet, featuring Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel

For more information see kccathedral.org or contact John (816-214-9928 or jschaefer@kccathedral.org). Tickets for most of the programs are $10 (suggested minimum donation) at the door. For the Summer Singers program contact the William Baker Choral Foundation at 913-403-9223 or festivalsingers.org. For information about the Catholic Cathedral and its organ see kcgolddome.org.

To reach Paul Horsley send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501).

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