TRIUMVIRATE OF GREATS: Chorale fills Helzberg with rich sound in choral milestones

Heavenly is the word that comes to mind in describing the Kansas City Chorale’s performance of Arvo Pärt’s The Beatitudes, the opening choral work on its March 24^th program of three masterpieces that also included Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Duruflé’s Requiem. Sung from Helzberg Hall’s choir loft, where the singers were roughly at eye level from my seat in the Parterre section, the piece featured a series of declamations from the Sermon on the Mount that gently ascended, in both pitch and dynamic level, as if one were slowly climbing the mountain on which Christ spoke his famous series of “blesseds.” At each new declamation the organ, played with stealth by Jan Kraybill, made tiny contributions through sustained chords that started low and moved upward – enhancing the subtle rocking motion in the choral part. (Jan had opened the program with a headlong performance of Dupré’s demanding G-minor Prelude and Fugue.) With each new phrase the music found repetitive patterns to match the words (“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “Blessed are the merciful”). As the organ broke forth in a shimmering finale one felt that a summit had been reached. The effect was haunting.

Led by its longtime artistic director, Charles Bruffy, the Grammy-winning choir followed up with the Britten, a garrulous work for choir, organ and four soloists based on a semi-whimsical text from the Jubilate Agno of 18^th-century poet Christopher Smart. The latter was said to be mentally imbalanced, and he did indeed spend time in an institution, but his verse here is a brilliantly colorful summary of the ways in which all things reflect God’s blessings: lions and tigers, cats and mice, flowers and musical instruments. Britten’s setting is at times as loopy as his source, with wildly varyied rhythms and textures. Of special note were the solos: Soprano Sarah Tannehill filled Helzberg with delicious, bell-like clarity; soulful mezzo Katherine Crawford balanced humor with seriousness when singing “The Mouse is a creature of great personal valour”; tenor Bryan Pinkall captured the rocking rhythms of “For the flowers are great blessings”; and Chorale veteran Paul Davidson sang his recitative-with-chorus with his reliable, ringing baritone, giving substance and meaning to the oddball text. The music grew gradually more eclectic and chatty toward the end, partly to match the text (“Hallelujah for the heart of God, and from the hand of the artist inimitable, and from the echo of the heavenly harp, in sweetness magnifical and mighty”), with the organ finally “fading to black” as it were.

The Chorale moved down to the stage for the Duruflé, and oddly I found the sound less compellingly resonant than that from the loft. The long-winded piece was performed with Charles’ signature meticulous care: Blend and musical line were exemplary, and Jan took the opportunity to show off some of the Casavant organ’s glories. In general the composer’s rhythms are well-gauged to hold interest. The choir showed its unique ability to shift from grand fortissimos (“Hosanna in excelsis”) to gossamer hushed passages (the “Agnus Dei” was pure poetry). Baritone Bryan Taylor delivered with a nice, round sound that grew somewhat thin at the extremes of his register. The highlight of the evening for me was alto Julia Scozzafava’s deeply felt “Pie Jesu,” which began humbly and built to a “goosebump” climax that showed off her splendid upper register. She brought both drama and vocal integrity to the piece, like some sort of French-Romantic Azucena. The Requiem slowly treaded toward its prolix final movements – the tender “Libera Me” with its hint of a “Dies Irae” and the lush final “In paradisium,” where waves of organ cascades accompanied velvet-cushioned choral textures.

One could have left things alone at this point, but in the end Charles walked onstage holding the Chorale’s recent Grammy, which he placed on a music stand while the ensemble sang “Set Me As a Seal” by René Clausen – the composer to whose works the most recent winning disc is devoted. (“Life and Breath” won Grammys in the Best Choral Performance, Best Engineered Classical and Classical Producer of the Year categories.) Charles stood to the side and let the Chorale perform without a conductor.

To reach Paul Horsley, the Independent’s performing arts editor, write to phorsley@sbcglobal.net or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501) or Twitter (#phorsleycritic).