 |
|
The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus 2006 Christmas Concert at St. Joan’s proved to be a rewarding experience. Now returning consecutively for a third time, it looks like a most welcomed tradition has started, and why not? Their excellence of artistry, socially just mission and spirited generosity go hand in hand with St. Joan’s inclusive message of welcoming, offering communal Christmas cheer to SJA’s concert stage. Their packed house Sunday evening (12-3) featured Soprano singing sensation Maria Jette and our own piano accompanist Dan Chouinard.Chouinard drolly introduced this 110 member choir with admirable appreciation reminding us that Paul Wellstone’s “Be the change” campaign slogan is as much a part of this chorus as it is with St. Joan’s. Music began with Jette, who commanded an elegantly clear a capela rendering of the English traditional “Wexford Carol,” accompanied later with Chouinard on piano. The TCGMC, under the laser-like direction of Dr. Stan Hill and piano accompanist Timothy DePrey followed ever so gently with the Regney & Shayne carol “Do You Hear What I Hear?” featuring Jason Bernhagen and Mark Howarth on synthesizers. Crafting a majestic build, the chorus exploded with tumbling rounds that overlapped with each section. A richly merry handling of “Deck the Halls” followed.
The English traditional “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day” featured Jette in true Julie Andrews-like form and Chouinard on accordion. The chorus then offered John Gardner’s version with intricate parts showing off their flair for great diction. A rather dense and harmonic feeling ringed through in the piano chords of Peter Warlock’s composition “Bethlehem Down,” where Chouinard moody dark tones were balanced with a sweetly heartfelt solo from Jette.
A surprising choice to be sure, TCGMC rendition of “Betelehemu,” arranged by Wendell Whalum and sung in Yoruba, a Nigerian dialect delivered exquisitely. A rain stick and conga playing provided by Ken Bloom, Omar Pineda and Mickey O’Shea started this beguiling performance. DePrey accompanied as the chorus began in low chant-like tones. The combo may have been a tad too loud but were balanced nicely when the chorus increased in volume. Paul Brekke and Jason Bernhagen from the house offered superb Tenor solos as they made their way to the stage. Visually picturesque were the chorus with a few moments of precise hand gestures and clapping.
The Adam/Cappeau “Cantique de Noel” featured a lovely solo by Jette who effortlessly soared through numerous high notes and was aided with Chouinard on accordion accompaniment that was well received by the audience. Hill, who clearly likes to make fun of the accordion, couldn’t resist chiding Dan by recalling a rather strained tale of Milton Mann’s chain of accordion studios. One was given free lessons if you bought the store’s $3000 accordion. The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus gave grand polish to Mendelssohn’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” closing the first act with expressive vocal dynamics offered from each of the choir’s sections.
After a 20 minute intermission filled with bustling conversation over cookies, wine and apple cider, our second act began with some amusing ruminations from Hill. He had completed the Walk of Justice back in September and upon approaching a cornerstone of a building on Boom Island by downtown Minneapolis, he noticed an interesting engraving marked in Latin which translated to “Brothers of Perpetual Indulgences,” a remark received fondly with fits of giggles from both the chorus and the audience.
A mostly a capela rendering of “Christmas at the Cloister” featured two cantors, Eric Lane Barnes and Chris Mellin. These cantor/pastor characters were interrupted by the continuing banter of humorous questions from what only a gay men’s chorus would ask like “Who gets to keep the centerpiece?” with which one cantor replied “look for a red dot on the chair.” This reply was met with a thunderous response of “Hallelujah” from the chorus.
“Children’s Medley,” arranged by David Maddux, provided a distinctive layering of funny touches from the TCGMC. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was met with a resounding “Eeuw!” from the chorus. Altered lyrics of Victor Herbert’s tuneful classic “Toyland” get playfully skewered after the title is followed with “dear little sensitive boy land.” Jette cashes in on the fun with a comically lisping version of “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” Chouinard on piano led an infectious sing-along of “Here We Come a-Wassailing” with the chorus, Jette and the audience.
Then we were given four children’s tunes from Jette and accompanist Chouinard while the chorus, seen directly centered in the background, patiently stood quiet and still over this duration. Jette had a ball covering the Eartha Kitt classic “Santa Baby” aided by some lush cocktail lounge-like tinkering from Chouinard. However, three additional kiddy songs about Santa Claus, pumpkin heads and teddy bears seemed redundant, squandering the great rich Christmas canon of adult selections that could have been used, not to mention further opportunity for collaboration between Jette and this magnificent choir.
TCGMC broke their silence with a stirring rendition of Franz Gruber’s classic “Silent Night” with a Tenor solo from Dan Lekate. A soulful version of “Groundless Ground” followed with its spirited doo-wop swooping arrangement that gleefully built momentum from the chorus, featuring some searing tenor solo turns from Josh Grant and Paul Brekke. The chorus closed with their poignant signature Johnny Cowell tune “Walk Hand in Hand,” dispensing among the audience as we admirably held each other’s hands to a glorious finish. We at St. Joan’s are truly blessed with the presence of this extraordinary choir.
 |
 |
 |
 |
All are located at Ted Mann Concert Hall 2128 South 4th Street University of Minnesota West Bank
|