Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

A Christmas concert from Sacramento Master Singers (SMS) is a holiday tradition for many in the Sacramento region. In recent years, they have scheduled 5 performances of their Christmas concert, and they are always well attended. That was certainly true on this late Saturday afternoon at Sacramento’s Westminster Presbyterian Church. I arrived 30 minutes before concert time, and there was a line a block long in front of the church. In past years, I’ve seen people gladly line up in the rain: that’s how well-regarded this chorus is.

Inside the church, the ambience was certainly festive. Toward the back of the altar, there was a Christmas tree and a profusion of poinsettias below a lighted garland. In fact lit garlands adorned the balconies on all 3 sides of the sanctuary. As for we audience members, we were energized and expectant, and goodwill spread throughout the room.

With the concert about to start, SMS members Matt Metcalf and Barbara Celli came to the front of the church to welcome the audience. After the usual housekeeping announcements, they noted that Master Singers is embarking on its 35th year, an announcement that drew applause. Our hosts also reported that Master Singers is partnering with 6 different local nonprofits in this year’s concert series, the first being Closing the Gap (see the linked program for details about all these organizations). Then with a final comment that this concert was intended as “a celebration of light, hope, joy and peace,” these spokespeople asked the audience to hold any applause until the end of the concert’s “candlelight” section.

(Click here to open the concert program in a new window. And be sure to consult the extensive program notes ― and lyrics ― provided for each musical selection.)

At this point, lights in the church went down and the sound of handbells marked the movement of the chorus members to positions surrounding the ground-floor audience. Each singer was holding a real, lighted candle. First, the women began intoning the medieval sound of “Mariam Matrem Virginem.” You could close your eyes and imagine being transported to 13th century European convent. The incomparable tone of the women was so unified that I looked closely to be sure I wasn’t hearing a single singer.

Next, the men of the chorus brought a new level of energy with the rousing canon of Dufay’s “Gloria Ad Modum Tubae.” Then, with all voice parts now participating, we heard “Bogoritse Devo, Raduysia.” Surely, this piece would have sounded authentic to the parishioners of an Orthodox church in Russia. I was especially impressed with the outstanding quality of the soloists. And as I listened, it occurred to me that there must be many chorus members with perfect pitch to have held pitch through the many twists and turns of this a cappella piece ― so that second basses would be able to hit their low notes.

At this point, the singers proceeded to their formation on the altar as Matthew Scott began the tenor solo in “I Wonder as I Wander” with a truly mellifluous voice. Now the whole ensemble was singing from the altar, and we in the audience got our first taste of the arresting choral sound that this group can produce. I watched Artistic Director Ralph Hughes conducting from the church’s center aisle with white gloves in the dark, and I was surprised to note that he didn’t direct a cutoff to this piece: the sound just melted away.

“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” was one of the many familiar pieces in this concert. But like the others to follow, the arrangement and interpretation were notable. For one thing, the tempo was surprisingly slow, as if the singers were savoring the harmonies or systematically weaving an elaborate tapestry of sound. Savoring was indeed what we in the audience were doing, especially as so many sections of the piece were introduced with an opening chord built one voice part (out of 6?) at a time.

With handbells covering the movement of the chorus to a new formation, “See Amid the Winter’s Snow” began with the afternoon's first sounds from the piano, plus a bit of hi-hat percussion. In this piece the chorus opened up for the first time in forte passages that hinted at vocal power still not completely unleashed. Nevertheless there were many chill-inducing moments, accompanied by exuberant repetitions of “Christ is born” followed by the more gentle responses of “in Bethlehem. Alleluia.” This marked the end of the “candlelight” section of the concert. The lights went up, and in the extended applause that followed, Hughes recognized each of the soloists. At this point, the singers needed to dispose of their candles and collect their scores, so to fill the silence, Hughes told us to “Introduce yourselves” ― which of course we did. After all, he was the director!

The chorus was now about to sing from their scores for the first time. During the previous 6 songs, we had witnessed what to me is an amazing feat of memory, a skill to be repeated many times throughout the afternoon. As the chorus performed Ola Gjeilo’s “Second Eve” from his major work, Catholic Prayers, I watched the chorus members swaying and bobbing as they sang. They were feeling more than they could express vocally. And through all this, they were not just led, but inspired by Hughes extensive repertoire of directorial gestures, encouraging expression and adding nuance to each phrase.

We in the audience got a bit of a shock with the next piece. It was the famous chorale from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, “Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light,” and we were a little surprised when the singers put their scores at their feet. They began with a full, controlled sound that could have been presented in any cathedral or concert hall in the world. The conviction in their singing led us to believe we were going to get a solid, traditional performance of this familiar music. Wrong. Presently they were accompanying the text with broad arm gestures evoking the idea of “break forth” and other images in the text. It wasn’t American Sign Language but actions that enhanced the lyrics, giving greater impact to the music. I looked around at the other people in the balconies. Those I could see looked bemused, but I couldn't keep from smiling at the boldness in the presentation of this piece. But there was more. Suddenly, the performance became aleatory (with each singer choosing a phrase and singing it independently, without reference to the other singers). But the brilliant part was that each singer continued the gestures associated with their phrase.  So amid the cacophony, we could see what each singer was singing.

The program notes characterize the next piece, Randol Alan Bass’s “Gloria” as a fanfare. Indeed, it provided opportunities for great excitement, especially in the finale. Early on, the high sopranos were turned loose, and we journeyed through a landscape of different tempos, time signatures, and moods. To many ears, I’m sure, it was no less grand that the Bach we’d just heard. And accompanying this piece was some truly virtuoso piano playing by Heidi Van Regenmorter.

The piano was notable in the next piece, too ― this time because Hughes joined Van Regenmorter for a 4-hand accompaniment. And on the podium was Assistant Director Emily Carbrey, directing Mark Hayes’ “I’m Gonna Let It Shine: This Little Light of Mine.” It was a toe-tapper with a boogie woogie bass, and as the piece concluded, Carbrey literally danced off the director’s podium to the accompaniment whoops of enthusiasm from the audience. I bet there were others who, like me, went off to intermission activities, energized and humming the song we had just heard.

At the conclusion of the intermission, the program resumed with Emily Carbrey directing the women of the Master Singers in a setting of “Cantate Domino” by Charlotte Botha.  It was a heavily rhythmic song in which the energy bubbled over into lively clapping and foot stomping by the singers. Then the men took over for a performance of the famous “Ave Maria” by Franz Biebl. It’s essentially a double-chorus piece with three men acting as the second chorus, and its lush harmonies make it an audience-pleaser. That’s been the case every time I’ve performed it myself or heard another chorus perform it, and so it was again on this afternoon.

“Angels We Have Heard on High” is a favorite that usually highlights the sopranos’ vocal runs in the “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!” part of the song. So this time it was refreshing to hear the music tackled by a male chorus ― and the tenors were truly impressive. Then in an unexpected twist, the piece delivered a surprising evolution into jazz harmonies, giving new life to a Christmas classic.

Now, the full chorus assembled to perform Ēriks Ešenvalds’ “The Heaven’s Flock.” I urge you to consult the program’s description of this piece and the poem on which it is based. I followed the striking images and ideas in the lyrics as the song was performed, and doing so gave me a much richer experience. (The articulation of the chorus was good, but the images were so unusual that one could only get their full impact by seeing them in print ― at least so it seemed to me.) It was a painting in words and music, and even from many who didn’t follow as closely as I did, I heard murmurs of satisfaction as the piece concluded.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” brought instant nostalgia with its gentle beginning harmonies. Then, as with so many of the standards in this afternoon’s concert, the arrangement became more elaborate and perhaps more interesting ― but the spirit remained.

“Mary, Did You Know?” can be a fairly simple song. This arrangement was anything but. It began with a weaving of voices without lyrics. Then the men sang the lyrics with the women providing back-up. The roles then reversed, and with beatboxing and other contemporary vocal effects, the piece became a major work. The program notes point out, not surprisingly, the influence of Pentatonix’ version of this song.  Whether that was key to my impression, I can't say, but I'm left with the feeling that this was a brilliant arrangement that would give any good chorus ― but especially this one ― the opportunity to shine.

“Winter Wonderland.” Is there anyone for whom this song doesn't evoke happy memories? The opening measures did that for me, and then took me on a journey with yet another appealing and innovative arrangement. Of special note was the excellent playing by Heidi Van Regenmorter, playing which earned her special appreciation from the audience.

At this point, the chorus scattered and reassembled in a mixed formation with men and women in pairs. It was a set-up for the novelty song ,“The Twelve Days After Christmas,” in which the traditional twelve gifts on twelve days all turn into disasters. The couples pretended to argue, bringing out the humor and fun of the piece. Needless to say, the audience was delighted, reacting with cheers and extended applause.

Next, with chorus member Tina Harris joining Van Regenmorter for a 4-hand accompaniment, we got a rousing “Ding, Dong! Merrily on High!” enhanced with chimes and drum. It couldn't have been more joyful. And especially interesting was the way the arrangement broke the “gloria” runs into five (?) segments.

I doubt any of us in the audience had heard of the Yoruban-language “Ogo Ni Fun Oluwa.” But when we saw that “choralography” was credited in the program, we knew that something special was about to happen. It began with the chorus forming into a chevron, with the women toward the front of the formation. But before the singing began, Hughes turned to us and thanked us for coming to the concert, adding that he expected the chorus to dance for him on his birthday. That was all that was needed for the chorus ― and most of the audience ― to break out in a lively, piano-accompanied “Happy Birthday” to him.

The first word that I wrote in my notes to describe the singing that followed was “lusty” ― perhaps a surprising way of characterizing a song that celebrated the birth of Jesus. (Don’t confuse “lusty” with “lustful.”) Off to the side, a group of singers-turned-percussionists were playing conga drums and shakers. The chorus was swaying as it sang, and through a variety of arm movements, the singers were acting out the Christmas story. Presently the formation spread out and really became a dance. Truly, I wish you could see the video of this elaborate, extraordinary performance. Not surprisingly, Hughes was standing off to the side taking his own video with a smartphone. And of course, the audience loved every minute of this unusual, vibrant display of singing and dancing from half-a-world away.

This concert concluded on a traditional note. First, chorus members dispersed to surround the audience. Then Hughes explained that closing their Christmas concert with Rich and Sylvia Powell’s “Peace, Peace” was a 30-year tradition for the Sacramento Master Singers ― and he invited us to join by singing “Silent Night” with them. So the chorus performed “Peace, Peace” ― each singer signing the words in American Sign Language ― while we in the audience simultaneously sang “Silent Night.” With the music concluded, it was apparent that we in the audience had received what had been promised, “a celebration of light, hope, joy and peace.” And in gratitude for another professional-quality, heart-to-heart performance, all those people who had stood in line for so long were on their feet applauding and cheering.

(This was the first of 5 performances of this concert.  For dates and locations of the others, see the third page of the linked program.  To monitor the future activities of Sacramento Master Singers, visit their website at www.mastersingers.org.)