Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

What’s one of the best things about coming out of the pandemic (even a little bit)? Answer: the ability to see friends in person again! That’s the way I felt on this Saturday evening, as RSVP performed this concert at Pleasant Grove Community Church in Roseville. I’ve been a fan of this wonderful group of singers for almost 10 years, and it’s been 3 years since I’ve heard them perform in person. Far too long!

The first of their only 2 post-pandemic concerts was at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento last night. Tonight’s venue was drastically different. Pleasant Grove Community Church is much newer ─ and I’d say more comfortable: wide spaces between the rows of comfortable chairs in a bright high-ceilinged room that looked like it was arranged to seat about 600. The room was as wide as it was deep, and the stage itself was unusually wide. The church was modestly decorated with 4 moderate-sized Christmas trees and lighted garlands along the stage and the sides of the room. The most impressive decoration was the hanging lines of lights on the back wall of the stage, about 18 inches apart and 20 feet from ceiling to floor. Lying on the stage, were a double bass, a guitar and a cello ─ and plenty of microphones on stands. By the time the concert was to start, there appeared to be as many as 400 masked people in the audience ─ possibly the largest I’ve seen at an RSVP concert

(Click here to open the concert program in a new window.)

When the lights went down, what we thought was the full RSVP chorus entered the stage, single file, dressed differently, but all in black. “Some Children See Him” began with a beautiful tenor solo by Jonathan Rains. He was soon joined by an equally beautiful soprano voice ─ surprisingly from the back of the room. It was Monica Crumley. Presently, the remaining women of RSVP processed down the main aisle of the church to join their fellow-singers. With the whole chorus on stage performing this familiar Alfred Burt carol, I got what I had come for ─ the mellow sound, perfect blend and pure high voices that I’ve heard from RSVP so many times over the years.

At the conclusion of “Some Children See Him,” Artistic Director Jennifer Reason gave us a warm welcome and a preview of the rest of the evening’s program. We had just heard the chorus perform a cappella. Now, for “See Amid the Winter’s Snow,” Reason began an introduction at the piano as the room was further darkened, and each singer turned on a candle. It was an inspiring picture: dark, candle-lit forms against a background of that wall of hanging lights. Then the warm, satisfying harmonies built to a big “Christ is born,” before a decrescendo and a perfect unison cut-off.

Just about every concert at Christmastime has a performance of “Silent Night.” What made it different and special this time was the arrangement by Edwin Fissinger, full of fresh chords for an old song. I don’t know if you could call this vocal jazz. If it was, it was the most gentle, most accessible form of vocal jazz. And I was particularly aware of what I’ve heard so often at RSVP concerts: a beautiful high soprano part, not dominant or harsh, but floating like a halo over the sound of the ensemble.

Next was the Pentatonix version of “Mary, Did You Know?” Reason introduced it as “one of our favorites.” Before describing the performance, let me comment on something that I have found interesting and unusual about RSVP since the first time I saw them in 2012. These 20 (or so) singers include professionals or semi-professionals, music educators ─ all very experienced. Except on rare occasions, no one stands in front of them to direct. Instead, the Artistic Director (and I first saw this in Julie Adams, RSVP’s founder) starts them off with a downbeat and starting tempo ─ and then walks away, leaving the audience’s attention exclusively on the singers. To me, it’s a tribute to the skill and artistry of each singer that they don’t need a director standing in front of them. They perform with a heightened awareness of each other and a commitment to reproduce the high standard they have achieved in rehearsal. So it’s not a group of singers that the audience is watching and hearing, but a single choral organism. That said, out of that choral organism came five fine solo performances as everyone swayed to the gentle beat, which Eric Rosander kept with a bit of “vocal percussion.” I think all of us in the audience quickly understood why this piece was a favorite of RSVP. And in my notes, I simply wrote, “Their spirit is wonderful.”

Dear Darling

At this point, Reason introduced, with great enthusiasm, the evening’s guest performers:  a new Sacramento-based female trio called “Dear Darling” ─ Casey Lipka, Hannah Jane Kile and Natalie Hagwood. Their first selection, started with a bit of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” but soon transitioned into “Winter Wonderland.”  Initially, each woman sang a cappella in close harmony ─ while holding their instruments: bass, guitar and cello. Soon they were accompanying themselves as they sang. Let me quote from their blurb in the program: “…folk infused with jazz influences, expect harmonies tight enough that these three could be sisters. From tender to brassy, Dear Darling’s compositions touch on themes such as self-empowerment, unconditional love, and following your dreams.” Indeed, that was what we got in the four songs in their set of music.

“Soft Place to Land” was comfort for those having a hard emotional time during the holidays. I couldn’t quite make out the words, but the effect of the music was certainly gentle and comforting. Throughout their performance, Dear Darling members played their instruments almost constantly, plucking and sometimes bowing the bass and cello. It was particularly interesting to see Hagwood play her cello off the ground, presumably hanging from a strap around her neck, though I couldn’t see it.

Two of their selections were their own compositions. “Way Deep Down” was a soulful song that earned hoots of appreciation from some in the audience at its conclusion. “Believe” was a toe-tapper with the great harmony we heard from them from the start.  It included some memorable lines: “Believe in yourself the way I believe in you” and “Don’t let it break you, don’t let it change you.” The audience gave Dear Darling warm appreciation, as was evidenced, not only by enthusiastic applause and cheers, but by the crowd around their post-concert table at which they were accepting pre-orders for their debut album, Believe.

Lend A Heart, Lend A Hand Animal-Assisted Therapy

Every RSVP concert is a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization. Singers perform without compensation and RSVP’s expenses are covered by separate contributions. At a concert, there are no tickets, so all donations go directly to the featured charity. Tonight that charity was Lend A Heart, Lend A Hand Animal-Assisted Therapy. You can see a description of this organization on page 9 of the attached program, but I can add that Sandy McKaig, their Chief Financial Officer, gave an interesting presentation. From her position at the lectern on the stage (with her dog, Proctor), she introduced 4 other volunteers with their dogs. Then she reviewed the activities of her organization with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. It covered the training of volunteers and their animals (not just dogs) and illustrated visits to assisted-living facilities, hospitals, schools, courts, libraries ─ even our airport.

Back to the Music

The music resumed with both RSVP and Dear Darling performing the first two songs together. RSVP sang from scores (for the only time this evening), essentially providing backup for Dear Darling. “Someday at Christmas” was a choral arrangement of a 1967 Stevie Wonder song that paints a bittersweet picture of the social ills that will be corrected “someday at Christmas” but “maybe not in time for you and me.” “Always” was written by Dear Darling, and we were hearing only its second public performance. It was described as being “about honoring the light in people and ourselves.” It was accompanied by piano and the 3 instruments of Dear Darling, and its gentle beat made for easy listening. Most significantly, it was full of sentiment with lines like, “I’ll be the one you can lean on” and “I will always love you that way.”

“All I Want for Christmas” was a return to RSVP’s unaccompanied singing, with gentle Christmas wishes for kindness, family, friendship and community. As I watched them, I wrote “They sing loose” in my notes. What I meant by that is that they perform in a relaxed manner that makes an audience feel like they’re listening to friends who love what they’re doing and love the idea of sharing it with you.

Next was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a stunning arrangement of a traditional song delivered with crystal clear harmony. Then with “The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”), we got an equally appealing piece, but with a bit of jazz stylings. As I listened, I reflected on the fact that, like other good choruses, RSVP sings, not just with their voices, but with their bodies and faces. That’s what makes singing such a pure way to express and share joy.

Before “The Christmas Song,” Reason noted that it and the following two songs were arranged by group member Keir MacMillan. Not surprisingly, at the conclusion of this set, MacMillan got a special round of appreciation from the audience.

“Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” was performed by a quartet of MacMillan, Karen Percy, Jodi Serrano and Nephi Speer. To me, it was a lively example of pure vocal jazz with lots of surprising, creative elements. It was an arrangement and a performance that earned cheers when it concluded.

Straight No Chaser is a professional a cappella group that got its start as a student group at Indiana University in 1996. Along with their quality singing, these men are cut-ups at their concerts, and their humorous arrangement of “The 12 Days of Christmas” has become famous. What’s unusual about it is that the singers appear to get confused about which “day” of Christmas they are on ─ or even which Christmas song (or non-Christmas song) they are performing. They interact impatiently with each other and eventually they are singing more of Toto’s 1982 hit “Africa” than they are of the “12 Days.”  The confusion and switching from one song to another in this version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” have to be incredibly difficult to memorize and perform accurately, but if anything, RSVP thrives on this kind of challenge. Tonight, they gave us a performance that generated constant laughter in the audience, ending with an eruption of applause.

I’ve known the spiritual “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow” as a great solo song, but this choral arrangement by Michael S. Engelbardt was nothing like the song I know. For a start, it just rocked with a beat that got some audience members clapping in time ─ along with the “vocal percussion” and clapping by the RSVP singers themselves. Truly, it felt like a revival meeting. At its climax, people were on their feel applauding and cheering like they didn’t want the concert to end (and we didn’t).

But it was the end ─ happily… the end of RSVP’s drought of live performances, and sadly… the end of tonight’s wonderful concert. And you know what performers say: “Leave them wanting more.” That was true for the 400 or 500 of us tonight, wanting news of RSVP’s next concert series.

• Flash!  RSVP's next concert series (all details TBA) will be coming May 14-15 and May 21-22, 2022.  Visit their website, www.rsvpchoir.org for the latest information.
• If you haven't yet seen the 27-minute PBS video (debuted 12/4/19) about RSVP and their mission of caring, "The Sound of Giving," you can find it on their website or at this link.
• Dear Darling's debut album, Believe, has expected delivery of March 2022.  You can preview it and place an advance order in their website, www.deardarlingmusic.com.
• Learn more about the work of Lend A Heart, Lend A Hand Animal-Assisted Therapy at their website:  https://lendaheart.org.