Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass in Review
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass
Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir: Mary Margaret Sadler, director; Denise Stephens, accompanist
Tim Sharp, composer/conductor
The Chuck Nation Band: Chuck Nation, fiddle/mandolin; Susan Nation, acoustic bass; Libby Nation-Whitehead, mandolin/guitar; Jody Hughes, guitar/banjo; Steve Vincent, drums
Distinguished Concerts International Singers
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 22, 2015
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented a concert entitled A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass: From the Voice Comes Inspiration on May 22, 2015 at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. Featuring the Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir, singers from Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and special guests The Chuck Nation Band, it was to prove to be a most enjoyable evening for all in attendance.
The thirty-six-member Navo Middle School Varsity Treble Choir took the stage for the first half. Their eleven pieces were quite eclectic, with works from Handel and Mozart mingled with Stephen Foster, Samuel Barber, and more recent, popular works from Greg Gilpin and others. Each selection was introduced with a special quote in the program, which the reader can find here: Program Notes. Led by Mary Margaret Sadler, the choristers proved to be mature beyond their years. Most Middle School ensembles struggle with single-line and full-unison singing, but these young ladies handled complex works with confidence and precision. One would have liked more projection, but this is a minor quibble, and one that can easily be attributed to the still developing voices of the young singers. Highlights included an arrangement of the Adagio movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, K. 622, with the chorus taking the clarinet melody and clarinet soloist Perry Phillips playing in a quasi-improvisatory style in accompaniment, a delightful Oh! Susanna, in a Mark Hayes arrangement with violinist Julianne Booth, and the haunting Ose Shalom from John Leavitt, with Mr. Phillips and Ms. Booth. Ending with an energetic Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet from Greg Gilpin, their many supporters in the audience rewarded the young singers with a standing ovation. To see thirty-six beaming faces when it was all done was the highlight of the evening to this listener.
After intermission, The Chuck Nation Band took the stage and offered works composed by Susan Nation, Chuck Nation, and legends such as JJ Cale and Hank Williams, Sr. Between pieces, Chuck Nation bantered a bit with the audience as he introduced his band members, including a funny story about his own song If You Leave Me, written especially for his wife, Susan. (“If you leave me, I’m coming with you!”). The seven-piece set showcased their considerable talents as singers and instrumentalists. Ending with a red-hot Orange Blossom Special, that old classic where “Paganini meets Bluegrass” in a rousing display of fiddling pyrotechnics at breakneck speed, Chuck Nation “burned the house down” as the sparks flew off his bow in a jaw-dropping virtuosic fiddling display. The audience loved it and roared in approval.
After this, it was time for the featured work- Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass. A few words of explanation about the title might be helpful here. High lonesome is a style that Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass,” popularized. It features the lead voice in the middle, while the highest voice sings in an often dissonant tone (“the high, lonesome sound”). Composer Tim Sharp combined this idea with a play on the term “High Mass,” including the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Angus Dei, set with carefully selected folk hymns. I recommend referring to the excellent Program Notes for a more detailed explanation. Guitarist Harry Musselwhite joined with The Chuck Nation Band to add his talents to the mix and tenor Nollie Moore was to have a featured role.
As I watched the Distinguished Concerts International Singers take the stage, I must admit to feeling some reservations about the idea of another “Bluegrass Mass.” Based upon an earlier concert featuring a different bluegrass mass in which the joining of “classical” and “bluegrass” was not entirely satisfying to either genre, I was hoping this would not be the case here. Happily, those reservations were dispelled almost immediately. Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass works, because it is unfailingly true to itself, lacking in pretense, simple, direct, and heartfelt.
Composer Tim Sharp came to the stage carrying a banjo. After placing the banjo on a stand, he took the podium and directed with unflagging energy. It was a dynamic, crowd-pleasing performance. The combination of the Distinguished Concerts International Singers with the Chuck Nation Band was a winning pairing that had the audience breaking convention by applauding enthusiastically after each movement of the Mass.
Special credit to the chorus for the high-speed rendering of the words Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatatis Gloria with such clear diction!
The audience burst into a prolonged standing ovation as the chorus and the Chuck Nation band took their well-earned bows. Mr. Sharp took up his banjo and joined all playing the Credo as an encore. The audience excitedly clapped in rhythm, and many even sang along. It was a joyful end to the night.
