Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents “Sing! Christmas Dreams” in Review
Joseph M. Martin composer/conductor; Heather Sorenson, DCINY composer-in-residence/pianist
Mary McDonald, composer/conductor; Joel Raney, DCINY composer-in-residence/pianist
Sarah Holloway, soprano; Matt Cahill, David John Hailey, baritones
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra; Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 17, 2019
In front of a large and most enthusiastic audience, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presented Sing! Christmas Dreams, one of their annual massed chorus extravaganzas. The performers were the highly skilled Distinguished Concerts Orchestra, under the direction of two different conductors, and the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, three large choruses drawn from thirty-nine church choirs in the United States, one Community Chorus from Canada, plus about 10 unaffiliated choristers from around the globe. In total there were approximately 250 choral singers in each of the three choruses. And a glorious mighty sound did they each make!
First some words about the music. At a concert called Sing! Christmas Dreams, one does not expect music that will make very many demands on the listener. The music is expected to be uplifting and accessible, and so it was this evening. Most works utilized a simple harmonic vocabulary and, until the concert’s final work, little or no polyphony. Many used the pop-music cliché of modulating up a half step to increase the impact of a repeat of music and text. Save for the very large performing forces, what we heard would not be out of place on Broadway or in Las Vegas. This is not meant to be taken as a criticism. It is just a description of what this reviewer heard.
The concert was divided into three parts, each featuring a different chorus. The first third was devoted to the New York Premiere of Christmas Dreams – A Cantata of Peace and Hope by Joseph M. Martin and Heather Sorenson. Mr. Martin was also the energetic conductor, and Ms. Sorenson joined the orchestra as pianist. The cantata had seven movements preceded by a short overture. The fifth movement, The Magi’s Epiphany, featured the fine baritone Matt Cahill. My notes on the sixth movement, Christmas Dreams, included “music all sounds alike.”
Although the following admonition appeared in the printed program below the list of movements: “Please hold yourapplause until the end of the piece,” the audience applauded after each movement. Didn’t I say that they wereenthusiastic? And well they might be- a large part of the audience was made up of family and friends of the choral singers who came from far and wide to perform in this concert. Throughout this work, and during the rest of the concert, the choruses sang beautifully. All three choruses produced a lovely sound and sang with perfect intonation. My only reservation had to do with their diction. I could understand the words they were singing only when they sang Christmas Carols with which I was acquainted. Final consonants were especially unclear. This is often a problem with large choruses. The Distinguished Concerts Orchestra played with the high level of technical skill and fine musicianship one has grown to expect from this excellent ensemble. After intermission, we heard Sing Christmas! by Mary McDonald and Joel Raney, a forty-two-minute composition consisting of four Suites with three movements in each. Again, the composers served as conductor (Ms. McDonald) and pianist (Mr. Raney.) The second movement of the Suite II, Sing Noel!, stood out with its syncopated Jamaican rhythm and flavor. The third movement, Tell Out, My Soul!, featured soprano Sarah Holloway and baritone David John Hailey. As in many other works on this concert, Sing Christmas! incorporated traditional Christmas carols and songs in the newly composed compositions. I did question the strange harmonization of the simplest of carols, Silent Night, in Suite III’s second movement, and of the 6/8 arrangements of four carols in Suite IV’s last movement. I found the latter jarring.
After a rather long pause, we heard the evening’s final work, composer and conductor Joseph M. Martin’s Christmas Evergreens. Of course, when seeing this title, one immediately thinks of pine trees. But a clarifying note by Mr. Martin states “Christmas Evergreens is a menagerie of classic and best-selling holiday songs to set hearts jingling with joy and Christmas spirit.” Thesaurus synonyms for evergreen include ageless, classic, ever popular, immortal, and old time favorite. The few “best-selling holiday songs” in Mr. Martin’s composition really do not fit the definition of “evergreen,” or of its synonyms, and the mention of “best-selling” highlights the unfortunate commercialization of this religious holiday. A better phrase might have been “newly composed.” It is possible that, in the future, these works may become “evergreens.” I will choose one of the afore mentioned synonyms to say that Mr. Martin often cleverly combined “ever popular” melodies in one of the evenings few uses of polyphony.
The conclusion of the concert was met by long and heartfelt applause. It was well deserved. There are few things more exciting than the sound of large amateur choruses. Tonight’s choruses were well prepared back home by their many conductors and sang with great skill and enthusiasm under tonight’s two directors. They had the opportunity to sing in one of the world’s great concert halls, and they, their family and friends got a chance to visit one of the world’s greatest cities. Thanks to DCINY for making this possible.
