Russell L. Robinson, composer/conductor
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
May 5, 2019
The DCINY presentations continued with a concert of middle-school-aged children, almost 400 of them, about half utilized on each half of a fine program conducted by the prolific and venerated Russell L. Robinson. This must be a very difficult age to teach, what with raging hormones and all manner of other distractions. Yet, I found the dedication, singularly and collectively, of these fine youths very inspiring, and their sounds indeed “fresh.” They came mainly from the South, with a few other states (Oregon, Washington, and Indiana).
Russell Robinson has created over 500 choral compositions, including arrangements, published by all the major outlets in this country; he is constantly sought after to lead seminars and the like, and one can see why when presented with the finely detailed evening he gave us.
Each half of the program was structured very similarly, so it was almost like hearing the same concert twice, with different performers: a couple of “light” classical pieces, a traditional spiritual, a folk song, some more indigenous African music, a jazzy improvisatory song, and finally a rousing anthem to the power of music, all arranged or composed by Robinson.
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Fresh Sounds: The Music of Russell Robinson
I found the sounds made by the choir to be mellow and unforced at all times, girls outnumber boys by about two to one, and the arrangements are generally SAB (soprano, alto, baritone). Their diction was clear, and their attention to stressed and unstressed syllables was truly refreshing, surely due to the detailed attentions not only of Robinson, but also of their individual home conductors. Their rhythmic sense was very good, and many of the numbers had clapping, a foot stomp or two, and easy motion swaying from side to side, sometimes with hand and arm gestures, principally in the African traditional styles. And I must mention that ALL selections were sung from memory, which is no mean feat.
Two different groups of soloists, a quartet and a sextet, on each half of the program, stepped forward and gave call-and-response jazzy riffs with superb poise, lapped up by the enthusiastic audience of family and friends.
The repertoire ranged from Thomas Morley and Baldassare Donato to Handel and Franck, and a healthy dose of the spirituals and folk songs Robinson is committed to introducing into the kids’ musical knowledge bank.
A very fine uncredited pianist and an African drummer added their colors to this inspiring evening.
I was led to ruminate on how much better off the world would be if everyone had a pursuit as valuable as participation in a choral endeavor; how perhaps we wouldn’t have either so much time for, or the desire for, unpleasant political maneuvers. As DCINY always says: “Changing lives through the power of performance.”
