Starting off the concert was Nancy Hopkin conducting the SLCA Young Choral Artists (YoCA). Of only 10 voices, the kids did an excellent job. From familiar songs to a cute "Kazoo Concerto" that recalled familiar classical works, the groups was strongest when singing in unison. With such few voices, they struggled singing in parts but clearly the educational goals of this group are being attained. The children well poised and well-behaved and sang completely memorized. The various soloists proved there is strong natural talent in the young people of Utah. The children had strong middle ranges yet struggled a bit to channel their head voices; that will surely come with more time in the program. There are truly good things budding in the SLCA Young Choral Artists program.Joining the "triad," was Paradigm High School, conducted by Joan Steinmann. The Paradigm High School Madrigal ensemble sang "A Boy and a Girl" by popular choral composer Eric Whitacre. Their performance was wonderful and nuanced, and they proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the high school music scene.
Preparing for an upcoming concert on March 29th, the SLCA Youth Honor Choir conducted by Brady Allred, presented selections from Mozart's "Requiem" and the rousing gospel number, "Praise His Holy Name" by Keith Hampton.
The second half of the program was performed exclusively by the internationally-renowned Salt Lake Vocal Artists conducted by Dr. Brady Allred. In preparation for an appearance at the American Choral Director's Association Western Division Conference, they presented their music they will be performing. The group has a reputation of excellence and alone has heightened the level of choral music in the state. Their first performance for an audience in preparation for the event, SLVA's set began shaky with some intonation and balance issues in their opening piece "Hail Gladdening Light" a work for double choir by Charles Wood (seen here performed by an earlier incarnation of SLVA in Japan). Following that was "Benedictio" by Urmas Sisak: an interesting piece, yet the group show need for some polishing of the trickier passages.
English composer, Philip WJ Stopford's "Ave Regina Coelorum" was next. This piece alone, performed by SLVA, was the most incredible and transcendent choral experience this reviewer has had all year. Emotionally informed and exquisitely performed, under the masterful baton of Brady Allred, the choir sang with such unified precision in each nuance it sounded as one voice. This is what choral singing is truly about. Allred's SLVA sound is unique in Utah's choral singing community in that it is extremely tight and together, yet they sound is so expressive and free, not overly careful and controlled. With perfectly unified Latin vowels, balance and blend, the singers are enabled to sing expressively and freely, making the experience feel effortless and absorbing the audience into a truly remarkable performance. Not enough can be said of this remarkable performance of a beautiful work!The rest of the concert went on without a hitch. Technically complex pieces "Pange Lingua" by György Orbán and "Alleluia" by Jake Runestad, highlighted the true excellence of the group and their talented director. SLVA is not only an excellent choral ensemble, but are Utah's most IMPORTANT choral ensemble as well. They are consistently challenging themselves and their audiences presenting works that are beyond the scope and capabilities of their fellow choral groups excellently as well as constantly seeking out new and outstanding choral works throughout the world. Rather than singing only commonly-known audience-pleasing music, they combine their programs with these works and new and exciting works, like their final piece, Romanian-born Hungarian composer Levente Gyöngyösi's "Domine Deus meus:" an exciting, jazzy, and highly dramatic work that showed off all aspects of this wonderful group's capabilities.
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