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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Emerging choir Kantorei of Kansas City presented the very well conceived and unified program “Solomon’s Song.” Wisely removed from Valentine’s Day it was full of absorbing romance.  Kantorei’s fourteen talented vocalists under the direction of Chris Munce are individually refined and impressive—similarly at ease with traditional and modern compositions. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church is a superb venue for choir, and Kantorei aptly exploited the room’s acoustics. The choir’s size and this church allowed for the listener to single out specific voices if concentrating closely, but still Kantorei blended exquisitely and saturated the space with a warm, rich sound

Beginning with clear-ringing soprano, Palestrina’s Canticum Canticorum was dripping with emotion. The arching melodies and sensual texts were handled with grace and crisp pronunciation. Each motet was chosen well, relevant, and was an appropriate length. The group’s entrances and cut-offs were expertly timed together. The following two Solomon songs, performed as a set, were similar in mood and tempo. Fissinger’s Set Me as a Seal and Willan’s Rise Up My Love, My Fair One were fluid and lovely with interesting harmonies. The ensemble was expressive with spot on intonation, but there was some slight wavering on the final sustained chord before intermission.

Tavener’s wonderfully eerie Village Wedding opened the second half of the concert. The singers were situated in such a way that created a powerful echo throughout the room. Each individual singer performed their solo with effective dark stoicism, yet were rhythmically tight and moved together as an ensemble. Their sustained unison drones were balanced and controlled. This Marriage by Whitacre complemented and contrasted Village Wedding perfectly. The sentimental text is suitably set and Kantorei tenderly performed This Marriage with equal parts passion and sensitivity.

Closing the program was Pinkham’s stunning The Wedding Cantata. Soloists Beth Munce and Trent Green sang eloquently with confidence and the group together skillfully articulated dynamic contrasts in the first movement. I enjoyed the compelling piano part, performed on a console piano by guest Eryn Bates Preston, however I wished there had been a grand piano at their disposal. The men strongly opened the canon of the second movement and the third movement continued the lively trading phrases between the men and women. This third movement was the fastest and loudest on the program, and occasionally the usually excellent text clarity was slightly lost. The return of the “Set Me as a Seal” song in the Cantata’s final movement was reassuring, serene, and simply divine.

REVIEW:
Kantorei of Kansas City
“Solomon’s Song”
March 12, 2011
Lee’s Summit First Presbyterian Church
1625 Northwest O’Brien Road, Lee’s Summit
March 13, 2011 (Reviewed)
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
25^th and Gillham Streets, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.kantorei.kk5.org

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.