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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Imagine sitting in a beautiful space preparing yourself to hear the singing of children -  when 25 high school-aged young women stride purposefully onto the stage and explode into singing that is so brilliant in clarity and depth that that there is nothing to do but sit, stunned, and let the sound capture all in its path with beauty.  Here it is again... and again.

Kansas City is surely experiencing choral music concerts that would ennoble any concert hall anywhere.
 
It is virtually impossible to understate the high quality of the singing The Children's Choir Jitro offered in their wide-ranging concert at Visitation Catholic Church on Wednesday, October 29 as a part of Visitation¹s concert series.  If the term "world-class" has any validity, it surely applies to this choir.  From the modestly sized city (100,000) of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, Jitro stands atop a local school of singing that encompasses choirs from pre-school to adult mixed ensembles.  The Skopal family has maintained and strengthened this tradition, now with conductor Dr. Jiri Skopal who, with his son Jiri, mark the family's third and fourth generations.  Dozens of concerts in major concert halls all over Europe, the United States and Japan testify to their durability and excellence.
 
Jitro's concert in Kansas City included works from the Renaissance and Baroque eras by Gallus, Lotti, Vodnansky and Pergolesi.  Lotti's Crucifixus a 8 made the transition from an eight-part mixed voice motet to eight-part treble much more successfully than the GallusAscendit Deus, which was hampered by a tempo so brisk that the part interplay was largely lost in a mishmash of sound - even if it was beautiful sound.  The choir was captivating in its singing of Verdi's Laudi alla Vergine Maria, from the Quatra pezzi sacra, as well as Randall Thompson's American classic Alleluia. Having never heard Thompson's piece in the arrangement for treble voices only, this hearer felt introduced to an almost new work, with edgy harmonic relationships that are simply not so close and pungent in the mixed choir version.
 
Contemporary composer Henk Badings would have been amazed at the intonation and harmonic tension during his mesmerizing Kyrie eleison, sung with winning heartfelt expression.  Speech and singing, complete with slides and whoops, marked Fekka Rostiainen's music, and was met with surprise and much delight from the audience of more than 300.
 
The concert's second half was given over to the music of Benjamin Britten and Petr Eben.  Eben, who died in 2007 after enjoying a successful international career, seems to be the choir's great favorite. This was reflected in the number of his works included in this concert, as well as in the choir's repertory over many years.  Eben's music is filled with fluid, seductive melodies, while still exploring the outer reaches of standard tonal harmonies.    It was during Eben's Liturgicke zpevy that the top soprano part seemed to have a spell of fatigue, causing some flatting  of the pitch;  however, they recovered completely during the rest of the program, returning to their pitch-perfect singing. Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols received a performance marked by full-voiced chant, and a rhythmic vigor and precision not often encountered in ensembles so young.  Every note of this well-known work satisfied, and there were enough moments of tender clarity to melt even the coldest heart.
 
A pre-concert presentation offered an opportunity to hear two local choirs of young women, Schola Cantorum from Lee's Summit High school, conducted by Chris Munce and Filia, and another from the Community Music and Dance Academy of UMKC, conducted by Jennifer Benjamin. To conclude the concert the combined choirs sang jazz-great Oscar Peterson¹s Hymn to Freedom with great élan.

REVIEW
Visitation Fine Arts Society presents
Jitro 
Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. 
Visitation Church, 5141 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 

By Arnold Epley

Classical and Vocal Contributor (Past writer)