Under the silver spiral of the Community of Christ temple in Independence, New York Polyphony joined the Young MAIsterSingers for the MAI 30^th Anniversary concert this past weekend.  The performance was more than just beautiful voices resonating in a brilliant space; these young people had been touched by the careful tutelage of the late Millicent A. Daugherty.  It was in her honor that the performance was dedicated.

A Kansas City boy, New York Polyphony tenor Scott Dispensa had been a student of Millicent Daugherty. It was through her encouragement that he credits his ability to go to the Westminster Choir College.  There he met counter-tenor Geoffrey Williams from Springfield, Missouri.  Together with bass, Craig Phillips and tenor Geoffrey Silver, New York Polyphony was founded.  Since 2006, the group has been actively performing for audiences around the country and in Ireland.  This tour takes them through the Heartland.

Opening with Sicut lilium by Renaissance composer Antoine Brumel , their voices slid into the program with silky sensitivity.  The acoustics in the Temple allowed the audience to hear every nuance of this melodically complex piece, warming their tone and sending it spinning up to the spire.

Not necessarily a choral sound, theses four adult male soloists function more like a string quartet.  They perform without a conductor, as is the custom, so they must be highly aware of every breath and the slightest movement in order to stay together.  Sometimes they sounded like a quartet without a viola, sometimes without a violin.  Meeting the needs of the music required them to re-organize the pieces in different keys and ways to fit their voices.   For polyphony purists, they lacked the bell-like ping of soprano and alto voices bouncing off of each other. Yet, the final result was elegant and stylish with a mellower timbre like brandy and burnished leather. 

Polyphony is notorious for insanely long melodic lines where singers in the chorus will "cheat" breathe at different times to sustain the energy through the phrase. Throughout Absalon Fili mi by Josquin Desprez and the Lamentation of Jeremiah by Thomas Crecquillon, the group seemed to be able to miraculously finish the phrases in one breath: a testament to excellent technique.  They were able to nourish the end of each line gently as they linked to the next musical thought.  They passed the "ball" carefully.

A jaunty bass and baritone duet began the Ave Maria Mater Dei by William Cornysh.  It was refreshing to hear the lower voices make strong statements.  Stella Caeli by Walter Lambe was once piece where this reviewer longed to hear the mournful alto line soaring through the thick harmonic texture.  The final chords were lovely.  

Taking the stage, The Young MAIsterSingers looked elegant in their black gowns and miniature tuxedos. They sang the famous Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (BWV 147) and Wir eilen mit schwachen (BWV 78) by J.S. Bach. They sounded amazingly polished for a concert so early in the season and singing the pieces in the original German was equally impressive. 

The MAI, Music/Arts Institute of the Millicent A. Daugherty Community School of the Arts, forwards the musical education of private students in grades 4-8.  The students in the choir come from all over the metropolitan area.  Thirty young singers make up the choir which has served as the Children's Chorus for special KC Symphony performances.

New York Polyphony continued the program with the beautiful and effective Notre Pere Opus 14 by Maurice Durufle.  The pitch perfect unison proved that this group can sing easily as one voice.   The luscious modern harmonies sound fresh even in the 21 century.

The Quatre petite priers de Francois d'Assise by Francis Poulenc have a surprising choral chromaticism. The thick chords slid up and down and around as they twisted up to the spiral rafters.   The tonal center changed between prayers, the second and third featuring tenor, Geoffrey Silver.  He communicated the text sincerely and the group attacked the short, jazzy phrases with precision.  Only the fourth prayer sounded a little like a barbershop quartet but the piece was written at a time in history when that nostalgic harmony was popular.  Unfortunately, the audience began clapping just as the group began to sing their final chord. It created an awkward ending to an otherwise sublime set.

The final piece featured Scott Dispensa singing Panis angelicus by Franck with the Young MAIsterSingers.  Finally able to sing in his full, lush baritone, Dispensa filled the resonant Temple with the song his mentor had assigned to him as a high school student.  Behind him, the hopeful young faces of future famous singers echoed his phrases like the ghost of his childhood.  The future supported the present in honor of the past.

Millicent Daugherty had programmed this concert a year ago but circumstances beyond her control prevented it from being sung during her lifetime.  Witnessing this important tribute made me feel sad that I had never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Daugherty; but seeing the fruits of her labor, ripen on stage it was evident that her legacy is in good hands.  Her influence on the musical arts here and throughout the country will be felt for many, many years to come.

REVIEW:
New York Polyphony and the Young MAIsterSingers
MAI 30^th Anniversary Concert
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Community of Christ Temple
Independence, MO

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.