Local collaboration to bring ‘big set of voices’ to stage
Fort Dodge Area Symphony, local choirs merge in a celebration of vocal masterworks
In a far from ordinary performance, the Fort Dodge Area Symphony is joining up with the Fort Dodge Choral Society and Fort Dodge Senior High a capella choir next Sunday for a celebration of vocal masterpieces.
“It’s going to be a big set of voices on stage,” said Symphony Conductor Joshua Barlage.
“Fort Dodge just has a long history of musical excellence in the schools and in the community,” Barlage said. “Pulling these three groups together — the symphony, an adult and a student choir all together, it’s going to produce a fantastic concert.”
The choirs and symphony will present Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem” in its entirety — seven separate movements including about 35 minutes of music.
In addition, the Choral Society and the A Cappella Choir will each join the Symphony separately to perform other pieces of music. A Cappella will plan to perform the first movement from Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” The Choral Society will perform two movements from Mozart’s “Requiem.”
Faure is a well-known French composer, but this particular work is not performed “often enough,” Barlage said.
“It’s the most gorgeous choral writing around,” he said. “If you have an ounce of interest in hearing good choral masterpieces, this piece will float you right out of your seat.”
Ever since he came here four seasons ago, Barlage has been hoping to produce such a partnership.
Choral Society Conductor Bruce Perry agreed.
“I don’t think these organizations have done anything together for nearly a quarter century,” Perry said. “The last thing we did was Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah,’ and I think that was the first year I conducted Choral Society. This is my 24th season. It was probably long overdue that we do something together.”
FDSH Vocal Music Teacher Matt Drees said this is a great opportunity for his kids — not only to sing some “extremely high quality choral literature,” but also to perform with a full orchestra.
“Most of the time, at the high school level, if you are looking at programming a masterwork, it is typically accompanied by piano,” Drees said. “Performing the music with the piano reduction still exposes the students to quality literature, but not in its truest form.”
The Choral Society frequently brings in Symphony members to form a pick-up orchestra for its concerts, and society singers have sometimes joined the symphony — such as helping lead a sing-along of the Hallelujah Chorus this Christmas.
“There’s a nice rapport between the two groups,” Perry said.
The concert will be diverse, with massive orchestra movements, choral aspects, and quieter chamber music.
The Faure Requiem is a big sound — “We’re pairing it with a couple smaller pieces that are very well known in the choral repertoire,” Barlage said.
He hadn’t been familiar with the work before, and was impressed when he listened to the definitive interpretation of it. t
“There were tears in my eyes. It’s just a magnificently moving piece,” Barlage said. “It’s going to touch different heartstrings in different people, but everybody’s going to moved by this.”
Unlike some Requiem pieces, this wasn’t written in memorial of anyone, he said.
“He wrote it because he wanted to. He loved the Latin text of the Requiem, and wanted to put his stamp, his artistry on it. And has just written something that is truly timeless.”
In addition to playing with the choir, the symphony will also play two pieces by famous operatic composers–featuring the orchestra alone without singers.
“We’re going to do the Overture to Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, and Sigfried’s Funeral March from Wagner,” Barlage said.
For Drees, there’s a personal reason to be excited for this concert.
“I will have an opportunity to rehearse and conduct the FDAS with the A Cappella Choir for the first movement of the Vivaldi ‘Gloria.’ This will be my first professional experience conducting this type of work,” he said.
Perry said he’s excited because of the concert’s “intergenerational aspect.”
“We have people probably 15, 16 years old through probably 80 years old working together for a common good,” he said. “As one who teaches many young singers, I think it’s an important lesson for them to see singing is a lifelong event.”
“It continues to really, really impress me how supportive this community is of the arts in general,” Barlage said. “The choral society, the Comedia players, there’s a ton of volunteer-based organizations in the Fort Dodge area.”
“The symphony is really a regional treasure. It’s unusual for a town the size of Fort Dodge to have a symphony of that caliber,” Perry said.
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A Choral Celebration: Faure’s Requiem
WHAT: Fort Dodge Area Symphony collaboration with Fort Dodge Choral Society and Fort Dodge Senior High A Capella choir
WHEN: March 5, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium
TICKETS: $10 available at the door, or by symphony season membership
For more information visit www.fdsymphony.org/concert3.htm