AMERICAN WEST SYMPHONY AND CHORUS, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Monday.
In his years as music director of the American West Symphony, Joel Rosenberg has done wonders with the orchestra. Especially in the past several years, the Sandy-based ensemble has grown artistically and musically. The orchestra sounds strong and well-balanced and plays with conviction. And few community orchestras along the Wasatch Front can compare with the American West Symphony when it comes to dedication and zeal. The symphony's concerts are always rewarding and not to be missed.
The same applies to the American West Chorus, which joins the symphony for two of its four concerts each season. Under new chorus master Cameron Rose, the chorus sounds better than it ever has. Even though the group is fairly small and somewhat weak in the tenors and basses, it nevertheless holds its own against the orchestra. When it performs, the chorus contributes much to the success of the American West concerts.
The American West Symphony and Chorus held its final concert of the season Monday evening in Libby Gardner Concert Hall. The main work on the program was Haydn's "Mass in Time of War," one of the composer's late works and written during the time of Napoleon's invasion of Haydn's native Austria.
Joining the orchestra and chorus for the Mass were soloists Camille Boyle, soprano; Mary Ann Dresher, mezzo-soprano; Brigham Timpson, tenor; and Robert Brandt, bass. The four were the perfect choice for the Haydn. Their voices blended well together with the chorus, and they were remarkably well-matched in the few sections where they sang as a quartet, most notably in the "Benedictus." This movement was performed with an eloquence that captured the hushed reverence of the music.
Boyle's radiant voice and Dresher's rich mezzo gave vibrancy to the performance whenever they sang. A pleasant surprise, though, was Timpson's lyrical tenor; unfortunately, he only has a small part to sing in the Mass. Brandt's resonant voice, on the other hand, was featured in the "Qui tollis" section, which he sang with a great deal of expression and feeling.
The chorus and soloists, as well as Rose, returned onstage after the Mass to give a sincere and heartfelt rendering of Mozart's evocative "Ave Verum," K. 618.
The concert opened with a vividly colorful reading of Copland's "Appalachian Spring." With his well-chosen tempos, Rosenberg's interpretation captured the vibrancy of the music perfectly. The maestro knows how to get the best out of his orchestra; the performance was well-articulated, nuanced and executed with precision.
Especially striking was the "Simple Gifts" section. The orchestra played it with feeling, bringing out the tender poignancy of the music.
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com