Choral Artists to start season with a splash

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 22, 2006 | by Edward Reichel Deseret Morning News

The Salt Lake Choral Artists open the season in a big way next weekend, joining forces with the Salt Lake Symphony to perform Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," one of the 20th century's most popular and enduring works.

"We want to open with a splash," said Brady Allred, the choral ensemble's music director.

More than just kicking off a new season, the weekend's concerts also celebrate the group's new name. Formerly known as the Utah Choral Artists, the choir was forced to change its name after a lawsuit was brought against it by Barlow Bradford's Utah Chamber Artists, who felt the similarity in names hindered them in attracting audiences to their concerts.

Rather than lamenting having to find a new name, however, Allred has eagerly embraced the change. He said that calling the group the Salt Lake Choral Artists will improve its identity, both in Utah and out of state. "It's a positive change for us."

And there's hardly a better way to debut the new name than with the Orff piece. "I think we can get a bigger audience with a work like 'Carmina Burana' and let them find out who the Salt Lake Choral Artists are," Allred said.

An expected large turnout is what prompted Allred to schedule performances on Saturday and Sunday. "We don't want to turn anyone away."

Everything about next weekend's concert will be big. Not only will the choir collaborate with the Salt Lake Symphony, but Allred has augmented the Choral Artists, which now numbers more than 150 voices, with the University of Utah A Cappella Choir. "That puts us at 220 singers," Allred said. "It's going to be a powerful sound."

But it's not merely about numbers. Orff's percussive, rhythmically vibrant score demands a small army of singers and instrumentalists to capture the earthiness of the music.

Orff used texts written by disenfranchised monks who became troubadours and experienced life to the fullest. And that is quite vividly reflected in the music. "The poetry is very beautiful and meaningful," Allred said. But it's also realistic and uninhibited in a manner that has transcended the centuries since the words were penned.

Soloists for the performances are well-known local singers: soprano Genevieve Christianson, tenor George Dyer and baritone Clayne Robison.

Christianson came to Utah as part of the Utah Opera's young artists program, where she sang several small roles.

Dyer has been seen in numerous productions with the Utah Opera, most recently as Ferrando in Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte," and Frederick in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." Dyer has also soloed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Robison, recently retired from Brigham Young University after more than 30 years as a member of the vocal faculty, has appeared countless times with the Utah Opera, the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

"The baritone has the most music to sing (among the soloists) -- it's a real tour de force," Allred said, adding that Robison is the right person for the part. "He has good low and high notes, and he can also sing falsetto."

Allred has conducted "Carmina Burana" several times over the years, including his first concert at the University of Utah after being appointed director of choral conducting in 2003.

"The music really speaks for itself," he said. "It's very circular, since the last movement is the same as the first."

The medieval concept of fate and the wheel of fortune is clearly evident in the music. "And I take the tempo in the last movement a little faster than in the first, so it should leave the audience on its feet."

If you go ...

What: Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," Salt Lake Choral Artists, the U. A Cappella Choir,the Salt Lake Symphony

Where: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah

When: Saturday and Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.

How much: $18

Phone: 581-7100

Web: www.kingsbury

hall.org or www.saltlakechoralartsist.org

E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com