London Symphony Chorus
Just days after performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Bernard Haitink and the London Symphony Orchestra in New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, the London Symphony Chorus made its first trip west of the Hudson River.
The famed ensemble joined the Lamont Symphony Orchestra Saturday evening at the University of Denver for a performance of another choral masterpiece – Gioacchino Rossini’s “Stabat Mater,” a 10-movement setting of a 13th-century devotional poem.
The change of setting didn’t appear to faze these singers one bit. Even though they were performing with a student ensemble in a city that is not exactly a classical center, they delivered a performance that emphatically demonstrated why they are world class.
To give the audience a taste of what the chorus could do, its director, Joseph Cullen, opened the second half by leading the singers in an unannounced performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s unaccompanied setting of the Lord’s Prayer, “Pater Noster.”
Its version of this little-heard work came as close to perfection as anyone is likely to hear, with impeccable intonation, sensitive dynamics, unerring precision and, perhaps most important, beautifully blended sound with depth and dimension.
With Lawrence Golan, Lamont’s music director, on the podium, the chorus punctuated its similarly strong work in the “Stabat Mater” with an explosive, spine-tingling take on the Amen finale. This culminating movement easily equals the power of the Hallelujah Chorus from the “Messiah.”
The Lamont Symphony could not match the level of a professional orchestra, and no one expected it to. Instead, it offered solid, capable accompaniment, proving to be a worthy collaborator with the chorus and four fine vocal soloists.
– Kyle MacMillan
Bobby Bare Jr.
There’s enough drama and self-loathing inside a Bobby Bare Jr. song to fill an entire episode of “Laguna Beach.” Yet comparing the rough and tumble alt-country troubadour to the glossily superficial MTV show is a difficult leap to make.
When Bare (the son of country legend Bobby Bare) took the stage at the Hi-Dive on Tuesday, he was a portrait of an artist. His shoes were tossed aside, and you could see his toes wiggling through his mismatched black socks. A tambourine sat on his bopping right foot, and he worked his guitar’s effects pedals with his left. His black denim jacket kept him warm on the cool night of Denver’s first snow, and the faded peace signs adorning his guitar strap curiously worked in tandem with his mop of tousled hair.
Bare’s music is a blast; he’s a master storyteller and adept with a hook. And the show was brilliant, with Bare and his band laying down the goodness song after song. Bare is a character and a talent. And his backing band – the tremendous trio Ghost Finger, who also opened the show – was an ideal match for Bare and a rush of odd rock ‘n’ roll gusto. Frontman Richie Kirkpatrick knows his way around a riff and never was anchored to the stage for too long. Most of his guitar solos were spent high-stepping it around the small room. He smiled as he passed you, and it was impossible not to smile back, as the room was just a big love-in for Bare and his buddies.
– Ricardo Baca
