Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
THE THIRD face of music, Western Art Music, was unveiled at the auditorium of the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts on Sunday night. Unfortunately, it was to an audience that was largely in absentia.
The Western Art Music concert was the third and final of a series staged as an effort to raise funds for the school. On Thursday night, it was time for jazz, on Friday popular music took over, and so on Sunday it was time to show the quieter face.
The concert featured arias, songs from musicals and classical compositions on piano, clarinet, classical guitar and vocals. The performers were largely students from the School of Music, their faculty and guests. Roger Williams and Curtis Watson were the night's accompanists, while Ibo Cooper, Artiste in Residence, enlivened the proceedings as host.
KICKING THINGS OFF
The evening started off with mezza soprano Vernita Fort, accompanied by Williams, performance of the Christoph Willibald Gluck aria from Orfeo ed Euridice, Che faro senza Euridice. Fort would later return toward the end of the programme to perform a duet with tenor Keith Mitchell from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera.
With his youth and diminutive size, one could easily walk past Mitchell, but, as his delivery of Louis Niedermeyer's aria 'Pieta, signore' highlights, his voice easily calls one to attention. Mitchell also lent his vocals to accompany soprano Rhonda Lumsden-Lue's on the classic The Holy City.
Tenor Orville Manning made a guest appearance with Gounod's O Divine Redeemer, while Ainsworth Case, whose bass voice issuing from his slight frame seems an anatomical
mystery, delivered Deep River.
INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCES
Instrumental performances included the school's piano tutor, Allison Watson, performing Scarlatti's Sonata in C Major and Sonata in A Major. Kyran O'Connor who drew from the works of Schumann, Granados and Burgmuller and Michael Humphrey Jr. performing Beethoven's Sonata in C Minor also gave piano recitals.
Cheryl Bernard with Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze gave a taste of the clarinet while Shawn Richards performed four romantic pieces on classical guitar.
The night was brought to an impressive close with three pieces from vocal tutor Michael Harris who delivered a taste of humour with A Woman is a Sometime Thing from Porgy and Bess, a haunting sliver of sadness with Bu-doi from Miss Saigon and a dollop of hope with The Prayer. He was beautifully accompanied on the last piece by Vera Espeut.
