Resounding success for Somerset Hills Chorus and Rise Up Chorus collaboration
Our recent performance of the contemporary oratorio Annelies by living British composer James Whitbourn provided local New Jersey audiences with a captivating evening of music at the Chestnut Avenue Presbyterian Church in Plainfield on June 10 and the Presbyterian Church in Morristown on June 11.
The 85-strong choral ensemble was composed of dedicated singers from our very own Somerset Hills Chorus (SHC) and the nearby Rise Up Chorus (RUC) out of Metuchen— with members representing all walks of life, ranging from teenagers to retirees.
Despite their diverse backgrounds, these singers combined their voices in harmony, thrilling their audience with a stunning rendition of this 21st Century Masterwork.
Annelies is a movingly beautiful and powerful composition based on The Diary of Anne Frank, with a libretto by Melanie Challenger that is based on actual entries from Anne's diary.
Oratorios, being a close cousin of operas and musicals, usually serve as narratives based on biblical stories, or, as in this case, legendary historical and literary figures.
With their grand scale of music, drama, and history, oratorios have the incredible ability to combine music and drama to tell stories in an interesting and inspiring way.
It might have been a solemn occasion, considering the subject matter, but the way that Whitbourn wrote the work, and the way Maestri Stephen Sands of SHC and Matthew LaPine of RUC conducted it, resulted in much more than just a solemn reproduction of the teenage girl’s two years in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam: it was a celebration of her courage, her determination, and her unquenchable optimism that good would triumph over evil in the end:
“I see the world being slowly turned into wilderness,” Anne wrote. “I hear the approaching thunder that one day will destroy us too. And yet, when I look at the sky, I feel that everything will change for the better.”
Which is not to say that there were no tears at this performance! The role of Annelies herself is written for a soprano soloist, sung expertly in this interpretation by the marvelous and mesmerizing Jamaican-American Soprano Sonya Headlam.
Sometimes her singing was quiet and thoughtful – long phrases, many of them wonderfully drawn out – but at other times she had a suspenseful story to tell – there are at least two narrow escapes from SS troops, and those are times when the large chorus could be heard to especially dramatic effect.
The chorus played the role of both narrator and commentator, and gave a deeply moving account of the complicated rhythms and patterns in the choral writing. They were accompanied by a small but mighty instrumental ensemble of enormous virtuosic ability, consisting of piano (James Lubrano), violin (Elizabeth Fayette), cello (Gerall Hieser) and clarinet (Benjamin Fingland).
Adding to the atmosphere of it all was an informative and graphic slideshow, which provided visual and contextual aids alongside the music, complemented by breathtaking lighting by NYC-based designer Takaaki Ando.
Audience members of all ages were visibly touched at the conclusion of the piece, leaving a sort of serenity in the wake of the incredible musical journey through Anne Frank’s powerful legacy. Rapturous applause followed with a standing ovation from all in attendance as a sign of their appreciation for the group’s talent.
Heartfelt thanks goes out to all who joined us for these momentous performances!
Co-written by Richard Somerset Ward & Erin Schwab, edited by Erin Mistele.
Photo Credit: Deborah Kmetz