Abendmusik: Lincoln, Ruth Watson Henderson

RUTH WATSON HENDERSON


Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson discusses her work, From Darkness to Light.  


The Abendmusik Chorus and Orchestra collaborate with the Doane College Choir and soloists to bring Mozart’s Requiem. Nebraska audiences will also hear, for the first time, Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson's hopeful and lyrical From Darkness to Light. Jeremy Bankson and Tom Trenney guide the gathered musicians in an enlightening afternoon.


Sunday, April 3, 2011, 4PM


First-Plymouth Congregational Church
2000 D St, Lincoln, NE, 68502

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Darkness to Light is a cantata commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for its 2002 National Convention in Philadelphia.  Its premiere performance featured New York's renowned choir, The Voices of Ascension, under the direction of Dennis Keene.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What attracted you to the text, both the poetry and the biblical passages?

I was drawn to the poem by Wilfred Watson (no relation, but I wish I could have met him before he died) and felt that I wanted to combine it with scripture verses that speak of darkness and light.

The text is conveyed by a baritone soloist, a mezzo-soprano soloist and a choir. What does each "voice" represent?

I used a solo [baritone] voice for [the biblical] verses to set them apart from the poem's verses sung by the choir and make them more personal. Everyone is travelling together through darkness on life's journey in which, in part 1, they do not recognize the voice of God in the singing light.
The mezzo's solo is the highlight of the work when she recognizes the rose of resurrection. Everyone then hears the darkness singing.

If you were to speak to the audience, singers and players before the work was offered, what would you share?

One thing that occurred the week after I completed this piece that had a profound impact on me was the 9/11 tragedy. If I had been asked to write a work in response to it, this is what I would have written, and yet I had already completed it! [I would like the audience and performers] to sustain hope and look for the Light when there are so many tragic things happening in the world these days.

There have been many fine performances of this work around North America. I can't single one out, but I appreciate the way singers get involved in the message they are projecting. I wish you and your choir the very best for your performance.

God bless you all.


Ruth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruth Watson Henderson has an international reputation as one of Canada’s leading composers and as an admired pianist and organist.

Her works are acclaimed, performed and recorded worldwide. The Elmer Iseler Singers released a CD, Sing All Ye Joyful, devoted to her choral compositions. William Littler, writing in the Toronto Star, refers to this recording as "long overdue", and states that Ruth’s "years as an accompanist for Elmer Iseler contributed to an understanding of the expressive possibilities of choral sound that has given birth to some of the most singable choral music in the Canadian literature." Other favourable reviews of her work include the following comments about her Cantata From Darkness to Light: 

"Impressionistic harmonies, a constant sense of forward motion, and deft handling of the orchestral voices all combined to make this a most appealing work, worthy of repeated hearings." – Larry Palmers, The Diapason 

"… a downright ravishing work!" – Timothy Howard, The American Organist

Recognized for her lifetime of service to music, Ruth has been paid many tributes by the music community. She was honored by the conferring of an honorary Fellowship by the Royal Canadian College of Organists (FRCCO); she received the National Choral Award for Outstanding Choral Composition for Voices of Earth, and the Distinguished Service Award by the Ontario Choral Federation. 

Ruth Watson Henderson continues to serve as the Music Director at Kingsway-Lambton United Church in Toronto.

Abendmusik: Lincoln, Mardi Gras 2011

Abendmusik: Lincoln, St. Olaf 1.29.2011

Abendmusik: Lincoln Midwinter Music Workshop 1.29.2011

Abendmusik: Lincoln, Children's Choir Festival 1.29.2011

Abendmusik: Lincoln, Alice Parker Community Sing 1.28.2011

Abendmusik: Lincoln Guest Clinician

LINDSAY KESSELMAN

Coming to this weekend's Midwinter Music Workshop, soprano Lindsay Kesselman shares more about her voice classes and her love of the choral art.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My first session, "The Chorister's Voice: Singing with Freedom" is all about healthy vocal technique. We will do a fun, energized, extended warm up exploring issues of freedom and relaxation in the body, while intentionally connecting to breath, so that our voices will function as efficiently, healthfully, and EASILY as possible!

The second session, "Text: Singing with Intention and Meaning" will be an exploration of singers as actors and actresses, infusing our texts with layers of meaning in order to create substantive, powerful, and engaging performances. We will experiment and play, unlocking our unique expressive potential as individuals!

The third session, "Finding Your Voice: Releasing the Fear of Singing Alone" deals with the innate vulnerability we feel as singers and how to move past that feeling of "nakedness" to a place of being able to appreciate and even enjoy (!) our own instruments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the most important thing a community choir singer can learn to better his or her ensemble?

How to trust his/her own instrument and recognize what a contribution he/she can be within a group context

How can an individual voice hope to influence many?

Every person has unique strengths to share within a choir, whether it be a strong sense of rhythmic pulse, fabulous clarity in diction, a strong and clear vocal tone, a positive attitude which galvanizes and enrolls others in the process, or a palpable, powerful love of singing. Choirs couldn't flourish without the individual strengths, talents, and skills of each individual who is present.

What is the biggest challenge for a singer when trying to balance a free, open resonant voice while still trying honor the desire to enrich the ensemble sound?

I believe that when each person is singing with their healthiest vocal habits, it will positively impact and add to the overall sound of the choir. The best ensembles are made up of individuals who are singing their best: freely, easily, with a clear understanding of breath and placement, with a high level of awareness, and who are enrolled in the overall purpose and spirit of the group.

What struggles have you experienced as a choral singer? (Now or at any time/stage in your singing career.)

I have struggled with similar questions to what I think every singer experiences..."how does my individual sound cooperate with others in a group setting?" "How can I impact the overall product without drawing unnecessary attention to my individual voice?" I have definitely grown more comfortable with my own answers to these questions over time, and though I sing professionally as a soloist, I also still enjoy incredibly meaningful choral experiences, in which I can sing healthfully, as myself, and without feeling inhibited as an artist.

What joys have you experienced as a choral singer? (Now or at any time/stage in your singing career.)

Some of the most powerful musical experiences I have had have taken place in a choral setting. I grew up in the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus, and learned from an early age the extraordinary power of group singing...the enormous trust among the members of an ensemble, the poignancy of creating beauty with others and marking a particular moment in time in a completely unique way, and the power of choral music to bring people together across all kinds of boundaries. There really is nothing quite like it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindsay Kesselman currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Voice at Eastern Michigan

University where she maintains an applied voice studio while also teaching class voice for

instrumental music education majors and diction for singers. She received her M.M. in voice

from Rice University in 2008 and her B.M. in voice and music education from Michigan State

University in 2006. Kesselman’s recent engagements include the Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Heights Chamber Orchestra, and the music of Abbie Betinis in recital at Rice University, Kent State University, and with The Schubert Club in St. Paul, MN as a result of winning an Encore Grant from the American Composers’ Forum. She premiered three chamber works in collaboration with eighth blackbird this June as part of their Music10 Festival in Blonay, Switzerland. Upcoming engagements include: Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, an appearance with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, and numerous recitals across the country including the premiere of a new song cycle on Philadelphia’s Salon Series. She is also the featured soprano in The Loading Dock Project, an innovative and ground-breaking grassroots commission by composer Hannah Lash. In addition to maintaining an active performing schedule, Kesselman is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher and is regularly engaged as a voice clinician and adjudicator. This summer she was on faculty at the New York State Summer School for the Arts, teaching private voice as well as a music theater course, and this winter she will be giving a master class at the University of Central Florida.