Night at the Opera

For its fourth concert of the 2008-09 season, The Metropolitan Chorus (TMC) presented an evening of favorite opera choruses and solos, featuring the concert verson of Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin. Program selections were discussed during a pre-concert lecture by TMC's artistic director, Barry Hemphill. Solosts included Gina Powell (soprano), Winona Stanback (soprano), Colin Eaton (tenor), and Alvy Powell (bass-baritone).

The program began with Le carnaval Romain, ouverture pour orchestre (Roman carnival overture) by French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz (comprised of materials and themes from Berlioz's opera Benvenuto Cellini).

Opera choruses performed by TMC included:

• Don, din, don - suona vespro (Bell chorus) from the opera Pagliacci by Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo


• Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate (Chorus of the Hebrew slaves) from the opera Nabucco by Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi


• Coro a bocca chiusa (Humming chorus) from the opera Madam Buterfly by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini


• O welche Lust! (Prisoners' chorus) from the opera Fidelio by German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven


• Vedi le fosche notturne (Anvil chorus) from the opera Il Trovatore by Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi


• Polovetsian dances from the opera Prince Igor by Russian composer Alexander Borodin

Solo performances included:

• Pleurez! Pleurez, mes yeux! from the opera Le Cid by French composer Jules Massenet


• Where ‘er you walk from the opera Semele by German-English Baroque composer George Frideric Handel


• When I am laid in earth (Dido's lament) from the opera Dido and Æneas by English Baroque composer Henry Purcell


• Tombe degli avi miei from the tragic opera Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti


• Vous qui faites l’endormie from the opera Faust by French composer Charles Gounod

The concert was presented on Saturday May 16 at 8 pm, with pre-concert lecture beginning at 7 pm, at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia.

Messiah Sing-Along at Kennedy Center

Join a 200-voice choir, professional soloists, and an exuberant audience in Washington's most popular free holiday event, the glorious sing-along of George Frideric Handel's beloved masterpiece Messiah.

During the Christmas season, Messiah sing-alongs are conducted across the United States, from Los Angeles to Denver to Northampton, Massachusetts. In Washington, people gather from all over the world to join in one of the largest and oldest audience-inclusive Messiah sings.

Conductors for the event include Barry Hemphill, artistic director of The Metropolitan Chorus, A. Scott Wood, conductor of The Amadeus Concerts Inc, and Terry Sisk, accompanist for The Metropolitan Chorus and organist, handbell director, and manager of the resident string orchestra at Vienna Presbyterian Church.

The chorus will be comprised of The Metropolitan Chorus, Fort Washington Community Chorus, The Northern Virginia Chorale, NVCC Annandale Chorale, and Prince George's Choral Society along with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Soloists include Jessica M. Stecklein, soprano; Linda Maguire, mezzo-soprano; Colin Eaton, tenor; and Robert Burner, baritone.

The concert will held on Tuesday, December 23 at 8 pm in the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall. Follow this link for details.

Feast of Carols

The Northern Virginia Chorale presented its Christmas concert, A Feast of Carols. The program included several traditional as well as contemporary arrangements of Ave Maria; Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming; This Christmastide; and Mary Had a Baby. The audience also had opportunities to sing O Come, All Ye Faithful; Silent Night; Deck the Hall; and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The chorale was accompanied by organ as well as brass, percussion, and guitar.

Of particular interest was Gloria by Randol Alan Bass. The chorale performed the selection exceptionally well, and this was fortuitous because The Metropolitan Chorus also will be performing this piece at their Brass & Bells concert on December 20.

From its inception in 1975, The Northern Virginia Chorale has sought to present performances of distinguished choral music from a variety of genres including classical and contemporary. Under the leadership of artistic director Robert S Webb, Jr, the 70-voice chorale has achieved a well-earned reputation for providing the community with high-quality performances. The chorale will be partnering with The Metropolitan Chorus for the Messiah Sing-Along at the Kennedy Center on December 23.

The concert was held on Saturday December 6 at 8 pm at Saint Mark's Lutheran Church in Springfirled, Virginia.

Messiah Sing-Along at First Presbyterian Church

The 21st annual Messiah Sing-Along was held in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Arlington. In keeping with this time-honored tradition, The Metropolitan Chorus' artistic director Barry Hemphill (pictured above) was on hand for one of the most joyous musical expression of the Christmas season. More than 250 participants brought or rented scores, and many brought food or made monetary donations to the church for those in need.

Everyone gave their utmost during choruses such as And the Glory of the Lord and For Us a Child is born, and the ever-powerful Hallelujah. The soloists in particular exhibited exceptional levels of proficiency, and the instrumentalists provided all the necessary warmth and precision.

The sing-along will be performed again at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday, December 23 at 8 pm. This time it will feature a 200+ voice chorus (including The Metropolitan Chorus and The Northern Virginia Chorale), professional soloists, and a fervent audience.