REVIEWS: CIVIC ORCHESTRA & ALL-STATE FEST

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Posted: November 16, 2008 - 10:46 am

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Music fest at West
By Mike Dunham

Saturday, Nov. 22, was the Feast of Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, and several hundred people celebrated by making music for the sheer love of it.

The Anchorage Civic Orchestra, sounding as good as I've ever heard them, performed in Bartlett High School's new theater. The program opened and closed with dances: Bartok's "Rumanian Folk Dances" and Liszt's "Dance of Death," or "Totentanz."
Timothy Smith: cheers for his "Totentanz" with the Anchorage Civic Orchestra.
The latter featured piano soloist Timothy Smith. It was a good match-up in the acoustically fine space. The big piano easily held its own against the fairly small orchestra - overpowering them in some cases - which was fine in that Liszt wrote this piece as a piano showcase, with the orchestra mostly relegated to cheering section. The brass players asserted themselves nicely in key spots, however. The audience of 400-500 (in a 650 capacity auditorium) loved it and responded with cheers and a standing ovation.

Conductor Tai Wai Li maintained brisk tempos and crisp articulation. The best playing came in two works by Mozart, the Symphony No. 39 and his Overture to "The Magic Flute." Again the brass sounded authoritarian in the big chords of the overture, and the winds - who had some excellent solos in the Bartok - again distinguished themselves here. But the strings enjoyed several stretches of unusually tight ensemble-playing, both in the overture and in the outer movements of the symphony.

Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves" rounded out the program.

The theater is a handsome facility of dark wood and tile. The sound is close and ample; when concertmaster Nina Bingham reminded the audience to shut off their cell phones, she didn't need to use a microphone.

About the time the Civic Orchestra concert ended, the 2008 All-State Music Festival started at West High. The auditorium was packed - and so was the parking lot - with people on hand to hear the cream of Alaska's high school musicians.

They'd come from Kodiak and Ketchikan, Craig and Cordova, Homer and Houston - singers, band and orchestra players. The precision of these talented kids was marvelous to hear, especially the strength and unity of the violins in the orchestra.

But the most remarkable thing to me was how the choristers did not use sheet music. They'd learned everything by heart, including some very difficult a cappella numbers. And the wobble-free sound of so many young voices confidently nailing their parts made it a St. Cecilia's day to remember.

Don't take my word for it. We'll post video at adn.com/arts. If you captured your own photos or video of the event, feel free to download it yourself at adn.com/video. When you get to the "category" choice, go with "Other."

Final note, AT&T gave a special award at the festival to the school whose contingent boasted the highest grade point average. Grace Christian won. Now there's something to sing about.

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