APRIL 22, 1994
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
19
ENTERTAINMENT
Yours is bigger than mine
Brothers, Sing Out
North Coast Men's Chorus and Renaissance City Choir
Reviewed by Kevin Beaney
I've never thought of myself as a size queen, but I must say that chills ran down my spine when the curtains slowly parted at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium for the Brothers, Sing Out concert on April 9. There on the risers were more than 100 men decked out in tuxedos ready to sing their hearts out. The buzz of excitement in the audience indicated that I wasn't the only one impressed by the combined forces of Cleveland's North Coast Men's Chorus and the Renaissance City Choir of Pittsburgh, united for a one-night concert.
After the opening three selections, the first conducted by North Coast music director Timothy Robson, the next two by Renaissance conductor and artistic director Larry Marietta, the curtains closed-leaving the audience in the dark for far too long-and reopened to reveal just the Renaissance members who performed for the balance of the first act. Two of the songs were performed by the Liberty Tubes, a subset of about a dozen of the Pittsburgh members.
When act two began, the North Coast chorus occupied the stage alone. It was at this point that the issue of size invaded the mind again. After being entertained by Pittsburgh's choir, the audience was starkly reminded that the Cleveland group has fewer than half their number. The stage looked sparse as the local boys began to sing. Fortunately, after the first few notes it didn't matter. The Chorus sang with precision and forcefulness that managed to overcome the dead acoustics of the auditorium.
The Coastliners (the North Coast equivalent of the Liberty Tubes) did not perform at this concert. I was mildly surprised, since the program, conductors and sign language interpreters were graciously balanced between Pittsburgh and Cleveland throughout.
The program overall was safe and sedate; no complex arrangements or risks were taken here. The air seemed heavy with spirituals. At least two of Renaissance's choices were arranged in a way that can best be described as unusual. One was "Stouthearted Men" arranged by Walter Scotson; the other was what Marietta introduced as Renaissance's signature, Fred Small's "Everything Possible." This version, arranged by Willi Zwozdesky, not only obscured the familiarity of the gay childrens' lullaby made popular by the Flirtations, but lost much of its meaning.
Timothy Robson and Larry Marietta
When Renaissance sang "O Vos Omnes" by Pablo Casals, it was easy to understand why they call themselves a choir. The a cappella treatment was solemn and a stunning piece of choral work. The nicest break to the program was the last selection of act one, "Betelehemu," a Nigerian carol which presented three percussionists and lively swaying and clapping. Somewhat of an odd choice having a Christmas-themed carol in a spring concert, but it did liven the mood and close the act with a flourish.
North Coast presented a departure from the religious with a performance of "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables, arranged by Robson and including a strong solo by Rich Cinquepalmi.
The final scheduled number, "Somewhere Medley" performed by the combined cho-
PAUL HARMS
ruses, was a delightful blending of three songs, "Somewhere Out There" from An Americal Tail, "Somewhere" from West Side Story, and "(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz. This was one instance where the music ended too soon, just as we were getting used to the interweaving of the lyrics and melodies.
Throughout the concert, the audience gave warm and appreciative applause to the visiting choir, rivaling the response to the Chorus' performance. Annoying sound system problems and inadequate acoustics put a small cloud over an otherwise enjoyable evening. Based on the enthusiastic response, the successful blending of the two bodies, not to mention their size, it seems like Cleveland's and Pittsburgh's choruses were made for each other.
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