MAY 2, 1997

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

23

EVENINGS OUT

Children's works return opera to popular art form

by Richard Berrong

Cleveland One of the advantages of covering opera for the Chronicle is that it gives me a chance to make the gay community aware of some of the remarkably talented and active people we have in our midst. One such person is David Gooding, director of the Cleveland Opera Chorus, organist and choirmaster at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lakewood and Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, and composer of some remarkable children's operas

David Gooding

currently playing in Northeast Ohio.

This weekend, Gooding will be directing his augmented Cleveland Opera Chorus and an orchestra in a concert at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland. In addition to doing popular choral numbers from Faust and Carmen, he will feature soloists and chorus in two extended excerpts from works that Clevelanders do not get a chance to see. Soprano Laura Pedersen, currently a resident of the Bremen Opera, will join the chorus in the great moment from Norma, "Casta diva."

Bass Raymond Aceto, originally from Cleveland and already appearing at the Metropolitan Opera and other major houses, will be featured in the Prologue to Mefistofele, one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring scenes in all of opera. Anyone interested in music should not miss this rare opportunity to experience these two works in live performance.

Gooding does not just perform the music of others, however. In the last ten years, Cleveland Opera has commissioned three children's operas from him, which they take on tour to schools and other sites throughout northeast Ohio. His latest, An Aesop Odyssey, recently received a rave review from Donald Rosenburg in the Plain Dealer.

I attended a performance of Gooding's second children's opera, A Tale of Peter Rabbit, given for kindergarten and first-grade students in Streetsboro. The work held their attention and thoroughly involved them for a hour, a

Meet someone special in the Personals!

remarkable achievement with such an audience. What fascinated me, however, was that to achieve this Gooding has gone back to the way opera was once performed, when it was truly a popular art form, removing the barriers that distance some audiences from it today.

To begin with, two volunteers are selected from the audience to play non-singing roles in the production. Then, the rest of the audience is taught a short chorus, which they get to sing in the opera itself. By the time the work is underway, the children feel that they are part of it, rather than passive observers, and the resulting involvement is truly astonishing.

Regular adult opera once had similar involvement, when it was performed in the language of the audience and the audience, by means of encores, could shape each performance. Now the only way to experience how exciting that must have been is to catch one of these productions, which I enjoyed even more than the children.

In between all this activity, Gooding, who has been in a committed relationship for the last thirty-six years and who, as one might imagine, is a strong proponent of gay marriage, still considers new activities. He spoke to me at length of his desire to get all elements of the local gay community involved in opera, and speculated on the possibility of having his Opera Chorus do numbers as part of a future North Coast Men's Chorus concert.

For the present, let me strongly recommend the Cleveland Opera Chorus concert, May 4 at 7 p.m. For further information and tickets, call Trinity Cathedral at 216-579-9745. For further information on upcoming performances of Gooding's children's operas, call Cleveland Opera at 216-575-0903 ext. 227. Both are truly remarkable experiences.

CLIFFORD HOUSE

Private Home Bed & Breakfast

Suite $90-$110 Room $65-$85

Reservations Only (216) 589-9432

1810 W. 28th at Jay

•

The New Ohio City Cleveland, Ohio

Experience

some peace

in your life...

Massage Therapy

Michael R. Sowinski, L.M.T. Medical Board Certified 216.631.0412

One Business, One Lawyer

Cheryl A. Lukacs

ATTORNEY AT LAW

300 Left Bank Building 1250 Riverbed Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Tel: (216)781-1250 FAX: (216)781-1246

Serving Small Businesses

THE CERAMICS OF BRENDA RICHARDSON

Exhibition & sale of sculpture, plaques, vases by the Kentucky artist May 10 through May 31 Tues. Sat. 11am 5pm

OPENING RECEPTION FOR THE ARTIST FRI., MAY 9, 6-9pm

RACHEL DAVIS FINE

ARTS

12624 LARCHMERE BOULEVARD SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO 44120 216.791.6040

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

See me for car, home, life

and health insurance.

1-900-370-7566

STATE FARM

Auto

INSURANCE

Jean M. Jones

(216) 864-8866

1653 Merriman Road, Suite 108

Akron, Ohio 44313

State Farm Insurance Companies Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois