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By Kerry Clawson
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009
In a year when the recession has put a major strain on its operations, the Summit Choral Society has persevered, going ahead with its commissioned Lincoln: A Symphonic Tribute after making the decision in April to delay its summer premiere.
According to Laura Musarra, the group's general manager since January, SCS has cut costs, added a fundraiser and ended its fiscal year on June 30, $800 in the black. The organization's primary goal was to continue operating its vocal school for 250 children.
Artistic director Frank Jacobs, who feared the premiere might never happen, is seeing that goal realized in Lincoln's 200th Birthday Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Cuyahoga Falls High School. The program will include Dorn Younger's Lincoln: A Symphonic Tribute as well as the premiere of children's choir director Hal Walker's piece Father Abraham for children's voices with harmonica.
''I am proud to be the first conductor to bring these works to life and am absolutely confident that I will not be the last,'' Jacobs said.
SCS has cut $15,000 in costs by moving the concert from E.J. Thomas Hall to Cuyahoga Falls High School. Tickets cost $15-$20. Call 330-434-7464 or see http://www.summitchoralsociety.org.
New England composer Younger's piece will feature more than 250 voices from the Masterworks Choral Summit Children's Touring Choir and Summit Children's Choirs, in addition to guest soloists and narration by WAKR's Ray Horner.
Dorn, who performed decades ago with Jacobs in the DePauw University glee club, has spent the last year creating his 30-minute work. He decided not to go for a literal representation of Lincoln's life.
''What I wanted to represent musically were the influences on his life,'' Dorn said of his impressionistic approach.
His six-movement work for orchestra and choir includes ''Song of the Prairie,'' begun by the children's choirs and reflecting Lincoln's Midwest values, honesty and work ethic. ''Song of Slavery'' speaks to the major issue of Lincoln's presidency that tore the country apart. The key changes from minor to major, indicating that the slaves' spirits and dreams of freedom could not be crushed.
''Song of the Freedom Train'' is a hopeful movement depicting the Underground Railroad. ''Song of the Fallen,'' evoking the Civil War, juxtaposes strains of the southern Dixie with the northern Battle Hymn of the Republic, with Taps interwoven.
''We're not taking sides,'' Dorn said of representing both the North and the South. ''Lincoln wanted the nation to be whole.''
In ''Song of Vision,'' Dorn uses Lincoln's own words from his famous Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address.
Dorn stressed that Lincoln never wavered in his efforts to reunite a severely divided nation: ''In my opinion, he's by far the greatest president we've ever had. He saved the nation.''
Numerous arts groups are celebrating the bicentennial of Lincoln's Feb. 12, 1809 birth. The Akron Symphony performed Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait in February, and choreographer Bill T. Jones has created the modern dance Fondly Do We Hope . . . Fervently Do We Pray in honor of Lincoln. The piece will be presented on tour in Cleveland in January.
Girls of the Bible
Actress/producer Linda Gray Kelley of Massachusetts promises Bible stories with a twist with her one-woman show Women of the Bible: The Good Girls and the Bad Girls, presented by the Optimist Club at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Akron Civic Theatre.
Gray, a former nun who didn't take her final vows back in the late 1960s, says this show isn't preachy: It has an edge. Her comical contemporary interpretation includes the virtuous women as well as the vixens, including questionable Old Testament characters such as Eve as well as Sarah (Abraham's wife) and the pharaoh's daughter.
Kelley assumes each character by wearing a body suit and adding costumes and props. She stresses that even the good girls were flawed, so there's hope for us all.
Cost is $20. For tickets, call 330-253-2488 or see http://www.ticketmaster.com.
Get spooked
The creep factor at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens will extend to a haunting musical program by house organist Todd Wilson Sunday. He'll perform an Organ Spooktacular on the Aeolian organ from 4 to 6 p.m., including selections from Phantom of the Opera.
Cost is $18 for members, $22 for nonmembers and $15 for students. Reservations are required by calling 330-836-5533. Light refreshments will be served.
Arts writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
In a year when the recession has put a major strain on its operations, the Summit Choral Society has persevered, going ahead with its commissioned Lincoln: A Symphonic Tribute after making the decision in April to delay its summer premiere.
Get the full article here.
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