MUSIC REVIEW : CHORALE RESONATES IN ‘VOICES’

In introducing the Pacific Chorale’s final concert of the season, director John Alexander offered a quasi-apology for the eclectic program. But ‘Voices of the New World,” sung in the eminently resonant St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, held together very nicely.

The only incongruous piece was the “Magnificat” by Francisco Lopez y Capilla. A large body of excellent Latin American cathedral music from the colonial period exists, and the Pacific Chorale did justice by this example. Alexander dispersed his singers down the sanctuary aisles, filling the room with finely balanced and blended sound. Paul Harms made appropriately solemn utterance of the tenor intonations.

The rest of the music was from this century, in popular--not to say pops--styles. Most effective was Ariel Ramirez’s “Misa Criolla,” sung by the Pacific Singers, a 39-member subset of the chorale.

This work, based on Latin American folk music, was very popular in the heyday of the folk-Mass in the mid-1960s. Alexander and the chorale proved that it holds up well as a concert vehicle, although replacing the native instruments in the accompanying band with conventional ones removes some of its character and color.

The interplay between soloists and choir proved somewhat stiff, and the Spanish understandable, if not idiomatic. Soprano Kathy Kavanaugh-Tarr and mezzo Meg Morrison sang clearly, with suitably little vibrato. Tenors William Smith and Joe Wood and baritone Dennis Houser made more effortful work of their more demanding solos.

The full chorale, 106 singers strong, certainly could make the church’s skylight ring. Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” offered it grateful opportunities to display vocal muscle, as well as a beautifully poised pianissimo--in Hebrew yet.

Frank Arvallo provided a pure, controlled falsetto in Psalm 23. Loreen Clousing employed the resources of the sanctuary organ to good effect, supported by harpist Araminta Ball, plus Todd Miller and another, unidentified, percussionist.

The program gave the chorale a linguistic workout. Portuguese was required for Berger’s vibrant “Psalmo Brasileiro,” decently pronounced, except for the characteristic nasality. Alexander elicited buoyant, rhythmically supple singing on its behalf.

Dello Joio’s “Song of the Open Road”--ably accompanied by pianist Clousing and trumpeter Alfred Lang--and two Copland choruses, “The Promise of Living” and “Las Agachadas,” completed the agenda. The Pacific Chorale produced a solid, flexible sound, blended down from a pure soprano tone, that served both text and music well, and Alexander guided it for maximum impact.