Sparks Fly With Annual Christmas Concert

By Harry  Schroeder

KONK LIFE COLUMNIST

(The recent review of the Christmas concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church listed an incorrect sponsor. This the correct version.)

St. Paul’s Church put on its annual Christmas concert Sunday, Dec. 21, under the direction of Linda Sparks, the church’s new music director. The program had a wide range, offering a total of 27 numbers sung, played, or danced by nine soloists and several different groups—brass, choral, chamber, jazz, dance– representing a cross-section of the variety of talent in town. Nothing in the concert was done less than competently, and much was a good deal more than that.

A few minutes before the official opening of the concert, the brass quintet, Gary Hernandez’s students from Key West High School, opened up from the back of the church. They took a couple of measures to settle in, but then played accurately and with a broad, generous sound. That’s hard to do, especially for young players, who often feel the need to compromise, sacrificing sound for security. It appears, once again, that Hernandez is doing a lot of things right in his band room.

 

After the brass group’s introduction, the jazz quartet played briefly. The group featured a solid rhythm section—Larry Smith, Joe Dallas, Skipper Kripitz—fronted by visiting tenor and flute master Tim Mayer, which played its own selections and was brought into service for some backup chores elsewhere.

Then Jim Carter led in his KWHS singers. Evidence of how good they are came right at the beginning, when the group, a large one, sang a virtually perfect unison, quietly, while walking in. Everything they did that evening showed the kind of relaxed precision his groups seem always to find.

The chamber orchestra was made up of the best classical musicians in the area. Its lead voice was Gayla Morgan on violin, who gave the audience, among other accomplishments, an accurate and expressive rendition of “Stille Nacht.” The other players in the group were Donna DeForrest on flute, Jim Carter doubling on trumpet and French horn, and Linda Sparks and Dean Warden on various keyboard instruments. Their cellist was Mark Simcox, who also soloed beautifully on “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Simcox, a visitor, has demonstrated an exceptionally high level of string playing here several times in the past; it is hoped that he will continued to do so, perhaps permanently.

A special event was a reminiscence, narrated by Navy Chaplain Peter Dietz, of Christmas 1941, just weeks after Pearl Harbor, when Winston Churchill had come to America to consult with Franklin Roosevelt on the conduct of the war. Chaplain Dietz’ recitation was backed up beautifully by the high school singers, on music which had special meaning in that period. It was a moving performance, especially for those of us who can remember that dark time.

Soloists during the evening were Marie Putko, Susanne Moore, Trey Forsyth, and, backed up by the jazz group, Cliff Sawyer at his usual expressive best on “The Christmas Song.” Late in the concert the program turned to comedy, with Shirley Freeman, in high humor, on Santa coming to town, Nancy3 Hoffman, in a funny turn on being a Jew at Christmastime, and Jim Carter on “White Christmas” in imitation of the Drifters’ version, in which he sang both the high and the low voices.

The high point of the concert, by general agreement, was Liza Catana’s singing of “O Holy Night.” It was a powerful performance: her voice is rich in sound, and she sang the song with authentic emotional intensity. The audience gave her a standing ovation, a rare occurrence for a soloist, and well deserved.

With the concert winding down, a sort of climax was reached when Joyce Stahl’s troupe of dancers from “The Nutcracker Suite” came gamboling down the aisle and treated the audience to several minutes of high energy fun. They were a delight, especially the littlest ones bouncing around on stage.

This concert, with its newly donated sound system and staging, had a special meaning. It was not just a series of good performances. Like the Spring Pops Concerts Emily Lowe used to put on in Fort Zach, there was a close connection, often familial, between the performers and the audience. It was truly a community affair, representing the best that the town can do.

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