The UTC Music Department and Opera Workshop will host an Evening of Sacred Oratorio, directed by Kevin Ford and Perry Ward. The Oratorio will take place at Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St., on Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. This is part of a series of concerts to raise funds to repair the organ and replace the sanctuary piano.
Review for Kevin Ford and Perry Ward:
The two Oratorios being performed differ greatly in style. The first is an early Baroque work by Giacomo Carissimi set to the Old Testament story of Jephthah. This 20 minute work will include soloists Kala Cisson, Brittany Fong, Taylor Goode (member of the Second Presbyterian Chancel Choir) and Connor Behrmann, Tim Hink at the harpsichord and Merry Lee Wilson at organ. The work will be conducted by Perry Ward, director of UTC Opera.
This will be followed by an early 20th century work that sets the life of David from his shepherd days through his death. The composer is Arthur Honegger and it is entitled Le roi David or King David. Whereas the Carissimi work will be sung in the original Latin, the 65 minute King David will be sung in English. The work is set with Narrator (Connor Behrmann), soloists Kala Cisson, Brittany Fong, Blaine Tooley, and a dramatic part for the Witch of Endor performed by Taylor Goode. The Chamber Singers will be joined by 17 professional instrumentalists for the work. The texts are drawn from the Psalms which is why the composer referred to it as a Symphonic Psalm but it really crosses several genres and is difficult to label as any one form. King David will be conducted by Kevin Ford, Director of Choral Activities at UTC and Director of Music at Second Presbyterian.
This concert will be done as a fundraiser for the music instruments at Second Presbyterian Church. A UTC graduate students has recently uncovered a concert announcement for the University Chorus from 1931 announcing a concert at Second Presbyterian Church. This is the University's way of giving back to a church that has been a friend to them, said officials. Tickets will not be sold but instead, donations will be collected.
Mr. Ward has enjoyed a diverse musical career as a singer, teacher, director and conductor. During a career that has spanned more than thirty years; he has performed with many major regional opera companies in the United States. For the past 10 years, Mr. Ward has devoted his time to teaching voice and stagecraft for singers. He is a native of East Tennessee and holds degrees in voice and opera and, is a summa cum laude graduate of the Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien, Austria. His has several awards and achievements including a Puccini Foundation Grant, a William Matheus Sullivan Role Preparation Grant, and a Shoshana Foundation Award.
Dr. Ford is in his tenth year as director of Choral Activities at UTC. Previously Dr. Ford has taught and conducted at the high school and middle school level in Rossville and has taught and conducted at The State University of New York at Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, as well as director of Choral Activities and Vocal Music Education at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has been a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the southeast, New York, and Canada.
For more information call the Music office at 425-4601 or visit http://www.utc.edu/music/projects/performances.php.