THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605290143
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 87 lines
The Chesapeake Civic Chorus will end its 1995/96 performing season with a bang.
Traditionally, the chorus presents two main concerts each season, along with other performances at various South Hampton Roads venues. Its annual winter concert usually finds the city's volunteer singers performing an array of pops, spiritual, classical and light classical songs using only a few backing musicians.
But come spring concert time, choral musical director Geraldine T. Boone will pull out all of the stops and present a couple of major works with full symphony backing.
``We like to end our season strong, so we traditionally use many musicians, usually enough to make up a small symphony orchestra,'' said Boone, who also works with the Governor's School for the Arts, is a private music teacher, has performed with the Virginia Opera and is an area accompanist and solo piano performer. ``This year's spring concert will be no different.''
If you're looking for musical fireworks, Boone said this Sunday's concert will deliver.
Backed by 26 musicians from the Virginia Symphony, the Chesapeake Civic Chorus will perform two rip-snorting concert show stoppers in Ludwig von Beethoven's ``Hallelujah Chorus from the Mount of Olives'' and Howard Hanson's monumental ``Song of Democracy.''
Both orchestra and chorus will be led by Boone. A daunting task, to be sure, but Boone is up to it.
``It's not hard to do any more,'' she said with her quick laugh. ``It used to be a little scary, but now it's getting fun.''
About 10 years ago, Boone didn't think it was that much fun.
At that time, the Chesapeake Civic Chorus was scheduled to perform Igor Stravinsky's major work ``The Symphony of Psalms'' to be conducted by Hugh Ross, internationally known musicologist and close friend of Stravinsky. Ross, in fact, was the one who edited ``The Symphony of Psalms'' for his friend.
But Ross' failing health left the chorus in a bind: a conductor had to quickly be found for the work or scrap the entire concert.
Boone took on the task and traveled to New York City, where she met Ross and took a three-day crash course in symphony conducting and in ``The Symphony of Psalms.''
``That weekend was some kind of experience,'' she said. ``I'll never forget it. We went through the entire work, section by section. Those three days really stuck with me.''
And to further bolster her prowess in leading an orchestra, Boone took a course in 1988 at the Westminster Choir College on orchestra conducting for choral directors.
After that, Boone said she was ready to conduct and could handle the annual Civic Chorus spring conducting chores.
She said this Sunday's program should delight those who appreciate good music.
``We did the Beethoven last year and decided to repeat it again for Sunday's concert,'' she said. ``After we performed it last year we could hear the audience collectively going `Ooooh' and `Aahhhh,' so we knew it was a crowd pleaser. This piece isn't usually heard in this area. And there's something awesome about being in the presence of a performance with all those voices and instruments. It's truly amazing. We're all excited about performing these works at the Oscar F. Smith High School theater. The sound there is great.''
The other showstopper to be featured Sunday will be Howard Hanson's major work ``Song of Democracy.''
``That will be our big finale,'' Boone said. ``It's one of my favorite pieces, and we're performing it to celebrate Mr. Hanson's 100th birthday. The piece is stirring and features several spoken parts based on Walt Whitman's poem `Ship of Democracy.' I got to meet Mr. Hanson once several years ago at the Eastman School of Music. He's been a real inspiration to me.''
Besides the major Beethoven and Hanson works, Sunday's concert will be rounded out with a cappella performances of Will James' ``Sing and Rejoice'' and ``Ezekiel Saw the Wheel'' by Dawson. As an added treat, Boone said the chorus will perform a medley of songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical ``The Phantom of the Opera.''
``When the show was here in Norfolk last winter about 20 of us went to see it,'' she said. ``Now we can sing it with a whole new perspective. Everybody was inspired by the show, and we're going to perform it with a better understanding of the songs and the lyrics.''
After Sunday's concert, the chorus will take a summer break, with the exception of its annual July visit to the Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia in the College Park neighborhood.
``We've done this for the past four or five years,'' she said. ``It's very informal. We just come together and sing for these people and their families. We sing upbeat songs, talk to the residents and their families and just have a very good time.''
Boone said currently the chorus is about 45 voices strong. It will hold auditions for new members in September. She said first soprano voices are particularly needed. by CNB