Poetry through song filled the sanctuary of Grace Presbyterian Church on the evening of March 7, as an audience gathered to witness two choir groups perform a choral program inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless works. Rather than simply presenting Shakespeare’s text in a musical setting, “Much Ado About Singing” combined a classical and contemporary repertoire into a single voice. What resulted was an evening that proved to be a testament to the adaptability of Shakespeare’s works, and how they continue to inspire a diverse art style.
The University Choir, UTD Chamber Singers and UTD lecturer and professional pianist Artem Arutyunan performed under the direction of Jonathan Palant, associate dean of the arts and director of choral activities at UTD. Beyond his work on campus, Palant is the founder and conductor of the Credo Community Choir, a mixed adult choir with about 170 active members, and the Dallas Street Choir, a choral group comprised of people who are homeless or otherwise disadvantaged. Both choirs have received attention and recognition in their mission to use music as a means to foster community and personal expression in the DFW metroplex.
The program focused on different arrangements of pieces that featured Shakespeare’s poetry. This included songs that already appeared in his more well-known works, and poems from his shorter works. The evening started off with “It Was a Lover and His Lass,” a song from Act V, scene III of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy “As You Like It.” This madrigal was performed by the University Choir with buoyancy, uncovering themes of joy and the fleeting nature of springtime. The light articulation and the short phrases created a conversational and youthful effect, which mirrored the lyrics that told a tale of young love and celebration. The lively and expressive interpretations of Thomas Morley’s arrangement immediately drew the audience into the playful exchange between the different voices and created a warm atmosphere within the sanctuary.
Next unfolded a range of flirtatious, dynamic and energetic selections. “Sigh No More Ladies” from “Much Ado About Nothing” and “O Mistress Mine” from “Twelfth Night” approached romance from different emotional angles. The former took on a playful but cautionary tone, with Shakespeare’s poetry advising women to live an independent and carefree life, and that the nature of men has always been deceitful and untrustworthy. The latter, however, took a more yearning path to a theme of fleeting youth, similar to “It Was a Lover and His Lass,” but with an elongated and lilting style. Hearing these two different interpretations of love brought an air of reflection the sanctuary and the audience: “Sigh No More Ladies” and its message of empowerment, and “Oh Mistress Mine” and its lingering reluctance provided for a stillness at the end of the performances that invited contemplation on the unfolding of the text and the music.
The sanctuary of the church transformed into the dreamlike castle of the fairies
These performances featured soloists from the University Choir and an exclusive performance of “Over Hill, Over Dale” from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from a derivation of the University Choir, the Soprano-Alto choir. A special segment came from Professor Nili Riemer Bueckert’s performance of an aria from Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opera composition. She took on the role of Queen Titania, ruler of the fairies, who has enchanted her love and is advising her servants to tread lightly around him as she waits for him to wake. This piece featured Bueckert’s dynamic range; the sanctuary filled with crystal-clear high notes at the crux of her performance and resounding mid-range notes through the entire piece, giving her performance a theatrical presence. Bueckert truly commanded this performance in many ways. The clarity of her vocal range filled the room so completely and comfortably that it almost seemed like the audience was holding their breath between her phrases. In those moments, it felt like the character, Queen Titania, was tangible in all of her caution and her intensity. The sanctuary of the church transformed into the dreamlike castle of the fairies in those moments, as the aria’s performance left a visible impression on the space and its audience.
On the piano for this evening was Arutyunan, an accomplished solo, chamber and collaborative performer from Moscow. His accompaniment was both grounding and sensitive, and it added dynamics, phrasing and overall flourish to the choir’s stellar performance. In lively moments, such as the opening piece, Arutyunan’s articulation added airy and rhythmic clarity that accompanied the choir’s fluid and flexible phrasing. In more reserved sections, his playing retained support despite its serene nature and dynamic, and the sensitivity with which he performed alongside the singers created almost a conversation, a dialogue between piano and voice.
Throughout the evening, both choirs seemed to possess a strong sense of cohesion and connection. The unified tone quality was balanced and sustained, yet still moldable to what the text and the music required. The crispness of dictation furthered the overall communication of the theme, whether it was Shakespeare’s playful, witty nature or his more intimate poetry. Much like the program as a whole, each choir’s performance was a testament to how centuries-old text can be breathed into life through contemporary choral compositions and adaptations.
Performers come with the sole purpose to make something beautiful through their art and their passion.
The night concluded with a beautiful performance of “Peace I Leave With You,” written by American composer Amy Beach. Following the different emotions of the evening, the serenity and tranquility of this piece was truly a fitting close for this evening, and it filled the sanctuary with a sense of calm. Preceding this final song, Palant addressed the audience with a powerful message about the mission of music. He spoke about how music, how breath, transcends manmade and institutional boundaries that categorize groups of people: performers come with the sole purpose to make something beautiful through their art and their passion.
Following the final notes of “Peace I Leave With You,” the sanctuary remained quiet for a moment before the audience responded with their applause. It felt as though they were almost reluctant to break the silence that the moment had created, and after an evening of both wit and reflection, the piece provided closure that left the audience in a peaceful mood.
Throughout the evening, the unity of Shakespeare’s poetry with choral compositions from arrangers such as Matthew Harris and George Shearing was apparent. “Much Ado About Singing” offered an evening of music and so much more, serving as a reminder that the arts continue to be a space where diverse voices can gather to create community and passion.