January 26th, 2010

By Jim Hardin
From the front-row pews to the back balcony, it was a packed house at the Church of the Epiphany, Saturday, November 14, for “American Folksongs & Spirituals: New Twists on Familiar Tunes,” the opening concert of the 23^rd season of the Congressional Chorus.

Ably fulfilling its mission, “All American Music, All the Time,” the chorus presented twenty American choral arrangements from the past decade. These remarkably fresh renditions draw upon the great heritage of our enduring folk traditions, reinventing them for the concert stage.

Baritone Aaron McNeil, soprano Rhea Walker, and tenor Doug Bowes added luster and grace with their distinctive interpretations of “Red River Valley,” “Come Down Angels,” and “Little David, Play!” A nine-piece instrumental ensemble accompanied the chorus, with stirring percussion, blaring brass, and lyric strings. Artistic Director David Simmons framed the program with sonorous organ variations on “The Water Is Wide” and “Deep River.”

540 tickets were sold in all, and there was a waiting line up the block for at-the-door purchases. From the opening solo soprano voice singing “Down in the River to Pray” to the full chorus and chamber orchestra finale “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the energy and excitement were palpable – performers and audience shared the joy of our common knowledge and experience of these familiar melodies, newly charged with the creativity of contemporary American composers and arrangers.