Classically Speaking

 
I make it a habit to attend St. John’s Episcopal Church evensongs in Charleston which are held twice a year, around All Saints’ and the first of Lent.

This past Sunday’s offering was outstanding and boasted the largest crowd I’ve ever seen there. While the parish supports this tradition, visitors from many other congregations attend as well.

 
 

 
The repertoire is always Anglican choral music, and Director Brenda Vanderford excels at it, as does her choir.

This music demands skill at singing both chant and a cappella, although some pieces were well accompanied by organist Carol Eich.

C.V. Stanford’s wonderful “Magnificat” and “Nunc dimittis” were lovely.

Soprano Rosemary Cardenas soared over the choir in the former and baritone Ray Shackleford was solid in the latter.

Precenter Wayne Eich negotiated the Versicles well, a difficult task.

 
I’d never heard the Basil Harwood anthem “O How Glorious is the Kingdom” with its strong unison statements. It gave both choir and organ a chance to shine.

 
 
My favorite was Eleanor Daley's haunting "In Remembrance" from her Requiem, named outstanding new choral composition by the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors in 1994.

A prolific contemporary composer, Daley has a gift for melody and text-painting.

"In Remembrance," set to an old anonymous text is beloved by choral singers and audiences as well.

I’d missed singing the hymn For All the Saints that morning, but was treated to all eight verses as the St. Ambrose Choir recessed. 

The crowning touch of all their evensongs is high tea. A splendid feast of varied finger foods with tea, coffee, and wine is always set afterward for all to enjoy. And there’s an entire table of desserts.

So – if you’re looking for something to do Sunday, February 21, 2010, head over to St. John’s at 5 pm for their Lenten Evensong.

“Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we're living, which is so excellent once one gets one's mind and one's desire out of its way and lets it act of its own accord.” - John Cage

I can’t think of any other composer who has so polarized public opinion as John Cage. I never saw all the fuss and wondered why a piece with only silence, the infamous 4'33'', could infuriate people. One thing people didn’t see was Cage’s delightful storytelling and his wonderful sense of humor.

His seminal book Silence is full of essays on new music. His ideas are still revolutionary nearly 50 years after its first publication. The book is also filled with some very funny stories.
 
Now, you can get these stories online. I read them every day just to start the day off with a smile. Just click on the "Stories>>" link, and a story pops up. You can also load new stories by refreshing the page. Cage would have loved the indeterminate nature of this site.