Reviews
National Gallery Series Concert
West Garden Court, December 21, 2003
Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post, December 23, 2003
The National Men's Chorus, (under its founder and conductor, Thomas Beveridge, combined operatic, patriotic and seasonal material in its program Sunday evening in the National Gallery's West Garden Court. The program opened with operatic choruses by Verdi, Mozart and Gounod, but much of the rest was composed or arranged by Beveridge, who has more than 500 works,to his credit, plus numerous arrangements for men's chorus.
The program's centerpiece was Beveridge's "Life and Liberty," an eloquent four_movement cantata for men's voices and brass ensemble with texts drawn from the writings of Founding Father George Mason. Beveridge was the narrator as well as the conductor, reading as an introduction Thomas Jefferson's praise of Mason as "a man of the first order of wisdom."
Jefferson's judgment was supported by excerpts from Mason's last will and testament (describing principles of political virtue) and a letter to George Washington (yearning for peace "when every Man may sit down at his Ease under the shade of his own vine & his own fig tree & enjoy the Sweets of domestic Life"). "Life and Liberty" as well as two Civil War songs were taken from the group's latest CD on its own label (titled "Life and Liberty"), which was recorded in concert on Memorial Day. The Civil War songs ("When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Tenting Tonight") made imaginative use of brass accompaniment, supplied by members of Washington Symphonic Brass.
"Tenting Tonight" opened with stereo dialogue between trumpets at the front and back of the auditorium, and wove the notes of taps amid the sung words.
The Christmas segment included a singalong with texts printed in the program and a variety of spirituals and carols (English, German, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish), some a cappella and others accompanied by pianist Francis Conlon. He was most impressive in the exuberant accompaniment to Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
The chorus sang with vigor, well-blended tone and fine dynamic nuance. Among several solos, bass Jim Cullum was outstanding in a Ukrainian selection.