Reviews
Parent’s Day Concert at Camp 2009
by Walter Veit
The magnificence of the camp setting in Lafayette was complemented by the
nobility of its purpose. To listen to the results of the hard work put in by
the boys and their music counselors was truly a spiritual experience. The
hills were, indeed, alive with the sound of music and coming as it did from
the young people whose enthusiasm for their responsibility in performance was
clearly evident, the concert had the audience listening and observing the
boys with their own enthusiastic attention.
As grandparents, my wife and I took great pleasure in seeing two of our
grandsons, along with their camp mates, un-self-consciously throw themselves
into the music. It’s easy to get children in this age range out on the ball
field, but to get them excited about singing is surely testimony to the
effort put in by all those associated with the success of the camp.
In this day and age when children (and adults for that matter) are
conditioned to be observers of the arts instead of participants, a camp
which gives the boys a feeling of accomplishment, a love of music, an
introduction to musical technology, and the joy of good fellowship, must be
doing something right. I have seen the all-too-sad results of a culture that
does not seek to introduce music to children. The musical degradation that
occurs is all around us. A week, or however long, such as the one that has
been provided which is devoted to both music and the camp experience will go
a long way to providing the lifelong love of good music that we all want our
children and society to have.
Spring Concert Review
By Diana W. Gomez
I have a special love of treble voices, being both a soprano singer and a flute player. So when Steven Meyer asked me to play the flute along with his group of St Vincent de Paul Boys, and Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers, I was happy to make my contribution. The Spring Concert, held at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, may have marked the end of a term’s work for these boys. But for myself, and the audience members, it was a herald of the summer days in store. What a wonderful way to begin.
There really is no sweeter sound than that of the unchanged boy’s voice rising in song. It’s purity, and seemingly effortless quality is unmatched by any other human voice, however well trained it might be. No wonder Mozart chose the boy’s voices to represent angels in his opera, “The Magic Flute”.
Our June concert opened with the younger boys singing “Easter Song”, by Paul Inwood, a song well chosen for it’s vitality and joyful affect. The boys’ good training was immediately evident, as they sang in tune, and blended beautifully, with a well-balanced texture of sound. After the initial burst of singing in verse one, the boys began to sing subsequent verses in smaller group settings, contrasting with the large group ensemble. I was not only impressed with the caliber of their singing, but equally so with the choreography involved in each group getting to the front in order and in time for their solo—no easy task for such young performers. (Think of those birthday parties, and trying to lead the group through the planned events of the party .)
The second set of the concert brought us through many contrasting sounds with the Handbell group, in performances of Mendelssohn, Haydn and Vivaldi, the favorite being Michael Helman’s Third Suite for Handbells. There were two piano solos of J. S. Bach and Muzio Clementi. Here again I marveled at the confidence of the soloists, James Moore and Bray McDonnell, sitting at the Steinway and playing with perfect hand position, and lovely phrasing.
Another concert highlight was Forrest Nolan’s rendition of “Alleluia” by W. A. Mozart. Mstr. Nolan maintained this long song well, executing the coloratura passages unstintingly, and saving his voice for a grand flourish at the end of the piece.
By the final set of the concert, the boys were on what seemed to by familiar ground with a lovely Macedonian Folksong, “Tatkovina”, featuring soloists Bray McDonnell, Forest Nolan and Benjamin Vazirani, as well as myself on the flute. From there they proceeded to their most well developed pieces of the afternoon: “Cross the Wide Missouri” an arrangement of American Folksongs for mixed choir, and “There’ll be Joy in the Morning”, all accompanied by pianist Connie Torrey. The complex blending of several parts in unchanged voices as well as the tenor and bass voices of the men in the choir made for an impressive showing of the full range of these boys’ musical development over their years in the chorus.
Throughout the concert, I watched older boys leading the younger ones, both by example, and with gentle reminders: how to walk on and stand with upright posture, with hands to their sides. How to file off, waiting their turn without pushing ahead. I realized20that these boys were receiving more than musical training. They were learning poise and self- confidence—and in the case of one very young boy in the front row, how to keep one’s shirt tucked in.
This is perhaps what makes the Golden Gate and St. Vincent de Paul Boys Chorus so exceptional: that blend of sweet harmonious singing, the discipline of memorizing many verses of lyrics, the unselfconscious poise, but with the little boy still in evidence. Kudos to their leader, Mr. Steven Meyer, who clearly inspires them to their best performances, and congratulations to all of the boys’ parents, who have chosen so well for their offsprings’ musical and personal development.
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