The Allan Hancock College Singers have been practicing their parts diligently all semester (not acting parts, but singing parts: bass, tenor, alto, and soprano), in preparation for the choir’s spring concert “Devotion.” The program includes music that spans centuries of musical tradition.
“It’s a little open ended, because I don’t tell you devotion to what, so you get to use your imagination,” said Dr. Ann Lucas, director of the Allan Hancock College Singers and full-time music instructor at the college.
“We hit several areas,” she said. “It’s devotion to your love object, your fair one, which, in this case—the way these songs are put together—it’s pretty much the way the young man feels about the woman.”
Lucas is referring to a few Renaissance-era madrigals. The madrigal was a popular form of secular polyphony (music that uses layered melodies rather than simpler harmony) during the Renaissance and usually pertained to, according to Lucas, “making hay, making merry, or making whoopee.”
“Then we have devotion to king and country,” she continued, “with our nod to Henry V. We are singing the Agincourt Carol, which commemorates his great victory in the 1400s.”
Preceding the rousing Agincourt Carol will be a reading of the St. Crispen’s Day Speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V by bass singer Michael Quinette.
“And then the second half of the program is devotion to the sacred,” Lucas said. “We’ve got a couple that are devotional to our Lady, and then to our Lord, and then we have The Magnificat by Pergolesi. So whatever you’re devoted to, we’re bound to hit one of them.”
The Magnificat, by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) is a stunningly beautiful setting of Mary’s annunciation speech from the book of Luke. Pergolesi was a Baroque-era Italian composer whose gift for melody to the world was lost after only 26 years.
“Pergolesi had a regrettably brief life. Goodness knows what kind of composer he would have been if he had lived to the ripe old age of 70, because the few things that he has left are just masterpieces,” Lucas said. “And this piece is just full of joie de vivre, and we have such fabulous soloists with us this year.”
The Magnificat is in six parts, two of which feature soloist duets. The featured soprano soloist is Allan Hancock College vocal teacher Dianna Delore, who will be singing with Cal Poly vocal graduate and mezzo soprano soloist Laura Pryzgoda.
A bass and tenor duet titled Suscepit Israel will feature tenor soloist and Cal Poly economics major Evan Griffith performing with Presbyterian pastor and bass singer Dave Brogren. This isn’t Brogren’s first time performing with the Allan Hancock College Singers. The group joined forces last year with the local community choir Coastal Voices to present Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Brogren sang the part of Elijah.
Lucas often orchestrates collaborations between the choir and other local ensembles. Vivaldi’s Gloria featured the choir performing with the San Luis Obispo Chamber Orchestra in 2008. And next semester, Beethoven’s divine Mass in C Major is scheduled, once again with the help of the Coastal Voices.
“And this choir concert is the first one where we have achieved a long-held goal to have a small group of elite audition singers,” Lucas said. “This is the biggest the choir has ever been this year: We have 45 singers, so that meant there was the potential for there to be enough interest and enough talent to do a small group.”
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The small group, the Allan Hancock College Chamber Singers, is 15 choir members strong and includes artist collaborator/pianist to the choir Dave Alm singing tenor.
“It’s not a class, and it’s not built into these students’ schedules,” Lucas said. “It is a labor of love, that they are willing to stay after the rehearsal and practice as long as it takes.”
The Chamber Singers will perform a rollicking madrigal by Thomas Morley (1557-1608) for the first half, and a haltingly beautiful contemporary sacred piece by Greg Geiger, a composer and colleague of Lucas’ from her days at the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Lucas received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees all in piano performance. Truly a virtuoso pianist, she’s the first to admit she isn’t a born singer, but as an interpreter of music she deserves full accolades. She brings a fiery passion to each rehearsal and a keen eye for detail that she passes on to her students.
“Everybody can sing—and everybody should sing, no matter what kind of musician you are,” Lucas said. “So people can tell me they can’t sing, but basically what they mean is that they won’t sing.”
Lucas explained that the choir is a very diverse group. There are full-time students, graduates, retirees, and music majors who may or may not be able to read music, count rhythm, or find the right pitch immediately. But, she stressed, all are welcome regardless of age or skill level.
“The one thing we all have in common is that we love to sing,” she said. “Literally, there isn’t anyone in this group who doesn’t absolutely love to sing.”
“Devotion” is brimming with music that will soothe the soul and warm the heart. Pergolesi’s Magnificat alone is worth making the show, and I should know. Yours truly will be doing his part in the bass section of the Allan Hancock College Singers and Chamber Singers.
We won’t disappoint.
Honor in music
The Santa Barbara Choral Society performs Gabriel Urbain Faure’s (1845-1924) Requiem, a composition in honor of the dead, on May 8 at 3 p.m. at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. More info: 688-4454, smitv.org, or info@smitv.org.
Country in the valley
The Maverick Saloon presents The Kevin Banford Band performing country music in concert May 6 and 7 at 8:30 p.m., followed by a late-night DJ at 11:30 p.m. “Concert on the Deck” is May 7 at 3 p.m. A “Country and Bluegrass Festival” fundraiser features guest band “Murphy’s Exception” May 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. Hear it all at the Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. More info: 686-4785 or mavericksyv@aol.com.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2011.