Classical Concert Reviews Cinci

@vaecinci rang in the Christmas season at @christchurchcathedralcincy under guest conductor Trevor Kroeger (@trevorkroeger) with a program which explored both the fun and sentimental side of the holiday, joined by special guest artists Matthew Umphreys (@matthewumphreys) and Sarah Folsom of Queen City Cabaret (@qcccincy).
The fun side was represented principally through jazz arrangements of Christmas standards such as We Need A Little Christmas, Silver Bells and O Tannenbaum by, respectively, Jerry Rubino, Blake Morgan and Jim Clements. Perhaps the most surprising arrangement was an uptempo arrangement of the carol I Wonder As I Wander by Darmon Meader, but it was sung spectacularly by the 14 assembled singers.
Sarah Folsom brought her golden, reassuring and soothing vocals to the sentimental side of Christmas with songs like Joni Mitchell’s River, Craig Hella Johnson’s arrangement of Amanda McBroom’s The Rose, and her own arrangement of Sleep Well, Little Children. Craig Hella Johnson’s music was back in the spotlight again for his well-known arrangement of What a Wonderful World/I Love You, with its tenor solo beautifully sung by Avery Bargasse (@averybargasse).
Throughout this evening’s concert, Vocal Arts Ensemble was in truly spectacular form, with a bright, joyful, florid and incandescent sound, going all out vocally in the more jazz-infused selections as well as displaying a comforting, socially conscious musical message in The World for Christmas by Swedish composer Anders Edenroth.
Jazz is a repertoire VAE has rarely explored throughout most of its history, and I think it is something they could definitely do more of in future seasons. This collaboration with @qcccincy was a resounding success, and I am eagerly looking forward to future concerts from both groups in the new year.