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One Voice MN at Duluth Congregational Church

There were at least five choral performances in the Duluth community this weekend, which is always frustrating, because a person can only attend two of them. I hope you made the best choice for your own tastes.

I personally attended the Arrowhead Chorale concert at the Depot on Saturday night, and I attended the One Voice MN concert at Duluth Congregational Church on Sunday afternoon.  What a contrast!

Arrowhead with Autumn music at the Great Hall, Depo

In short, the Arrowhead Chorale concert on Saturday evening was serious choral music from beginning to end. I always make the comment that the Great Hall of the Depot is not a pleasant choral venue. The choral sounds bounce around all over the place, and a listener can never really tell what to listen for as the music proceeds.

The Autumn Landscapes by Veljo Tormis was the highlight of the evening. These seven short pieces were exquisite, and performed in a very creative manner by the Chorale. These were pieces of warm texture, filled with sunrise sounds, and racing like the clouds around the room. These Finnish composers of our era are quite excited by the world of choral opportunity.

Curiously enough, the chorale contained 12 women and 16 men, a rather different combination than in previous years. We had music from the 16th century to the early 21st century, so variety was in great shape. Music director Stan Wold was deeply engaged in his music.  I could wish he spent more time watching the singers instead of watching the music, but sometimes that is the process of the concert.

With One Voice MN, however, music director Jane Ramseyer Miller almost never looked at her music. Her eyes were focused on the 100+ singers from all over the Twin Cities area, committed to this 30 year choral group celebrating gay/lesbian/trans-gender/ and allies across the state of Minnesota. Thank you.

This Sunday afternoon concert was attended heavily, and the chorus celebrated the life of Bayard Rustin, as well as other gay, black, freedom-oriented Americans in the middle of the twentieth century. All the music on the program was written by African-American composers, so excitement was in the air.  Clapping, finger snapping, and lots of energetic singing filled the Congregational Church with a wonderful presence.

Most impressive of the afternoon was the new musical creation, The Man Behind the Dream,  composed by Steve Milloy, to a script by Vanessa German. This oratorio about Bayard Rustin was spectacular, and will be even more exciting in January at the Ordway, with more instruments and more singers. Check the One Voice MN web site for more details.

Jasmine Scott was brilliant as soloist with A City Called Heaven. Her range was several octaves wide, and she provided an exciting moment during the afternoon.  

The Man Behind the Dream is a commission by One Voice MN, honoring the life of Bayard Rustin.These six or seven pieces were tremendously powerful, sharing popular songs of the 50s with the reality of abuses common during the post WW II era, particularly in the southern states of this puzzling USA.

Given the nature of the current political situation, the choral concert ended with We Shall Not Be Moved, followed by an encore from the opening chapter of the Qur’an, celebrating world peace and unity. This is what matters in our 21st century. We are all Americans, we are all homo sapiens, we are committed to loving each other, celebrating our diversity week after week. Go forth and welcome the stranger is our password.