St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page A013

11.12.2015 Thursda 1 T. LO I PO T- I a TC A13 LOCAL BY SARAH BRYAN MILLER t. Louis Post- ispatch Sometimes bigger really is better. On Sunday afternoon at the St. Louis Abbey, the St.

Louis Chamber Chorus went big musically and numerically, and kicked its already high standards up a notch. The choir normally numbers under 45. This time, artistic director Philip Barnes bulked up his forces to take on the ne plus ultra of a cappella choral works, Thomas masterpiece in a rarity, for obvious reasons. Written for eight choirs of five parts each, it has 40 vocal parts; only a few of those had more than one singer on a given line. It demands a high level of musicianship from all concerned.

Barnes brought together 65 singers for the piece, including some former members, a nice touch for a landmark season. Although the piece is usually done in the round, Barnes arranged his forces in a horseshoe, thought to be original configuration. Despite all the possible pitfalls in such a massive piece, it was very nearly perfect, a stupendous achievement. was the ideal conclusion to a concert that included a great deal of remarkable music. Most of it was for two-part antiphonal choirs; several pieces had semi-choruses as well.

The program opened with We Merry for Him that is to by Thea Musgrave (b. 1928), a complicated piece for choir, six-part chorus and a pair of soloists. Other works in the first half included and a rarity, Ralph Vaughan Praise the Lord of for two choirs and semi-chorus. A gorgeous piece of music, it was beautifully sung. Benjamin melting to the was sung with a larger semi-chorus than usual; they sang in the back of the church, their backs to the audience, led by assistant conductor Mary Ongjoco Chapman.

It was followed by Herbert lovely setting of the perfect music for the generous acoustic. Stephen setting of the is on its way to becoming a modern classic, as well as a calling card for the SLCC. The singers have it in their voices; it was gorgeous. After the interval came the world of Gabriel commissioned by John Wilson in celebration of his wife, Stacey Albin Wilson, and their 20th anniversary. It starts with tintinnabulation and moves to jazzy rhythms and harmonies, to happy effect.

own arrangement of Basil hymn all the World in Every Corner (an interesting choice for a circular church) was followed by simple and effective Knut remarkable is an arrangement of a Bach cantata for five choirs singing out of phase, their melodies resolved only with the final chord. Barnes conducted from the central altar, with the choirs arranged around the church, in a superb, suspenseful performance. They outdid themselves throughout; no other choir in the region approaches this group for imaginative programming and overall artistic excellence. Sarah Bryan Miller 314-340-8249 Classical music critic on Twitter Chamber Chorus outdoes itself at St. Louis Abbey omas 40-part in is a highlight of imaginative program REVIEW BY JUDITH NEWMARK t.

Louis Post- ispatch A season of lush, shows is heading for the Muny a season that includes two titles that are brand-new to the outdoor theater in Forest Park. The seven 2016 shows are: Wizard of (June 13-22) (June 24-30) Music (July 5-11) (July 13-19) (July 21-28) on the (July 30-Aug. 5) (Aug. 8-14) Mike Isaacson, the artistic director and executive producer, announced the 2016 season on Wednesday night, at the first Muny Magic show at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Tony-winning artist Beth Leavel, a Muny veteran, performed her cabaret act at the Sheldon; the show will be reprised on Thursday night.

Mel Transylvanian musical comedy, and the perennially popular ABBA show, make their Muny debuts. is not the grand opera but the hit Broadway adaptation by Elton John and Tim Rice. Wizard of a longtime Muny favorite, played there in a decade. Isaacson announced John Tartaglia, who directed the in 2014 and the in 2013, will return to direct The other three productions Meredith all-American Music and Jerome groundbreaking on the are classics of the Muny and musical theater. seven big, lush, robust shows come at you with incredible Isaacson said.

stylistically, they are all over the map. These may be the seven biggest, most demanding productions yet. But each one is a joy in its own The 2016 shows are among most requested and beloved that Muny-goers have asked to see, said Dennis M. Reagan, Muny president and CEO. This is the 98th season, he added; plans for the 2018 centennial are underway.

World Wide Technology and the Steward Family Foundation will continue as the 2016 Season Presenting Sponsor. David Steward founded WWT; the company and foundation became the first overall season sponsor in 2014. Season tickets to the Muny range in price from $70 to $602. Single tickets range in price from The free seats, a tradition at the Muny, will remain. Season ticket holders will receive their renewal notices during the first week of November.

Gift cards for Muny season tickets are on sale now; holders of gift cards will be able to buy new season tickets beginning Feb. 29. All season tickets go on sale March 5. Single tickets go on sale at the end of May. For ticket information, visit muny.org or call the box office at 314-361-1900.

Judith Newmark 314-340-8243 Theater critic on Twitter season is forecast for Muny and make their debuts POST-DISPATCH Natalie DeLucia in the 1997 production of Wizard of ANewclinicalstudyhasshownthatthediseaseof TYPEIIDIABETESCANACTUALLYBEGIN REVERSINGinaslittleas1WEEK! AfreeguidehasjustbeenmadeavailabletoTypeIIDiabetics detailinganapproachthatappearstobemorepowerfulthanany drugknowntomodernscience.Thefreediabeticguideexplains inplainEnglishhowmanydiabeticshavebeenabletoreduceand Thefreeguidealsorevealsrarelyuseddiagnostictestingthatis helpingdoctorsunderstandpotentialcausesofdiabetesbeyond NewDiabetesStudyShows: InsulIn More Double rIsk Dea In IIDIabetIcs ToreceiveyourcopyofthisFREEguide(availableonlywhilesupplieslast) Calltollfree 1-800-803-1452 or 314-449-9099 orgoto www.StLouisDiabetesReport.com Dr.DuaneJ.Marquart,D.C. ATRADITIONOFGIVING 100NeediestCampaignhasplaceda faceonthedisadvantagedinSt.Louis. ThecampaigncontinuesSunday. UNRESTATMIZZOU Thetopplingofleadershipatthe UniversityofMissourihasfocusedan unprecedentedamountofattentionof racerelations. AMIGHTYFORCE Theholidaymovieseasonbringsmany willlikelyseethebiggestreturnsfrom PRODUCTFOWLS productsareforreal.Seewhatelse makesourannuallistofTurkeys.

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