(Photo: Shannon Finney)

Singing forges a bond of inclusion and hope that “we desperately need” in a time of uncertainty in the arts, and in a troubling time in the world.

The 15th annual “Living the Dream…Singing the Dream,” made the point that we believe in this dream and its future. To celebrate this ideal in Strathmore Concert Hall in Bethesda, Maryland Washington Performing Arts Society and Choral Arts Society of Washington featured a wonderful combination of choral groups filling the stage of this major concert venue for an exciting concert!

The Performers included: Choral Arts Society of Washington, Marie-Bucoy Calavan, Artistic Director, Shannon Arnold, Assistant Conductor; Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel, Michele Fowlin, Artistic Director; Washington Performing Arts Society – Men and Women of the Gospel, David G. Powell, Guest Director with special guest artist, Brent Jones.

These choruses have a mighty sound and message, that “I have a Dream” of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is well and full of life.

Program Highlights

The performance, 90 minutes of singing, was a classic program of Gospel and all its vocal techniques. Opening the program was “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” an African American anthem dating back to the year 1900, words by James Weldon Johnson, music by Rosamond Johnson, sung by the combined choirs and audience, and it was an immediate ‘lift off’ to this exciting program. Following the opening was another “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Dr. Raymond Wise with Michelle Fowlin, conductor. This arrangement illustrated the Gospel genre vocal techniques, of motion sometimes imitating the rhythm of a locomotive, and had the choirs and audience moving to the music.

‘Call and response’ were ever-present in the arrangements and compositions. It reminded me of the antiphonal singing we read about in the Temple of Jerusalem, with choirs responding to each other in antiphonal song. It was joyous to see how many of the singers, especially Children of the Gospel Choirs sang beautifully, with emotion and rhythm over taking their total involvement including with motion and expressive hand gestures.

The three conductors had very different approaches to communicating. Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Artistic Director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington was able to bring out beautiful sounds and sensitive dynamics in “I Dream A World” with the choir in a balcony above the stage. She had total control to good effect. She presented the smaller Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus in an energetically rhythmic counterpoint of voices singing “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.”

David G. Powell, conducted the Men and Women of the Gospel Choir in “Hold On” by Arphelius Paul Gatling | Kevin Terry. Powell conducts with hands, legs, body posture which are cues for the chorus to imitate. It was a special type of performance, effective and musically satisfying without being repetitive.

Michele Fowlin is the Artistic Director of the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir. The members of the choir sang especially well, on pitch, totally involved and from memory. Fowlin is a classic conductor who communicates discipline in the best sense, and achieves wonderful results. The antiphonal singing between the vocal sections, SATB, was impressive as was their enthusiasm which was contagious. Audience members stood up and swayed with them, and some of the singers were remarkably gifted in the art of Gospel singing. One very young singer did several turns as soloist and received a well-deserved ovation from the audience.

A shout out to the choreographer, Karon Johnson, for her work with the choirs. Brent Jones, was a special guest singer/ who led a rousing call and response with the choirs. The accompaniment included collaborative pianist Matthew Staynor & Anthony ‘Tony’ Walker on piano, piano synthesizer, and percussion, and never overwhelmed the singers. A choral work by Ralph Vaughan Williams was sung by the combined choirs: “Antiphon: Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” from “Five Mystical Songs” brought home the message of hope and joy that this program offered in a perfect tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This was a remarkable program.