Beethoven's 9th Symphony Choral Finale, "Ode to Joy," Last Night with The McLean Symphony

The McLean Symphony with the McLean Symphony Festival Singers and Noted Guest Soloists Astounds and Moves Audience

Last night's performance by The McLean Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Dingwall Fleary, together with the McLean Symphony Festival Singers directed by Felicia Kessel-Crawley, built from the gentle Puccini Humming Chorus and a set of Puccini arias to the climactic sounds of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Choral Finale, Ode to Joy!

As with each performance, Maestro Fleary began with the United States National Anthem, for which the audience joined the McLean Festival Singers in a resounding rendition. This was followed by world premiere of the Fanfare for Forty, No. 4, composed specifically for this event by composer-violinist Michael Ream, also a member of The McLean Symphony. The total suite of four Fanfares, commissioned by TMS Board Member Kevin Rosengren, together with his wife Kristin Rosengren, highlight the significance of this season. Maestro Fleary has now been conducting chamber and symphonic classical music in McLean, VA for forty years! Last evening's concert was the final event in a year-long celebration of his extraordinary dedication and extensive musical contributions to the McLean area.

Following the National Anthem and the Fanfare, Maestro Fleary gave us the only other strictly instrumental work in a concert otherwise dedicated to "The First Instrument" (the human voice). Wagner's vigorous and much-loved Die Meistersingers von Nurnberg (Prelude to Act 1) was lively, expressed a range of moods and tempos, and the brass sounded particularly good! This brought up the excitement level, preparing the audience for a series of arias by Puccini, Bizet, and Mozart.

Joyce Lundy (soprano) and Antonio Guiliano (tenor) were tender and heart-moving as the love-struck couple in Voglistemi bene (Love duet, Act I Finale) from Madame Butterfly. Their musical talents and emotional expressiveness gave sweetness and eloquence to this beautiful work. While the Madame Butterfly duet sang of purity and faithfulness, noted bass baritone William Powers expertly conveyed the seasoned roué seducing his next conquest in La ci dare la mano (Duet from Act II) from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Powers' gift of storytelling expertly embellished his role, and provided a fine setting for soprano Krista McClellan's concert debut with The McLean Symphony.

The concert's closing work was the highly anticipated Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, Choral Finale by Beethoven, including the much-loved "Ode to Joy." Well-known guest artists Joyce Lundy (Soprano), Kehembe V. Eichelberger (Mezzo-Soprano), Antonio Guiliano (Tenor), and William Powers (Bass Baritone) expertly took lead roles. Their voices projected beautifully and harmonized wonderfully, from the deep registers provided by Mr. Powers to Ms. Lundy's soaring high notes. Ms. Eichelberger's rich voice gave a warm emotional register to this work, and Mr. Guiliano's tenor voice was pure and true.

Under Felicia Kessel-Crawley's leadership, the McLean Symphony Festival Singers surged to over fifty voices for this performance. Their massed voices gave the choral role the needed richness and depth, and ably matched even the deep contra-bassoons from the instrumental sections. Percussion was excellent, and provided a dramatic emphasis.

Nearly 100 Voices and Instruments, Making a "Joyful Noise"!

The McLean Symphony and the McLean Symphony Festival Singers Prepare Beethoven's 9th Symphony Choral Finale, Including "Ode to Joy"!

In rehearsal tonight, nearly 100 voices and instruments joined in creating Beethoven's masterwork, the 9th Symphony Choral Finale. I counted 53 instrumentalists, 38 voices (including Choral Director Felicia Kessel-Crawley), three of the four guest soloists, and one Maestro Fleary. And doggone it, this piece is actually coming together!

And you will, come Saturday evening. The guest vocalists are amazing. I did an interview with William Powell, the bass baritone. Read it tomorrow morning.

Empowered by Genius - Maestro Fleary Rehearses The McLean Symphony for an "Ode to Joy"!

Genius in Action - Maestro Dingwall Fleary Prepares The McLean Symphony and the McLean Symphony Festival Singers for June 2 Concert Featuring Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"

It was 9PM last night. Maestro Fleary was coaching the combined group of musicians (from The McLean Symphony) and vocalists (from the McLean Symphony Festival Singers) through Beethoven's difficult, demanding, and exultant Choral Finale to his Ninth Symphony, including the much-loved "Ode to Joy." He was giving it his all. They were giving it their all. Not too surprising, you might say.

Maestro Dingwall Fleary, Music Director for The McLean Symphony

But Maestro Fleary had been up since 4:15 AM. And his musicians and vocalists were coming in after long days as government contractors, dentists, and other fully-demanding day jobs.

Both The McLean Symphony orchestra members and the McLean Symphony Festival Singers, under the direction of Felicia Kessel Crawley are volunteers. Not a one of them is getting paid to do this. And to put in a 2 1/2 hour rehearsal - on top of their own personal practice time - on top of their day jobs, family life, and social and religious commitments - is impressive. And to take on one of the most challenging works in the world of classical music is just sort of amazing. Absolutely awesome.

And they were pulling it together.

I had heard them the previous week. They had the "notes" down - but it was not yet anything like the performances that you or I hear when we listen to the "Ode to Joy" on the radio or on a CD. Now, though, it's coming together.

Last night, Maestro Fleary was pulling together the "magic." It was in the shaping of the notes. The way the instrumentals came in. The percussive effect of the vocalists - but still rounded, still "warm." The "magic" was beginning to emerge. It was in all those little details - details that you and I cannot imagine, unless we've been "behind the scenes" during consecutive rehearsals.

Felicia Kessel Crawley, Director for the McLean Symphony Festival Singers

And this is why they come to rehearse, after day jobs that may provide moments of satisfaction, a sense of contribution, but not always that true uplift of the spirit.

I could see it as they were dismissed, and began packing their instruments, music, and stands to go home. Tired, but exuberant. Weary, but exultant.

And this morning, as I went for my early-AM walk, I was in a much better place than I was before I'd stopped by their rehearsal last night. The "Ode to Joy" infusion was having its effect. Still raw. Still needing a lot of work. Still needing the soloists, who won't join us until the concert weekend itself. But already, the pure, live, soul-moving power of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" had lifted me to a calmer and happier place. I was more refreshed, optimistic, and truly in a "joyous" state.

To get a taste of what you'll hear on Saturday, June 2, 7:30 PM at the Langley High School Auditorium, listen to Ode to Joy on YouTube. And anticipate how much you will personally be exulted when you hear it performed live, on June 2nd, 2012!

Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" - And So Much More!

The McLean Symphony Celebrates "Forty Years of Making Music in McLean" with Maestro Dingwall Fleary in an Exuberant Performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Choral Finale - "Ode to Joy"!

The Season Finale Concert; Saturday, June 2nd, 7:30 PM, Langley High School Auditorium

The McLean Symphony’s “Season Finale” concert, which will be on Saturday, June 2nd, 7:30 PM at the Langley High School Auditorium will feature Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Choral Finale, including the much-loved and ever-popular “Ode to Joy.” For this event, the musicians will swell from the usual 40+ to over 50, and will be joined by the McLean Symphony Festival Singers, who will further be augmented by members of the Puccini America Opera Chorus. They are being prepared by Felicia Kessel-Crawley, Founder and Director of the McLean Symphony Festival Singers. We are anticipating a massive 70-voice chorus!

Of course, we will also have four soloists (as shown in the brochure):

• JOYCE LUNDY (Soprano),
• VALERIE KEHEMBE EICHELBERGER (Mezzo Soprano),
• ANTONIO GIULIANO (Tenor),  and
• WILLIAM POWERS (Baritone).

These soloists are also identified on The McLean Symphony’s website.

Because this event is so huge, stupendous, and magnificent, and because we are literally over twice our usual size, we have moved our venue to the Langley High School auditorium. This seats about 850 people, and we literally expect to be oversold!

Tickets:

Please get your tickets as soon as possible. We expect this concert to be oversold! We have a new ticket-ordering mechanism (with Ovation Tickets) set up on our website. Please, order early.

And show up early as well: the house will be packed.

A special note to those who have children or grandchildren in the area schools:

The McLean Symphony is giving a 10% cash gift back to each of the area schools who are “partnering” with us in promoting this valuable – and educational – event to their students and the student’s families. 10% can add up to a lot – fast – especially if YOU get involved!

Before you purchase your tickets, get in touch with whoever has the children. They should have received a discount code from the school. If not, please contact the following two persons, and we will make sure that the school is given a code and that you are informed of it:

Alianna J. Maren, ajmaren@ix.netcom.com

Natalie Fike, natalie.fike@gmail.com

Use your code when you order rickets through Ovation on our website. (Go to: http://www.mclean-symphony.org, select “Tickets,” and it will take you to the Ovation ticket ordering page.)

Performance Details for the June 2nd “Season Finale”:

The program will include:

• The last of Four Fanfares for Forty by composer-symphony violist Michael Ream, commissioned for Maestro Fleary's fortieth anniversary season by Board member and cellist, Kevin Rosengren and his wife,
• Prelude to "Die Meistersingers von Nurnberg" by Richard Wagner,
An array of arias and choruses including:

o    "La ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni by Mozart, 

o   "Seguidilla" from Carmen by Bizet, and

o   Several works from the pen of Giacomo Puccini, including "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot, both the love duet, "Vogliatemi bene" and the "Humming Chorus" from Madam Butterfly, and the famous aria, "Vissi d'arte" and the dramatic Act I Finale, both from the opera Tosca.
• The concert finale will be the complete 4th movement of the Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (Choral) by Beethoven.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience here in McLean! You’ve heard fabulous music from The McLean Symphony, an all-volunteer and non-profit symphonic orchestra under the direction of Maestro Dingwall Fleary. Now, to celebrate 40 years under the baton of Maestro Fleary, this special event will be unlike anything we’ve done before.

Summary

Please join us for this magnificent concert on Saturday, June 2nd. If you want to support a student’s music program, get the discount code from the student or the student’s parents. Order through Ovation via our website. And remember – the concert is at the Langley High School auditorium! Order early and come early, it will be filled – and we expect to be oversold.

And please let EVERYONE know about this coming Season Finale concert on Saturday, June 2nd. It’s an event that will uplift us for the entire year ahead!
 

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - Choral Finale - Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 - Langley High School Auditorium

The McLean Symphony - Celebrating Forty Years of Making Music in McLean, VA - Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Choral Finale - Showpiece for the Season's Final Concert, June 2, 2012

• What: A fabulous, not-to-be-missed concert - Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Choral Finale as the closing work
• Where: Langley High School Auditorium
• When: Saturday, June 2nd, 7:30PM