That Fabulous Mark Vogel and our Fearless Leader, Jennifer Rodgers Beach
That Fabulous Mark Vogel whose praises we’ve sung before is mentioned in last week’s review of the Washington Master Chorale. Specifically Cecelia Porter writes:
Colohan drew dramatic power from his singers, joined by the vocal quartet Words & Music along with cellist Kacy Clopton and pianists Mark Vogel and Virginia Sircy.
Go Mark!
But then Ms. Porter, who notes that the Chorale’s selections included modern composers and compositions including Stephen Chatman, ends her review thusly:
The sad fact is that, apart from the scores of major composers such as Bach, Handel, Verdi, and Monteverdi — choral music such as that heard Sunday rarely reaches the general public and major concert halls.
We had to laugh a little at that one. Because in the last three years, under Fearless Leader Jennifer Rodgers Beach’s artistic leadership, and a choir and audience willing to take chances and experiment with the music, VCS has covered a slew of non-traditional music.
We’ve done big works by local modern composer Clif Hardin, evenings of movie music that ranged from Andy Williams to Queen, an entire afternoon of Celtic music that owed as much to tradition as to the Wailin’ Jennys, a lesson in music history that offered Brahms as well as Arvo Part and U2, holiday concerts with 16th century Spanish villancico (Riu Chiu Chiu), the Grinch, and Charlie Brown.
Are you thinking what we’re thinking?
Dear Ms. Porter, may we introduce you to the Vienna Choral Society? We do major composers. We even do modern major composers. In fact, this weekend’s concert for a cause, Music of the Storms will include none other than Stephen Chatman.
And yes, Mark will be there.
*Yes, that write-up about Mark is from last year. But really, not a thing has changed – he’s still the quiet accompanist who turns on a dime as needed.