Note: In the interest of honest disclosure all reviews are presented without omission of any relevant material.
A Choir of Choruses
Seattle Weekly, March 26, 1997
Gavin Borchert
If Seattle's musical leaders has sat down together to plan a choral fesival, they could hardly have devised a richer lineup than the one we got by happenstance the weekend before last.
As spring comes and their seasons have gotten well under way, local choirs have felt confident and ambitious, diving into some of the monuments of the repretory... Fred Coleman found an interestingly contrasted quartet of soloists to join the Seattle Choral Company for another Requiem, Verdi's.
Kathleen Moore Sasnett had a large, penetrating soprano, with just a breath of shrillness, which in a couple spots faded out of control. She did, however, seem to feel the words the most deeply.
Carolyn Gronlund's mezzo-soprano was the smallest but most nuanced voice. Kenneth Gayle commanded a wide range of color; his tenor moved (at all levels of volume) from mellow to quite plangent. Jullian Patrick's bass was a bit thick and his manner a bit staid.
The star of this Requiem was the orchestra, tight and brilliant-amazingly so, considering that they were a freelance group gathered for the event. Their moments of brassy glory were a treat, even if they did render the SCC inaudible.
For their part, the choir sang superbly, with firmness and presence anchoring their sound and a light velvety bloom on the surface.
