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Perkins perks things up
Premiere of ?Zulu? Mass next weekend
By Jeff Rapsis jrapsis@hippopress.com
MWith Dan Perkins on the podium, it?s never dull. And quite often, it?s multicultural.
Consider last spring, when the conductor brought a program of seldom-heard Finnish music ? both ?classical? and contemporary ? to Manchester, and it turned out to be one of the season?s highlights.
This time around, it?s a whole other continent: Africa. Leading the combined forces of the Manchester Chorale Society and other groups, Perkins will stage the U.S. premiere of ?Zulu Mass? by composer Qinisela Sibisi in two concerts the weekend after next, one up in Plymouth and another in Derry.
The local performance is Sunday, April 15, at 4 p.m. at Pinkerton Academy?s Stockbridge Theatre in Derry, an excellent hall that?s only a short drive from Manchester, Nashua or Concord.
But wait ? a ?Zulu Mass?? You read that right. It?s a traditional Mass, just like those composed by Mozart and his brethren, but sung in Zulu, one of the native tongues of South Africa. The work, which incorporates traditional African elements but is essentially classical in spirit, was premiered a few years ago by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.
To bring the work to life in New Hampshire, Perkins has corralled more than 200 singers. Rounding out the program are songs from Ghana and Nigeria, and an appearance by the Akwaaba Traditional Ghanaian Drumming and Dancing Ensemble. Mozart fans will just have to look elsewhere.
If you aim to attend one performance this season that?s guaranteed to be memorable, the Zulu Mass is a good bet. Tickets for the April 15 performance cost $12 (students/seniors $10) and are available at mcsnh.org, through singers, or at the door on concert day.
? Speaking of Mozart: We?re recovering from March Madness, but Nashua last weekend saw a bout of Mozart madness. Saturday, March 31, saw an excellent all-Wolfgang program in the Gate City given by the Nashua Symphony Choral Society and a small group of symphony musicians.
Under the lead of conductor Diane Cushing, precision and order were the evening?s watchwords, but not at the expense of grace and musicality. Overall, the singers and musicians brought Mozart to life with confidence, making the sonic elegance sound easy when it?s actually very difficult to achieve.
Another plus was the venue. Nashua?s Immaculate Conception Church is a good place to hear choral and chamber music in Mozart?s style ? it supports a warm, rich sound but details can still be heard clearly, even with the space packed with people, which was the case last Saturday night.
One pitfall with all-Mozart programs is the too-much-of-a-good-thing syndrome. Fortunately, the varied selection of works kept it all upbeat and interesting. When it ended, I still wanted more.
In my judgment, this guy Mozart has a future. Keep an eye on him.
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