Harlem Chamber Players offered a rare heartfelt performance of R. Nathanieldett’s 1937 oratorio “The Order of Moses” at the Riverside Church on Friday as part of the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, which was delayed by the pandemic. ..
The event felt like a gathering of a wide range of communities, as if a sample of the city’s inhabitants got off the subway train and headed for the same location on the weekend of June. New Yorkers of all ages and races, including crying babies, filled the pew. Some people wore fashionable suits, while others wore picnic shorts. The only thing that was stuffy in the evening was the outside weather.
Terrance McKnight, the host of WQXR and the art adviser of the ensemble, was in the hands of MC while the concert was being held behind schedule. Recognizing that the performance was recorded on his radio station, he urged the audience to make a noise. How does the June celebration in New York City sound? Reply: A cry of joy and applause.
That energy continued with the inspiring rendition of “All Voices” arranged by night conductor Damian Sneed for chorus and soprano soloists (hard-to-hear Janina Burnett). .. Known as the Black National Anthem, it brought the congregation to its feet. Sneed’s harmony gave a dissonant hunger that reflected the struggle — only two years after the protests against George Floyd swept the globe, June 16, an annual observation of liberation dating back to 1866. It reminds us that one year has been consecrated as a federal holiday.
The highlight of the night, “The Order of Moses,” is the story of the book of Exodus. Inspired by God’s call, Moses overcomes his hesitation and leads the Israelites out of Egypt with his sister Miriam.
Det skillfully weaves spirituals into the typical oratorio structure of soloists and choruses that explain Bible stories in an orchestra. In his premiere letter, he called it “impressive” and “natural” and wrote about the synergistic effect of folk songs and scriptures.
Score also excludes musical style. The emotional restraint of the soloist part is suitable for solemn subjects, and when their voices mix, the lines probably move too cleanly. However, the orchestration recognizes a richer and more romantic influence, and the call and response with the chorus gives the music a spiritual sway.
The heart of the structure is especially the spiritual “Go Down Moses”, and Det’s brave fugue for its melody celebrates its August history. Harriet Tubman sang a promise of liberation from the underground railroad oppression, and Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson spread it throughout the isolated country.
In the Riverside Church, the bass of the Chorale Le Chateau firmly fixed the fugue, and Altos clearly represented the fugue. The tenor and soprano avoided fast-moving harmonies, reflecting the general timidity among all motets when there was no clear melody to sing.
Tenor’s Chansey Parker (Moses) rang his voice and made a victorious treble. Soprano Brandy Sutton (Miriam) portrays her music confidently and personally, reflecting the style of the legendary Jessye Norman, the devotee of her night. Baritone Kenneth Overton (God’s Word and Voice) sang authoritatively, and mezzo-soprano Christie Swan (Israel’s Voice) shined in the writing of the taxable Contralto.
In her opening remarks, Harlem Chamber Player Executive and Artistic Director Liz Player stated that “the order of Moses” was the largest business in the history of the ensemble. It sometimes appeared with a careful tempo and a missing ensemble.
But the moment was shining. When the story begins, Moses’ self-doubt shifts to affirmation of his purpose, and so does the music: the lonely cello ( Wayne smith) Starts the work and the orchestra ends it loudly. Parker and Sutton declare their line high as the chorus cushioned them with long-held notes. The effect was great.
Juneteenth claimed that McKnight “celebrated the freedom of all Americans,” and at the last moment he seemed right when music immersed a diverse group of brilliance.
