Master
Chorale of South Florida Proves
that Choral–Orchestra Music is Alive and Well in South
Florida
The Master Chorale of South Florida completed the 2004–2005
season—it’s second—in fine form, having performed
once again to nearly sold-out houses in three counties.
“The
concerts were very well attended, and people have been showing
their support and appreciation by signing up for next year’s
concerts and by making donations,” said Master Chorale
president Mark Glickman. “The enthusiastic response of
our audiences proves, as we suspected, that there is a lot of
interest in top-quality choral-orchestral concerts here in South
Florida.”
Although
the season was the second for this new group—a spinoff
of the former Florida Philharmonic Chorus—it was full
of firsts.
In
November 2004, the Master Chorale performed their first concert
of the season with the world-renowned, often-recorded Empire
Brass quintet. The choice of holiday music punctuated with pieces
appropriate to the winter season was designed to display the
chorale’s versatility. Although the Master Chorale was
formed primarily to perform major works in the chorale-orchestral
repertoire, a close working relationship between artistic director
and conductor Jo-Michael Schiebe, DMA, and the Empire Brass
created an excellent opportunity for a collaborative holiday
concert.
“We
wanted to give our audiences and ourselves a treat. The concert
may have seemed like light fare when compared to Mozart and
Schubert, but it actually was very hard work due to the variety
of demands it placed on the singers. We had a lot of fun performing,
and our audiences loved hearing the concert,” said Schiebe.
A
week before the concert, National Public Radio requested permission
to record the performance and broadcast selections from it throughout
the Christmas season in 2004 and 2005. In addition, the concert
was broadcast nearly in its entirety Christmas Eve on WLRN,
Miami’s public radio station.
“It
truly is an honor for such a new group to be broadcast nationally,”
said Schiebe.
In
April 2005, the Master Chorale of South Florida teamed with
the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia and five soloists to present
the South Florida premier of Franz Schubert’s glorious
Mass in E-flat. While virtually unknown, this sacred masterpiece
is lush, melodic and immensely satisfying to hear as well as
to sing.
“The
singers…delivered a compelling and powerful performance
with daunting fervor and dedication,” said Sun-Sentinel
music critic Lawrence Johnson. “Scheibe's patient, intelligent
direction consistently brought out the music's beauty and eloquence.”
The
Master Chorale of South Florida is finalizing plans for the
next three seasons. Their 2005-2006 season is set and will be
announced in July. Auditions for all voice parts will be held
on August 28, 2005. For more information, please contact the
Master Chorale offices at 954-418-6232.
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CONTACT:
Nancy Gates-Lee
Chair, Marketing Committee
Office: 954-659-6108
Cell: 206-849-1256
Florida MCSF office: 954-545-4059
njgates@att.net
