CHORAL UNION, SOLOISTS PLEASE IN `THE CREATION' (CONCERT REVIEW)

Franz Joseph Haydn's "The Creation" is not the soul-stirring work of art that "Carmina Burana," "Messiah" or other of the Choral Union's recent concerts have offered up. It is, however, music that showcases soloists and pleases with cascades of shimmering choral sounds.

Both were in evidence Tuesday night when the Choral Union, the University Choir and the University Orchestra presented "The Creation" before an audience of about 800 at Academic Auditorium.

"The Creation" is based on the Book of Genesis and employs phrases from Milton's "Paradise Lost." Haydn modeled it after Handel's "Messiah," and those echoes are evident, especially in the dramatic, contrapuntal choral passages.

The production built slowly, using spoken narration and solos by the archangels Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel to advance the story of how God created the world. Surging voices and rousing choruses evoked by Choral Union Director Dr. John Egbert helped the performance catch fire in the second and third parts.

The University Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Sara Edgerton was solid and especially full-sounding with the addition of a contrabassoonist and an extra oboist and bassoonist.

The five soloists were superb. Southeast faculty members Dr. Elizabeth James-Gallagher and Dr. Christopher Goeke, singing the roles of Gabriel and Uriel, respectively, bring an air of confident professionalism to their every performance.

Goeke's tenor was especially fine in the passage titled "In splendor bright," and James-Gallagher's voice floated perfectly above the chorus in "What wonder doth His work reveal."

Bass Jonathan Stewart (Raphael), music director at Centenary Methodist Church, is a accomplished soloist who held his own in the trios.

Lori Shaffer and Tom Lowery were outstanding as Eve and Adam, whose duets in Part III provided the evening's most appealing moments. Their splendid voices seemed particularly attuned to the drama of discovering "rapture everlasting."