Glorias galore - Choral Union to present differing approaches

The "Gloria" is part of the Catholic Mass, a song praising God that composers through the centuries have used as a form for religious music.

"They are wonderful songs of praise and triumph to God," says Msgr. Richard Rolwing of St. Mary's Cathedral.

Tuesday night will offer a chance to compare Antonio Vivaldi's classic "Gloria" written about 1713 to the one completed 10 years ago by the modern American composer Randol Bass.

Both "Glorias" will be performed by the Southeast Choral Union, the University Choir and the Southeast Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra in a concert titled "Festive Favorites." The concert is at 8 p.m. at Academic Auditorium. A performance by the orchestra of Bizet's "L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2" will begin the concert.

Vivaldi was a Catholic priest who taught music in an orphanage for girls, where he organized one of the best orchestra-choral ensembles in Europe. He set his "Gloria" in 12 short movements and orchestrated for soloists. None of the solos is for men because Vivaldi's orphans were all teen-aged girls.

Lori Shaffer and Dr. Leslie Jones, faculty members at Southeast, are the soloists. Kristy Whitaker-Kloos, a Southeast alumnus who teaches in the St. Louis area, will sing a duet with Shaffer.

Vivaldi's "Gloria," sung in Latin, is based on the Nativity story in Luke 2:14 and thus is often performed during the holidays. He wrote his work for string orchestra, oboe, bassoon and trumpet.

Dr. John Egbert, director of the Choral Union, compares this "Gloria" to Vivaldi's most famous work, the lively and energetic concerto titled "The Four Seasons." "It's the same rhythmic stuff people grab hold of," he said.

Bass is a Texas composer who gave the text "a totally different treatment," Egbert says.

The "Gloria" of Bass is shorter and not divided into movements, although there are different sections. Some sections of the text are as short as two measures.

His is written for the full symphonic orchestra and ends the concert with a big fanfare. With 150 singers singing and 60 members of the orchestra playing, the sound will be big.

"Audiences like dramatic conclusions," Egbert says.

The concert program distributed to the audience will include an English translation for those unfamiliar with the Latin text.

To begin the concert, Dr. Sara Edgerton will conduct the symphony orchestra in "L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2," a piece Bizet wrote for a play set in the French town of Arles.

Its familiar last movement, "Farandole," is based on a traditional French folk song. Another movement is based on a French carol. Several feature the flute and harpist Chadie Fruehwald. Unusual for a symphony, the suite also employs the sound of the saxophone.

Bizet is best known for "Carmen," an opera filled with lovely melodies.

"That kind of spirit can be felt in 'L'Arlesienne Suite,'" Edgerton says.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182