Va. Chorale will sing out at anniversary concerts

Music director Scott Williamson invites area music lovers to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Virginia Chorale, which calls itself Virginia's only fully professional chorale ensemble.

Williamson, a 1989 Western Branch High School grad, will lead his singers through two Silver Jubilee Concerts, one in Norfolk's Ghent section on Saturday, and the other in Williamsburg on Sunday. The performances will feature a few classic vocal pieces and a lot of locally written modern chorale music.

The harmonic ensemble has plenty to sing about.

It began in 1984 as the Norfolk Pro Musica. Over the years it has been called the Virginia Pro Musica and the McCullough Chorale, named after its founder Donald J. McCullough. It took on its present moniker in 1996 when its founder took on a new position with the Washington Master Chorale. He was succeeded by Robert Shoup, who was in turn succeeded by Williamson at the end of last year.

The Chorale has performed across the country and abroad, sung on National Public Radio, performed with Garrison Keilor and released several CD s.

It also created the Young Singers Project, an educational outreach that gives the cream of area high school singers the opportunity to perform professionally while learning from master singers. That project celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, as well.

The Chorale's triumphs have been recently tempered with harsh economic realities, during a time when arts groups are especially vulnerable, Williamson said.

"We're struggling, the economy is attempting to bring us down," said the resident of Norfolk's Ocean View section. " We've had cutbacks; our entire staff has turned over. We've had to re-shuffle some things. It's certainly been a challenging 25th anniversary."

Williamson said he hopes good turnouts at the upcoming concerts will help alleviate the sting. The music will be by revered British composer Benjamin Britten, and works by local composers, including Adolphus Hailstork, John Dixon and Robert Convery.

"... We love to present music that challenges our audiences and ourselves," Williamson said. "But none of this is atonal, ugly or inaccessible. "

Both concerts will open with Eric Whitacre's mini-opera "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machines."

"He's a 30-something composer who lives in Los Angeles," Williamson said. "... He takes baroque and incorporates it in rock and pop modes. It's like baroque opera meets 'Hair.' "

Williamson said the Chorale will perform three Hailstork pieces featuring the Young Singers Project. One will be an intense spiritual, another a sweet lullaby and the other a jazzy harmonic exercise.

Finally, the singers will perform the world premier of "The Little Fishes In the Sea," written especially by Convery to celebrate the Chorale's 25th birthday.

"It's a witty Lewis Carroll, 'Alice In Wonderland' type of piece with a witty dialogue between a human being and some fishes," Williamson said. "... I think our audiences will be entertained, charmed and impressed."

After all, the Virginia Chorale has had 25 years to get it right.

Eric Feber, 222-5203,

eric.feber@pilotonline.com