THE JACKSON CHORAL SOCIETY AT BRIARWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MAY 4, 2001

   Spanish music was featured in this program, to relate it to the Majesty
of Spain exhibit. It opened with the traditional Esta Noche, and moved
directly to the Spanish Renaissance with three a capella pieces by Tomas
Luis da Victoria, "Jesu Dulcis Memoria", and two settings of "Ave Maria". 
The second of these, for two choirs and eight voices, was ravishingly
beautiful and reminescent of Allegri's "Miserere", with a soprano line
that soared high above the other voices without dominating them.
The next work - almost 400 years younger - was Argentinian
composer Angel Ramirez' rhythmically complex Misa Criolla, scored for a
number of soloists, piano (Robert Knupp), and percussion (Casey Kirk,
David Mahloch, and Michael Rushing). Pieces by Ernesto Lecuona and Jean
Berger followed, and the concert was closed with a capella works by
Carmen Cavallaro, Antonio Estevez, and Pedro Gutierrez. Of these,
Estevez' Mata del Anima Sola reminded me of Celtic "mouthmusic", in
which Scottish highlanders used the voice to imitate fiddle music because
they were to poor to own instruments. Indeed this and the last piece -
Gutierrez' Alma Llanero - both were meant to be imitative of indigenous
Spanish rhythm instruments. The Society and its director Richard Joiner
deserve much credit for bringing this exciting music - most of it
completely unfamiliar - to the Jackson concert scene.
                                                     - Glenn A. Gentry




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