THE MILLSAPS SINGERS & COLLEGE CHORALE DIRECTED BY D. ROYCE BOYER,
WITH THE METROPOLITAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AND CHRIS BRUNT, KEYBOARDS,
AT MILLSAPS, FEBRUARY 23, 2001

   This program featured works related to space, time, and creation.
It was fittingly opened by Chris Brunt with an organ transcription of
the opening of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra", which was
made memorable by its use in the movie 2001. There followed choral
works by Mecham and Fissinger, and John Rutter's The Sprig of Thyme,
done with the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra. In this there was an
excellent balance and real dialogue between choir and orchestra. The
program continued with "Lost in the Night" by F. Melius Christiansen,
thought by many to be the father of a capella singing in American
colleges. Here the choir achieved a remarkable dynamic range, from
pianissimo to fortissimo and back. Next were a set of anthems by
Bouman, Schweizer, and Pearson; the closing selections, from Haydn's
The Creation, featured the recitatives "Let there be light.." and
"In splendour bright...", and the familiar but still powerful chorus
"The heavens are telling...". All in all this program showed
considerable imagination in the planning and great skill and
vitality in the execution.

                                              - Glenn A. Gentry



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