Hello dear List:
I hope this incredibly busy week is going well for you!
I feel the need to rant, briefly, about the rude, unprofessional lout of a
baritone who was engaged to solo with our choir in our Good Friday
performance of the Faure Requiem.
First of all, he arrived late - to dress rehearsal and performance day.
Announced he'd be singing from his own score (a different edition) and then
told the director that he would have to correct him (the baritone) if note
values differed from his score.
Sang diffidently at best, at one dynamic (mf) and aways at least a sixteenth
behind the orchestra in one of those hair-raising performances where you
pray that strings and singer arrive at the cadence at least neck and neck.
Sang Latin as though it were Italian
Etc.
I could have forgiven him most of those if it weren't for the boorish
behavior which came next.
Our church choir is a darn good volunteer choir with a paid quartet of darn
good singers and this performance also enticed a few ringers from the local
opera company to join us. Our director spent 22 years at LSU and is one of
the finest directors I've ever worked with. He also happens to be a fine
orchestral conductor. He hands you cues on a silver plate, as cleanly and
precisely as I've seen in 30 years of choral singing.
When our dress rehearsal began, he warned us about the distance between us
and the orchestra and warned that we might experience a slight lag in
hearing the orchestra. So he asked us to sing as though we were generating
his beat rather than following it.
Well the next day, the time came for us to have our prayer with the pastor
and encouraging words from the director. But before the director could
finish, the baritone steps IN FRONT of the director with his hand up and
says "If I may..." Now we were expecting some sort of pleasant platitude
along the lines of "nice to work with you all, blah, blah...." What he
proceeded to do was to flame the choir. He said "in rehearsal some of you
were taking it upon yourselves to try to do as the director said and
generate the beat, but the rest of you aren't and so it sounds like some are
anticipating the downbeat with your consonants and you need to all do the
same thing". Then he smiled a self-satisfied smile and stepped back. The
director, who was stunned, merely repeated, "as I said, if you ALL keep your
eyes on me, this will be absolutely beautiful".
Have you EVER had a guest artist, especially a LAME one, do anything so
inappropriate just as you're entering the church to sing?
Supposedly he has some NY experience with a few good roles under his belt,
but experience is no excuse for such behavior. You bet your bippy that's the
last gig he'll have at Chez 1st Pres.
There, I'm done. Thanks for letting me holler. I feel much better now. And
BTW, it went just beautifully!
Best wishes to all!
Laura Sharp
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