Monday, March 12, 2018

Monmouth Civic Chorus – Ryan James Brandau, conductor; Kate Maroney, guest artist. March 11, 2018.


Our Lady Star of the Sea, Long Branch, NJ.  (Reserved seating, $30).

Program

I found the Program Notes quite useful in understanding the different songs.

This is the second of the three concerts to MCC that we have tickets to, as our friends’ daughter Jennifer sings in the chorus.

 Our Lady Star of the Sea is a Catholic Church located in Long Branch, NJ.

Kate Maroney and Ryan Brandau after performance of The House of Clouds by Colin Britt.

Many of the songs for this afternoon aren’t easy, requiring a good grasp of modern tonality.  Overall the choir did a credible job.

Maroney, a mezzo-soprano originally from Toms River, sang with a clear voice.  She was the soloist in the first song, and a few lines in the last.

Brandau explained that many of the ensemble pieces were volunteered by members of the chorus.  The standard there varied from ensemble to ensemble, which is to be expected.

The Program Notes contains a good discussion on each song, which I appreciate.  It is certainly a great improvement on prior Program Notes from the organization.

The Homs and we had dinner at this new Chinese restaurant in Hazlet (called UJ Jia).  We were told that the choir members had to pay for their own music, and that orchestra members were paid for their services.  I guess the love of music can be costly.


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