Musica Vocale presents Saul's story, as told by Handel

Choral conductor Arnold Epley has affected Kansas City's classical music community like few other people.

Through his years of teaching at William Jewell College and as conductor of various ensembles, he has helped shape generations of local singers. Three years ago he founded Musica Vocale, an ensemble devoted to performing rarely heard choral masterpieces.

The group, along with the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, will perform George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Saul" at 3 p.m. June 5 in the J.C. Nichols Auditorium in the National World War I Museum, 100 W. 26th St.

"I'm celebrating my 30th year in Kansas City," Epley said, "and I can't think of any better way to do it."

Handel's biblical oratorio, which tells of the stormy relationship between Saul, the first king of Israel, and his successor, David, is one of those rare works that Musica Vocale was founded to perform.

"It seemed to me that there were several choirs singing mainline choral works," Epley said, "but we wanted to do choral works with orchestra that don't often get done, works that rarely make it to concert stages. I'm trying to include lots of early music, baroque oratorios, sometimes Renaissance music, or music that needs a continuo group."

Epley, professor of music emeritus at William Jewell College and conductor laureate of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, was encouraged to start the group by former students and colleagues.

"I had some local singers in the greater Kansas City area who told me they thought I really needed to do this, and they persuaded me to start. So I made a list of who I wanted to have, and called on people I've known through the years. It's a widely varied group. There are a lot of music degrees in there. I suspect there are five or six who make their living in music. We're just finishing our third season. This makes me proud but very tired."

When Epley mentioned to countertenor Jay Carter, a member of Musica Vocale, that he wanted to do a Handel oratorio, Carter suggested "Saul."

"Jay had sung a performance in Illinois, and he came back and said this is the way to go. When I started getting into it, I realized it's a really unique piece in many ways. Handel just finished his career writing opera seria, so he invented the English oratorio. He must have felt so suddenly free from sets and costumes and temperamental Italian supersingers. ?Saul' has a very fast-moving and dramatic sense to it. It moves along like a Shakespearean tragedy. There are 11 choruses that are wonderful, wonderful pieces, and I really enjoy the very differing emotional character of every one of them, from rage to mourning."

Carter will sing the role of David and bass Douglas Williams will sing the role of Saul.

"A few weeks ago, when the Friends of Chamber Music was host to the Boston Early Music Festival, those of us who heard Handel's ?Acis and Galatea' were mesmerized by the singing," Epley said. "One of the members of the cast was Douglas Williams. He's one of the very top-ranked American baroque singers."

Charles Jennens, who wrote and compiled the libretto for "Messiah," also provided the libretto for "Saul."

"He was a very skillful writer," Epley said. "It's wonderfully written with very lofty language. I think people who love ?Messiah' will find they also love ?Saul,' and they'll find it different, too. ?Messiah' has long arias, some of them eight to 10 minutes. But in ?Saul,' most of the arias are only one or two minutes, at best, so the oratorio moves right along. The thing ?Messiah' lovers will enjoy so much is that everything you get in ?Messiah' you get in ?Saul' ? but even more of it. There's a wider emotional gamut."

Certainly, "Saul" has all the grandeur of "Messiah." For the premiere, Handel borrowed extra-large military kettledrums from the Tower of London and promised that the performance "will be most excessive noisy."

"This is the biggest orchestra Handel ever used," Epley said. "There are two trumpets, three trombones, drums and oboes. We tried very hard to get period trumpets and sackbuts, but it proved impossible, so we're using modern brass. But every one of them has enough baroque sensibility that they'll play their parts with that frame of mind.

"All the other members of the Kansas City Baroque Consortium either play with early instruments or use baroque bows and gut strings. It's expensive. That's one reason most people don't do these works and why we can't afford an orchestra this size on every concert.

"I'm as excited about this as anything I've done in a long, long time," Epley said. "It's a wonderful opportunity to help all our friends experience this. After hearing it, I think it will be one of their favorite pieces."

Tickets will be available at the door, or visit www.musica vocale.org.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/28/2906847/sauls-story-as-told-by-handel.html#ixzz1NmEEBvOK

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Hear more about Musica Vocale and catch a live performance of Jay Carter on Kansas Public Radio:

 

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An oratorio of biblical proportions

With its performance of "Saul," Musica Vocale puts forth a kingly effort. However it was the combined efforts of the soloists that truly reigned.