Grand finale of festival blends genres, cultures

By Molly Gore

A diversely dressed crowd, donning everything from floor-length ball gowns to sweatpants and tees, spent Saturday evening in the Recital Hall listening to Santa Clara alumni perform equally diverse performances of classical music, opera songs and even Broadway show tunes.

The performance concluded the Art of Song Festival, a fusion of poetry and music, hosted by the Center of Performing Arts and the music department this week. Santa Clara alumni Kirsten Allegri, Julie Finch Robé, Rolf Robé, Brian Thorsett and Anastasia Tillbury reclaimed the Recital Hall stage to perform selections from their classical music repertoires, with a closing cycle of musical theater classics performed by alumna Jennifer Martin.

"It is such a blessing to be asked to come back and sing again," Tillbury said. "The program has definitely expanded since I've been here, and the festival is such a great opportunity for students."

The festival, a triannual celebration that began in the early '90s, concluded the department of music's Year of International Song -- a year that was punctuated by performances designed to celebrate songs from around the globe.

The festival combined a series of performances and educational workshops, featuring vocal recitals by faculty and students and highlighting songs in languages such as Czechoslovakian, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

"We just really wanted to provide an international scope, to broaden people's awareness of music from other cultures and areas," said Nancy Wait-Kromm, the coordinator of the festival and director of vocal studies.

The catalog of songs Saturday night certainly drew from a broad scope of musical genres but stayed within the traditional themes of opera: desire, death, love, hate and redemption.

Tenor Thorsett gave a powerful and impressively emotive performance of Mozart's "Concert Aria KV 431."

Thorsett was wholly believable as a man tortured by lost love, singing through a strain of volatile emotions with a clear and flexible voice.

Robé accompanied the vocals of his wife, Finch Robé, with lute and classical guitar.

The two presented a pleasingly authentic and rich sound, augmented by Finch Robé's soft, expertly pitched vocals and natural vibrato.

Mezzo-soprano Allegri and soprano Tillbury both brought an ethereal ease and intricate vocal styling to their respective challenging French song cycles.

The tone changed as Martin closed the concert with a set of musical theater favorites, including selections from "Kiss Me Kate," "Oklahoma!" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

Martin, a soprano, provided the most lively performance and sang with the energy of a musical theater actress on stage.

The week preceding the finale included far more than a series of vocal performances. The festival integrated a sequence of master classes taught by guest clinicians that helped students to refine their vocal technique.

"The purpose of the festival is to educate and provide experience for our students in the performance and study of song," Wait-Kromm said.

The classes are structured in master class format. The visiting expert works with a student to improve a piece, allowing the audience to view the progression and use the tips for themselves.

The master classes sought to draw students' focus away from the technicalities of vocal performance and help voice students bring a sort of meaning to their song.

"Songs are not just lyrics. They are poems that have been written. Music is a universal language, but the actual words are different. We try to provide ways for people to integrate themselves into the experience that we provide for them," Wait-Kromm said.

With at least 40 to 50 students attending each master class, the workshops attracted more than just the performers and their peers.

"It's a sort of baptism by fire," said Wait-Kromm. "The students really learn how to perform it."

Contact Molly Gore at (408) 551-1918 or mgore@scu.edu.