Mattersmasterworkscollage concert to explore 46th season’s theme of chiaroscuro

Masterworks Chorale • toledo, ohio • May 2018

Join us for our Collage Concert, Opposites Attract. Some exciting young artists will help us explore the ups and downs of romantic love and the ying and yang of human relations. Collaborating with us will be Ann Arbor-based duo Warren & Flick. With Jacob Warren on double bass and Grant Flick on violin, tenor guitar, and mandolin, this pair has been wowing audiences with a wide variety of music from jazz to bluegrass. Adding visual beauty to our collage will be the dancers of the Ballet Theatre of Toledo. And of course, you can count on the singers of Masterworks Chorale for nuanced performances of songs from many eras exploring the light and dark sides of romance, from a Renaissance gem about an unfaithful spouse, to a waltz by Brahms (“Love me dear heart! Kiss me in the darkness!”), to “Goodnight, My Someone” and “Sweet Georgia Brown.” This concert will wrap up our 46th season beautifully, with its theme of chiaroscuro, a celebration of the dark as well as the light, a season of contrasts of mood, style, and color. All in Toledo’s beautiful Valentine Theatre. Saturday, June 2, 8 p.m. Don’t miss it!

warren & Flick, duo extraordinaire, playing both original material and standards from many genres

photo by Sadie Gustafson-Zook

love me again

chiaroscuro in painting, strong tonal contrasts between light and dark

(kee-ar-uh-SKOOR-oh)

The singers of Masterworks Choraledifferent without you

Dancers from the Ballet Theatre of Toledo

photo by Patrick Wolff

fall in lovemoonglow

opposites attractjealous

p l a y i n g i t c o o l she digs me!

photo by Patrick Wolff

Mattersmasterworks

“may our music not only entertain, but also encourage you to fearlessly choose to experience all of your laughter and all of your tears”

Tim Cloeter,Artistic Director

chorale alto: sarah schendel a life-long love of choral singing

The Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran wrote this of love: “When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth, so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.” As Gibran indicates, true love is not pain-free, and soaring joy and devastating sorrow are actually opposite sides of the same coin.

In our last concert of this Chiaroscuro season, we consider both the pleasure and the pain of romantic love with music that spans from Renaissance chansons to vocal jazz, and from Brahms to Billy Joel, and we do so with wonderful contributions from the Ballet Theatre of Toledo

and from Grant & Flick, a jazz/bluegrass string duo. We’ll sing about moonglow that happily gave me you, and we’ll sing the blues in the night. We’ll sing of hearts that break, and hearts that are forever carried safely in our own heart.

Where romantic love is concerned, all it takes is the right word or the right look to make our whole world sunny, or the wrong word or the wrong look to fill us with gloom. Why would we even pursue love? Again, Gibran: “But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.” May our music not only entertain, but also encourage you to fearlessly choose to experience all of your laughter and all of your tears.

from the directorfrom brahms to billy joel, we explore both love’s pleasure & its pain

Mattersmasterworks

book review: year of wonder: classical music for every day

In a paragraph early in Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day, Clemency Burton-Hill states that she’s “a big believer that music is music.”

While that might seem obvious, it is a key statement in her inspiration for the book. Clemency Burton-Hill, a distinguished violinist who studied at the Royal College of Music, wants to demystify classical music. Listening to classical music doesn’t require special knowledge or credentials; it just requires a curious mind and a love of music.

The book’s organization is simple. For each day there is a one-page summary providing interesting and informative context regarding a piece of music or its composer. Musical selections span almost 1,000 years and include well-known classical composers as well as less famous pieces and composers from each era. In addition, the book features more than 40 women composers and highlights neglected or forgotten voices.

Choral works are well represented in this book (more than a month of selections), including a varied range of composers spanning hundreds of years from Byrd to Birtwistle. Masterworks Chorale has sung a number of the pieces in this book, most recently, “Crucifixus” by Antonio Lotti.

The book is conversational, light, and fun. For example, in an entry about “En la Macarentia,” a traditional piece arranged by Bob Chilcott, Burton-Hill notes, “This song has nothing, by the way, to do with the 1990s pop smash by Los del Rio, in case you were considering dusting off your Macarena moves.”

If you want to be entertained and be drawn into the diverse spectrum of classical music, then you should definitely consider getting this book.

A nice plus is that you can find the music discussed in the book at publicly available playlists on Spotify.com. Search for “Year of Wonder” and add the month you want to listen to.— Tim Langhorst, bass

Check out this playlist inspired by the theme of our next Collage Concert, Opposites Attract. These musical selections, curated by bass Tim Langhorst, demonstrate the many ways unusual associations and collaborations create some surprising, brilliant — and sometimes a little weird — music. Musicians from different musical spectrums and genres coming together for collective musical impact.

Just click here to hear the playlist. Then put the playlist on shuffle. Enjoy.

Don’t have a Spotify account? It’s easy to sign-up, and there’s a free version. Just go to spotify.com.

masterworks chorale's"singer's choice"playlist 3

on spotify

For Sarah Schendel, an alto who has been with Masterworks Chorale for 28 years, singing has been a life-long journey.

Singing was a natural part of her family life. Her mother was a voice minor in college and her three older sisters all took voice lessons — and all were accomplished singers. Sarah began singing in her hometown church choir in Topeka, Kansas when she was five and was taking voice lessons by ninth grade.

During high school, Sarah sang one of the songs the Chorale will be performing at the Collage Concert on June second, “Il Est Bel et Bon,” by Pierre Passereau. She says, “As we were singing, my brain came alive. I could hear the various parts. It was so beautiful. And I still have the same thrill today.”

After attending a local university in Kansas, Sarah completed graduate school at Michigan State University, and completed another graduate degree at the University of Michigan. After graduating, she began her career in social work as a therapist in a community mental health clinic as well as in private practice. Now fully retired as of November, 2017 — and loving it — Sarah found her professional life to be challenging, interesting, and rewarding.

Even with a busy career, Sarah always found time for music. After moving to Toledo in 1981, she participated in local church choirs for several years, but missed the more challenging choral experience. Sarah found and joined Masterworks Chorale in 1989.

“I have always loved the fact that the singers in Masterworks have gotten along so well,” says Sarah. “The conflicts and the politics are not there. We are all there for a common purpose: to sing music beautifully and connect music with people.”

She has a hard time identifying a favorite piece of music sung by the Chorale over the years, but adds, “I really have enjoyed singing a piece a second or third time because each time the music presents deeper layers of meaning, and my love of singing these pieces continues to grow.”

While music is a significant part of Sarah’s life, she has a full life including volunteer work. “Six years ago I was asked by my church to go to Tanzania in support of our diocese in Africa. We spent about 10 days there and it was a wonderful experience in renewing relationships with our community in Africa. We did have an opportunity to experience music in Tanzania; it is a different kind of vocalizing, but it is very musical.”

Sarah has seen tremendous growth in Masterworks Chorale over the years, both musically and with a commitment to outreach in the community. And she sees a bright future for the Chorale in the years to come. — Tim Langhorst, bass

Alto Sarah Schendel

Samir and Lucy Abu-Absi looking over the gift

basket raffle

Our fortune-teller,

Pamela DownourGrant and Anna Wilkinson, Linda

Sulier, and Lauri Jones-Shepler

Nancy Lehmann enjoying a lively

song from the Renaissance

Artistic Direc-tor Tim Cloeter demonstrating one of his non-musical talents one singer’s picks

inspired by

“opposites attract”

Brian Tittl singing “On

the Street Where You

Live”

Lauri Jones- Shepler singing “Breaking Up Is hard to do”

Friends, a folk music ensemble, performing

“Sixteen Tons”

Colleen M. Geftos and Kathy Dennis performing “It Don’t Mean a Thing”

thanks to all who made our cabaret nighta delightful evening, and a successful fundraiser!

W

Non-ProfitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidToledo, Ohio

Permit No. 935

Mark Your Calendar and Join Us! Tickets and Other DetailsTickets for our June 2 Collage Concert: Level A (closer up) $30, Level B (farther back) $25, Students $17. All seating is reserved. Order by phone at (419) 242-2787 or click here to go to the Valentine Theatre ticket office.

DisabilitiesIf you have a disability requiring an

accommodation, please advise the Chorale’s business office at (419) 742-2775 at least two

weeks before the concert. For TYY/TDD use Ohio Relay Service 1 (800) 750-0750.

This May Be Your Year to Audition for Masterworks Chorale!Adult Singers: Have you always wanted to sing with Masterworks Chorale? Why not now? We are hoping to add singers in all voice parts. See below for audition information.

High-School Singers: We hope to have as many as four interns — in any voice combination — rehearse and perform with the Chorale for each of our three concerts.

To make an appointment for an audition, fill in the form at www.masterworkstoledo.com/audition.html. Questions? Leave a message at (419) 742-2775.

Masterworks Chorale of Toledo www.masterworkstoledo.com

Go Ahead! Slit the Seal! Here’s What’s Inside!A preview our June 2 Collage Concert • A profile of one of our altos, Sarah Schendel • A review of a great new book about classical music • A look back at our delightful Cabaret Night fundraiser • The latest Singer’s Choice playlist on Spotify • An inspiring message from our Artistic Director, Tim Cloeter

P. O. Box 114Toledo, Ohio 43697

M A S T E R W O R K S C H O R A L E

Masterworks Chorale is grateful for generous support from:

connecting lives through choral music MattersmasterworksMasterworks Chorale

Radio Broadcast of our Classics ConcertThursday, May 31, 2018 at 8 p.m. WGTE-FM, 91.3

our Collage Concert Opposites AttractSaturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. The Valentine Theatre, Toledo410 Adams Street, Toledo

Radio Broadcast of our Collage ConcertThursday, July 19, 2018 at 8 p.m. WGTE-FM, 91.3