Debbie Zufall's Blog

April 27, 2008

For me, becoming acclimated to a new place means learning where the churches are that have concerts. While poking around the Internet, I found myself on the Rochester College website, and was overjoyed to discover an upcoming performance of the Brahms Requiem. Last night I went to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Rochester, and arrived early enough to sit near the front. I had no idea what to expect, as I had never heard the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra perform, or any of the three choirs that banded together for this performance (Oakland Choral Society, Rochester Community Chorus, and Rochester College A Cappella Chorus). Also, I had also never heard Frederic DeHaven conduct.

The concert opened with a nice surprise, as Mr. DeHaven announced that the orchestra would first play “Nimrod” by Elgar, in memory of two of the choir members who had recently passed away. From the first few bars, I knew that I was in for a great performance. The orchestra played very well indeed, and DeHaven is a marvelous conductor.

This was followed by the Rochester College A Cappella Chorus who sang the Brahms “O Heiland, reiss die immHimmel auf,” directed by Joe Bentley. I was glad that they had their turn in the limelight before becoming a small part of the 150 voice choir that was to sing the Requiem. Also, I was impressed by how well they performed this difficult piece, in tune, (A Cappella) and with flawless diction.

It is difficult to describe the deep feelings that the German Requiem invokes in me each time I hear it. From the very beginning, I realized that DeHaven had put together a powerful performance. He had fine musicians to work with, but it was his energy and musicianship that brought it all together. It was a memorable evening, and I was glad that I could attend.