Notes

Saturday afternoon I heard the most sublime rendition of Beethoven's Miss Solemnis I have ever heard. The setting was superb, the Chapel at Duke University, with old-fashioned acoustics, no reverb electronics, just natural rebounds from the high, curved ceiling. The NC Symphony was excellent and the Choral Society of Durham could not have been better. A CD is a CD and a performance in the flesh is heaven.

I don't know if there was anything that the singers and the conductor may have wanted to do differently. I heard one bass hanging on a tad longer after one cutoff. As I watched these beautiful voices offering the results of years of study to produce bel canto-beautiful sound-I drifted into my social scientist mode, marveling at the beauty of natural voices and instrumentation without supersaturated electronic intervention. To me, there is nothing more lovely than the observation and appreciation of artistry honed and displayed by the collaboration such as I was honored to witness. I don't know if anyone in the orchestra was playing a Stradivarius or any instrument by one of the hundreds of skilled craftsmen who lovingly carve or mold instruments. I only know that the effect was profoundly pleasing.

I thought of the years of hard work that, except for the paid quartet, these truly professional musicians have expended. This is an audition chorale. Sight-reading is a must. I am aware that most, if not all, of the musicians earn their sustenance, not by doing what innate ability and passion dictate but by teaching, working in offices, and stores. We, humans, have created a culture that respects and rewards product above talent and service. Beethoven was, as were and are most artists, at the mercy of his patrons. I exclude rock performers with the maze of cords, wires and electronic enhancement. There were recording microphones above, but we heard only what is natural and honed to perfection.

I had arrived at the campus nearly two hours early because finding a parking place is almost impossible. As I approached the entry a couple stood, looking out on the quadrangle. I began talking with them. They were from the midwest, Mr. and Mrs. J.L.

Now, my multi/inter/holistic observation and philosophy takes over. The soprano soloist, one of the professional quartet, was Rochelle Ellis, a woman who looks as if she has just arrived from the Sudan. Her voice is pure diamond. I thought of the editor who has two black writers coming out next year and of a friend's observation that not too long ago one representative of a "minority" group-including women, in some respects-was enough (quota.). Whereas all the soloists were wonderful, Miss Ellis was, in my ears, the most effective-just "loverly."

Afterwards, talking with the J.L. family, Mrs. L. asked why there was only one African American in the 150 voice chorale. (I'm always asked to "explain" racial anomalies.) I happen to know the lone representative of the African, European and American continents. He is Randolph F. R. Rasch (Randy) who teaches in the school of nursing at Duke. Dr. Rasch comes from a middle class family, learned classical music as a child. He said that when he graduated from college he bought a recording of the Missa Solemnis and has waited for years to sing it.

The question by Mrs. L. sent my head into automatic. At least a thousand times I've had to give a memorized spiel to counteract ignorance, e.g. "My grandfather was a singing teacher, Dad and an uncle sang. They were 'Irish tenors,' Grandmother played classical piano, etc. etc." When she said, "Oh, it's class not color," I smiled and said, "Yes." She "got it."

Unfortunately, most youths are minimally educated, not just in the basics, but the cultures of the nation and world. The President wants to test each year while teachers "teach to the test." The tests include the questions missed the year before, thus continually "weeding out" without rectification. Learning diminishes exponentially, and not just for "minorities."