Wednesday, November 13, 2002
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Wednesday, November 13, 2002 |
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Holy Trinity to host ecumenical choir for Schubert's Mass in G By SALLIE
SATTERTHWAITE
Voices from a wide cross-section of Fayette County churches will form an ecumenical choir presenting Franz Schubert's Mass in G this Saturday at 8 p.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City. Choir members of National Heights Baptist in Fayetteville; Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran, First Presbyterian, Peachtree City United Methodist and St. Andrew's-in-the-Pines Episcopal in Peachtree City; St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Mission, Sharspburg; and St. Philip Benizi Catholic, Jonesboro, join with the choir of Holy Trinity. Claire Stroud, organist and director of music at Holy Trinity, will conduct, and the choral work will be accompanied by Kelly Plauché Whittier on the pipe organ. The Mass was composed in 1815, and is set for soprano, tenor, and bass soli, in addition to the chorus and organ. The late conductor Robert Shaw recorded the work with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Choruses in 1990, and it is his arrangement that will be presented here. The soprano soloist will be Cynthia Van Wert, who was born in Nazareth and raised in Israel, the daughter of Baptist missionaries. Her undergraduate work was at Eastern Kentucky University; she earned her master's in music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Van Wert apprenticed with the Knoxville Opera Company and was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Audition Competition. At present the full-time mother of two, she lives in Fayette County where she continues to perform and teach privately. David Stivers, tenor, was born in Dayton, Ohio and received his bachelor of music degree and his master of music education at Eastern Kentucky. A member of the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus for 15 years, he toured Europe with Robert Shaw in 1988. He currently serves as soloist and choir director in several Atlanta area churches. Baritone Bill Killmeier grew up in Marietta and now resides in Newnan. After graduating from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., he was selected as soloist and member of the United States Army Band and Chorus in Washington, D.C. He continued his career in Germany, singing for nearly ten years as a full-time opera house soloist in several theaters. In addition to several theater commitments in Germany over the next few years, he will be heard as Sharpless in Atlanta Opera's 2004 production of Madame Butterfly. Killmeier also co-authored "Auditioning in the 21st Century: An essential handbook for those auditioning for and working in the German-speaking theater 'fest' system." Whittier studied organ at the College of William and Mary, where she played at the historic Bruton Parish Church. She graduated from Emory University with a BA in music, then worked for a year in Vienna, Austria where she had the opportunity to play many of the historic organs in the city, giving two concerts. She is now director of music and liturgy at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Jonesboro, where she leads an adult choir and a children's choir as well as playing the organ for three weekend Masses. Stroud graduated in music from East Carolina University in Greenville. N.C. where she served as assistant conductor of College Chorale and carried a teaching fellowship in organ. She taught music and served churches in several eastern cities before moving to Peachtree City. She has been with Holy Trinity since 1983. Stroud says she sees herself more fully as parish musician than as organist and music director, and works to develop the musical outreach of the church. She has encouraged ecumenical growth and understanding in the community by producing choral ventures like the Schubert. These have included Händel's Messiah, the Gloria by Vivaldi and Requiem by Fauré. In addition, Stroud has served on the Atlanta Board of Chorister's Guild and is an active member of the Archdiocesan Choir Committee. The public is invited to attend this free concert, and a reception will follow. Child care will also be available. Holy Trinity is located on the corner of Walt Banks Road and Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City. Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot of McIntosh High School. For more information, call 770-487-7672.
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