Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Choral delights and operatic song fill the air

Symphony benefit gets a standing ovation

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Guest artist and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves stunned the audience with her expressive operatic voice for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s summer benefit. Photo by Willy Cook

It was a gala affair in Sun Valley for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony's benefit concert on Saturday, Aug. 9. The party began at 4 p.m. with passed hors d'oeuvres, food tables and open bars for a well-dressed crowd of 1,750 symphony patrons. This year the benefit offered assigned premier seating for $500 and assigned general seating for $250.

Attendees strolled across the symphony lawn to file into the new Sun Valley Pavilion for an evening performance, which included the 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir joined by internationally known mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. The choir opened with "America the Beautiful" and received a standing ovation, one of many given throughout the evening.

"It goes like the wind," said Sun Valley Summer Symphony Musical Director Alsadair Neale as he commented on the professionalism of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. "The choir can do almost anything."

He said he was like a kid in a candy store conducting the world's best choir and symphony. Joining the evening's performance, Graves sang several arias including works from Georges Bizet's "Carmen" and Camille Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Delilah."

Neale beamed with delight as he conducted Giuseppe Verdi's "Triumph March" from the opera "Aida." However, he noted it was sans the elephants.

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"We wouldn't want them to scuff up the Brazilian mahogany," Neale said with a laugh.

From both sides of the pavilion terraces, trumpets played back and forth, highlighting one of Verdi's most impressive scores.

Also receiving much applause and standing ovations were Carol and Earl Holding, who were attending the evening's performance with family members.

"There are never enough words in any language for what you have done for this community," said 2008 benefit committee Co-chairwoman Martine Drackett.