By Susan Paynter
About 40 concertgoers were drawn to Emmanuel’s sanctuary on Friday, February 26, to hear Oboist Aaron Hill, of the faculty and orchestra of the University of Virginia, and Pianist and Tenor Kevin Zakresky, choirmaster & music director of Chatham Hall.
In addition to Zakresky, Chatham provided two special guests to fill out the program, proving once again how strikingly broad and deep our humanities scene is for a community of our size: Organist Elise Dugan, student, and Blake Scholar Ann Beal, faculty member; both of Chatham Hall.
This was the second of four in the 2010 Chatham Concert Series, founded and directed by Zakresky. Mr. Hill was delighted with the intimacy of the venue and audience which proved ideal for the chamber music written for oboe and piano.
The evening opened with Hill and Zakresky on oboe and piano,
delighting the audience with a sonata by Francis Poulenc, and three of Robert
Schumann’s fantasy pieces.
After the intermission, Ms. Dugan brought Emmanuel’s 1865 Hamill pipe organ to life with a Bach prelude and Johann Gottfired Walther’s “Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend” (“Lord Jesus Christ, turn our way”.) Mr. Zakresky promised her performance would be impressive and it certainly was!
Dr. Beal was the surprise guest at the concert with her enlightening introduction to ten William Blake poems, set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and sung by Zakresky with Hill on oboe. Our sanctuary was an appropriate place for Blake’s exploration of the darkness and light of the human soul, and its creator.
Zakresky and Hill closed out the program with chamber music for oboe and piano by J. W. Kalliwoda.
The third concert of the series, the classical guitar of Justin Craig, will be held at Emmanuel at 7:00 on the evening of March 26. It promises to be a real treat that we should make every effort to attend.