Program Notes: Too Hot to Handel

HOLIDAY 2022/23

TOO HOT TO HANDEL

Co-arranged by Bob Christianson & Gary Anderson. Original concept by Marin Alsop. CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor CYNTHIA RENEÉ, soprano KAREN MARIE RICHARDSON, mezzo soprano RODRICK DIXON, tenor

TOO HOT TO HANDEL COMMUNITY CHORUS, MARY LOUISE BURKE , director

Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 7:30pm

Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 2:30pm Boettcher Concert Hall

PART ONE

Sinfony Comfort Ye Every Valley And The Glory of the Lord Thus Said the Lord But Who May Abide? And He Shall Purify Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion For Unto Us a Child Is Born There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field And Suddenly, There Was With the Angel Glory to God

— INTERMISSION —

PART TWO

Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened He Shall Feed His Flock Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs All We Like Sheep The Trumpet Shall Sound Why Do the Nations? Hallelujah

Saturday’S concert iS dedicated to Vinyl Me, PleaSe Sunday’S concert iS dedicated to Merle c chaMberS

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

HOLIDAY BIOGRAPHIES

CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor

Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Resident Conductor of the Colorado Symphony and Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. He joined the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/2016 Season as Associate Conductor – a position he held for four years. For three years prior, Dragon held the position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch.

Dragon has a versatile portfolio ranging from live-to-picture performances of Nightmare Before Christmas, Jurassic Park and Mary Poppins, a wide variety of collaborations with artists such as The Flaming Lips, Cynthia Erivo and Wynton Marsalis, to standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire such as Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto, Eleven Eleven, all areas of which he has become highly sought after. Christopher has become known for his charisma, high energy and affinity for a good costume, consistently delivering unforgettable performances that has made him an audience favourite.

Recent season highlights include his subscription series debut with the San Diego Symphony, performances of Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton with Danny Elfman reprising the role of Jack Skellington and the historic Colorado Symphony performances with the Wu-Tang Clan at Red Rocks and the Mission Ballroom. Dragon’s upcoming debuts include concerts with the San Francisco Symphony and the Utah Symphony.

Christopher works regularly in Australia and has guest conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with John Pyke and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released on album by ABC Music and won an ARIA the following year. Christopher’s other guest conducting includes Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, with both resulting in immediate re-invitations. At the beginning of 2016 Dragon conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Art Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Christopher began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program in Australia under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

HOLIDAY BIOGRAPHIES

CYNTHIA RENEÉ, soprano

Cynthia Renée fell in love with music at a very early age. She began singing at age six and playing classical piano at seven. By thirteen, she realized that a career in music was exactly what she wanted. The rest is history that continues to write itself.

While pursuing her Bachelors in Music (Piano Performance), and her Masters of Art (Vocal Performance) at Morgan State University, Cynthia toured the world and made a name for herself as a vocalist. That journey opened doors for performances with the notable, Soulful Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Sao Paolo Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Czech Symphony Orchestra, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Colombia Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and many more. She has been honored to work with respected musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Will Downing, Jason Love, Marin Alsop, Darin Atwater and the late Jazz guitarist, Nick Colionne.

Cynthia’s passion for the Arts led her to several roles in theater productions at Alliance Theater, Arena Stage, and Dallas Theater Center in Sheldon Epps’ “Blues in the Night.” She has also served as Musical Director for Bee Hive, Smokey Joes Café, and most recently, Dream Girls at Center Stage in Maryland.

Cynthia Renee has undoubtedly used her experiences in Classical, R&B, Gospel and Rock genres, to create a unique sound and story of her own. As a singer, songwriter and musician, she continues to bring her style of music to the world of Art. She lives by this declaration, “Success is inner peace and the complete understanding of what makes you happy and fulfilled inside”. It is her passion to inspire and bring people together through her music.

KAREN MARIE RICHARDSON, mezzo-soprano

A native of Chicagoland area, Karen Marie (though known nationally for her vocals) is a songwriter, vocal arranger, actress, educator, and musician. She has also performed in Too Hot to Handel (the jazz/gospel adaptation of Frederic Handel’s Messiah) as the Alto soloist (Auditorium Theatre and Detroit Opera House) for the last 12 seasons. She is currently starring in the Off Broadway sensation Sleep No More as jazz chanteuse Stella Sinclair. There, she has sung duets with P!nk and John Legend. She is one of the few artists to perform in Duke Ellington’s Queenie Pie in the title role. (Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theatre) She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Millikin University.

HOLIDAY BIOGRAPHIES

RODRICK DIXON, tenor

Rodrick Dixon possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility that has earned him the respect and attention of leading conductors, orchestras, and opera companies throughout North America, including: Los Angeles Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Todi Music Festival, Portland Opera, Opera Columbus, Virginia, Cincinnati Opera, and Opera Southwest.

On the concert stage, he is a frequent soloist of the Cincinnati May Festival. Other organizations where he has appeared include The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ravinia Festival, American Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Vail Music Festival, Kimmel Center, and The Longfellow Chorus for a program of works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. He has also performed at Sydney Arts Festival in Australia and in Mongolia at the Miss World Competition.. Last season includes appearances with the Enescu Festival in the title role of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, Philadelphia Orchestra for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Florida Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem, Calvin University for Handel’s Messiah, the Richmond Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Alexandria Symphony for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and appearances in Detroit and Chicago for Too Hot to Handel. The coming season includes notable debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Netherlands Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, Peoria Symphony and South Dakota Symphony and returns to the Colorado Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony among others.

He has appeared on television in a number of PBS specials. He was part of the original cast of Ragtime on Broadway, and in Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre. He has also appeared on recordings (Sony/BMG), PBS Great Performances’ Cook, Dixon & Young Volume One, Follow That Star Christmas CD, Liam Lawton’s Sacred Land, Rodrick Dixon Live in Concert, and a Christmas album with the Cincinnati Pops.

TOO HOT TO HANDEL COMMUNITY CHORUS, MARY LOUISE BURKE, director

Mary Louise Burke is in her 29th season as Principal Associate Director of the Colorado Symphony Chorus. In addition to assisting Chorus Director Duain Wolfe, she also prepares the chorus for various Colorado Symphony pops concerts and special projects, including Too Hot to Handel. In the summer of 2022, she conducted the Symphony chorus on their concert tour of Austria. She has worked as the Associate Director of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, participating in hundreds of concerts and dozens of the Chorale’s regional, national and international tours. She was also Vocal Director of the Children’s Chorale, where she provided specialized vocal coaching and opera preparation. With an expertise in vocal technique, Burke frequently conducts seminars in vocal and choral techniques for area church and community choirs. She is the Vocal Advisor at Montview Presbyterian Church and has taught classes in Find Your Authentic Voice at the University of Denver. She has a Doctorate in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado.

HOLIDAY BIOGRAPHIES

TOO HOT TO HANDLE COMMUNITY CHORUS

Mary Louise Burke, Director

Jared Joseph, Assistant Director

ShaoChun Tsai, Pianist

Eric Israelson, Barbara Porter, Chorus Managers

SOPRANO

Maureen Allen

Sarah Amirani

Tanya Apel

Lori Ascani

Carol Baker

Caitlin Jones-Bamman

Judy Barckholtz

Reva Benson

Helen Berkman

Georgia Blum

Alice Boyle

Aimee Cagande

Susie Carahalios

Aimee Charlton

Shi-Chin Chiang

Kay Christie

Darla Dakin

Sally David Elizabeth Dries

Gayle Duggan

Cara Faliano

Wendy Ferrelli

Elise Fitschen

Carolyn Fleming

Denise Fritz

Suzanne Gendreau

Lori Gill

Brenda Gleason

Alana Gowin

Brooke Grenemyer

Norma Hafenstein

Amy Hamill

Gene Hayes

Mary-Therese Heintzkill

Barbara Hessel

Sue Hubert

Janice Jones

Alaxandra Josephs

Carrie Lamitie

Judy Alice Lee

Marybeth Lehto

Karen Lussier

Lori Luzzi

Annie McClure

Erin Montigne

Ann Myers

Micki Nelson

Christine Nyholm

Jean O’Nan

Barbara Porter

AnneMarie Roberts

Kathryn Rue

Elizabeth Shepic

Laurie Sindt

Deb Stauffer

Mary Strizek Erika Talley Deborah Viles Sue Von Roedern

Donna Watkins Selma White

Crystal Wilcox

Stacy Worthington

Karen Wuertz

Joan Zisler

ALTO

Kristel Acre

Lora Adams

Cindee Ball

Julie Banda Barbara Behl

Lisa Boyum

Vira Brock Beth Brown Mary Anne Buczyna

Susan Burnett

Peggy Carstens

Adele Carter

Lindy Casados

Brooke Cowan

Martha Cox

Joyce Culwell

Amy Evancheck

Donna Frederickson

Marcia Ginley

Dawn Givens

Lori Golightly

Deborah Herold

Erica Hoaglund

Jennifer Ford Keel

Pam Klenz

Emily Kolm

Paula LaPrise

Karen Littlefield

Joanna Maltzahn

Karla Mason

Brandi McKenzie

LaTonya McPherson

Julie Meyers

Lynne Monson

Andrea Morgan

Lynnette Muncey Sarah Nelson Kristen Nordenholz Connie Oehring

Gretchen Ordelheide Kathy Osborne Jill Parsons Virginia Phillips Melody Pickett

Patti Quarles Kristen Ramsey Rhonda Renaud Liz Rodriguez Amy Ruby Kathi Rudolph Nancy Shock Julie Engel Shrumm

Alexandria Sietz Belinda Smiley

Linda TeKrony Gwen Thomas Roxanne Thompson Susan Turman Mariza Vazquez Kate Williams Ruthie Williams

Lynne Yancey

TENOR

LaVone Adams

John Ashworth

Ria Barrows

Rich Bauman

Russell Bowe Jody Carmichael Jodell Chiles

John Colvin Don Davis

Jack Dinkel Barbara Downing Roger Fuehrer

Jacob Herold David Keller

Mikkel Kelly

Ken Kolm

Lisa Marie Main Todd McCracken Bethany Mesko Mark Muncey Ken Peach Heidi Piper James Russell Eric Smith Hannis Thompson Stephan Van Hooser Daryl Walker Dean Woodward

BASS Jeff Black Michael Blevins Roger Burnett James Esten Bob Friedlander Hiram Garza Kenneth Guimond Taylor Hamill David Highbaugh Joel Houwer

Eric Israelson Jared Joseph Keith Kempton Eric Kurtz Andrew Martin

Ken Moncrieff

John Mullins Gene Nuccio

Peter Ordelheide David Otey

Tom Potter Ken Quarles

Josh Richards John Ruby Russ Skillings

Chris Stille Brian Underhill Robert Williams

HOLIDAY BIOGRAPHIES

TOO HOT TO HANDEL COMMUNITY CHORUS

The Too Hot to Handel Community Chorus has been performing Too Hot to Handel with the Colorado Symphony since 1998 and is comprised of singers from church and community choirs all over the metro area and beyond. This year, we are pleased to welcome singers from the following choirs:

Applewood Valley United Methodist Arvada Chorale Assumption of the Theotokas Greek Orthodox Bethany Lutheran Boulder Chorale

Boulder Philharmonic Chorus Brighton Choir

Broomfield United Methodist Cantabile

Chapel in the Pines Cherry Creek Chorale Christ Church Episcopal Coal Creek Community Chorus Colorado Chorale

Colorado Community Church Colorado Music Festival Chorus Colorado Repertory Singers Colorado Symphony Chorus Columbine Chorale

Columbine Colorado Stake LDS Columbine United Denver Choir League Denver Women’s Chorus

Evergreen Lutheran First Avenue Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown First Unitarian Society of Denver First United Methodist Church of Golden First Universalist Church of Denver Fort Lupton First United Methodist

Gaudete

Genesis Church

Georgetown Community Choir Grace Community Church of Westminster Grace Notes Greeley Harmonix Green Mountain United Methodist High Country Chorus Higher Ground Holy Family Catholic Church Holy Shepherd Lutheran House for All Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Impromptu Kantorei King of Glory Lutheran Last Note Singers

Louisville United Methodist Mayflower Congregational UCC Mile Hi Church

Mile High Vineyard Church Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Nativity of our Lord Catholic Church Never on Sunday Community Choir New Hope Baptist New Hope Presbyterian (Castle Rock)

Our Savior Reformed Church Park Hill United Methodist Resonance Women’s Chorus Rock Choir of Colorado

Sacred Heart of Mary Sage Singers S.O.A.R. Sound Circle South Suburban Christian Church Spirit Voices

The Spirituals Project St Andrew United Methodist St Augustine Catholic Church St Barnabas Episcopal St Basil Korean Catholic Church St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic (Ft Collins)

St John’s Episcopal (Boulder) St Mary’s of the Rockies (Bailey) St Stephen’s Lutheran St Thomas

St Thomas More Catholic Church St Timothy’s Episcopal Sweet Adelines

The Crossing Church of the Nazarene

The Purpose Center Thornton Community Band Trinity United Methodist Unification Church Unity of Boulder Choir Voices Rock Wellshire Presbyterian Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Wheat Ridge United Church of Christ

HOLIDAY PROGRAM NOTES

TOO HOT TO HANDEL

George Frideric Handel was on a roll in the spring of 1742, when he premiered his great ora torio: Messiah. It was reported in the Dublin Journal by an anonymous critic that, “On Tuesday last Mr. Handel’s Sacred Grand Oratorio, the Messiah, was performed at the New Musical Hall in Fishamble Street. The Sublime, the Grand, and the Tender, adapted to the most elevated, majestik and moving Words, conspired to transport and charm the ravished Heart and Ear.” Two hundred and sixty-one years later, Handel’s Messiah is one of the most performed and popular choral works appreciated by audiences all over the world. Instantly recognizable is the famous “Hallelujah Chorus,” during which it is customary to stand. It is exactly that sense of excitement that prompted conductor Marin Alsop to suggest giving Handel’s Messiah a new twist. Too Hot to Handel grew from an idea to fruition in the hands of Alsop’s colleagues: Gary Anderson and Bob Christianson, who recreated this gospel and jazz version adaptation of Messiah in 1992. The sensational new appeal of Too Hot to Handel — which premiered in 1993 with Marin Alsop and the Concordia Orchestra — has been met with the same enthusiasm as when the ink was fresh in 1742. Alsop, in collaboration with Christianson and Anderson, envisioned the Messiah in a way that captures a fresh “feel” and thrill, while retaining Handel’s original musical intent. “It’s a great story, but I also think that it requires some kind of audience participation. It becomes an active listening experience when you’re allowed to stand up and clap your hands...” says Alsop. The creative team of Alsop-Christianson-Anderson decided their adaptation would encompass jazz, gospel, rock, and funk to “break the classical sound barrier.” The result is a swinging performance of the traditional oratorio.

—Ella M. Fredrickson