Women's Choir, Wind Ensemble and Mahagonny Choir conclude Modfest

Jon Roth Guest Writer

Artful performances and daring song choices highlighted the scope of Vassar’s musical talent during the second week of Modfest, a celebration of contemporary music. On Feb. 3 in the Skinner Hall of Music, the Vassar College Women’s Choir, Mahagonny Choir, and the Vassar College and Community Wind Ensemble convened in Skinner Hall to celebrate the close of Vassar’s sixth annual Modfest.

The Women’s Choir, led by conductor Christine Howlett, performed two sets: “Dos Cantos,” a pair of haunting pieces by composer Ron Jeffers and Virgil Thompson’s “Seven Choruses from Euripedes’ Medea.” Howlett characterized this group of ephemeral pieces as “almost over before they begin.” The latter segment of the performance was especially impressive, as the singers embodied the emotional extremes of Greek drama with great vocal range and clarity of diction.

The Mahagonny Choir performed a reduced setting of Berstein’s “Chichester Psalms” under the baton of Lidiya Yankovskaya ’08. The ensemble showed real skill in executing this ambitious piece in original Hebrew, with help from local boy soprano Joe Picard, whose lyrical singing added vulnerability and feeling to the famous 23rd Psalm.

The Wind Ensemble performed Darius Milhaud’s “Suite Francaise” and David Holsinger’s “American Faces.” This latter piece was particularly memorable, with the familiar Quaker hymn “Tis A Gift to be Simple” carefully woven with jazzy orchestration reminiscent of Gershwin. The cohesion and precision of this large group was a credit to their talent, and that of conductor James Osborn.

Though Modfest has concluded for the year, there is no shortage of opportunities to see these groups in the future. The Women’s Choir is planning a tour of Spain over spring break, and will celebrate their return on April 12 with a performance of “Music From Around the World,” a program of their touring repertoire featuring works ranging from classical pieces by the Renaissance Composer Vittoria to South African freedom songs. The Mahagonny Ensemble will premiere original compositions by Timothy Susse ’08 and Ben Krauss ’05 on April 20. The College and Community Wind ensemble will offer two more programs on March 2 and May 4.

Modern music is often considered difficult to hear and play. And while it is true that the challenging dissonances and syncopations are harder to hum than a Beethoven sonata, they are just as gratifying. This Sunday’s performance was a testament to the emotional, gripping and above all relatable qualities of contemporary music.

As Yankovskaya explained, “This is precisely the music that is reflective of the present—our culture, our society, our artistic vision.” The music department has much more vision to offer in the coming months with varied repertoire and consistently polished performances.