26 March 2009
Roy and Joy Bischoff Perform with Zephyr Singers
Posted by Terrie Soberg under: General; What's News .
Shhh…don’t tell Joy I put this here! She, her husband Roy, and their son Joey, all performed in a concert this past weekend. Congratulations for a wonderful performance–we are very proud of them!
By Vernon Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
Published March 25, 2009
Moapa Valley is a small community filled with music. The local schools have thriving music programs. Community music groups are plentiful: choirs for adults and children, community orchestra, rock and country bands, and loads of solo talent. We hear live local musicians in our churches, at holiday events, at weddings and at funerals. For a small town, we are very musical.
Despite this, only once in a great while does the small town have local access to true excellence. By true excellence is meant musicians with ample talent, preparing world-class repertoire in an artist’s quest that obsessively strives for perfection. Such performances are seldom heard in a small town like ours; maybe once every couple of years. But that kind of experience was offered, free of admission, to a small audience on Saturday night in the LDS Logandale Stake Center. It was the Spring performance of the Zephyr Singers and Consort led by local arts dynamo, Floice Lund.
The first half of the concert brought all that we have come to expect from Zephyr: crystal clear a-capella vocal performances and vigorous Renaissance recorder music. All of this is standard fare at a Zephyr concert and is, of itself, well worth the hearing. The kind of precision necessary to make an unaccompanied vocal group sparkle like this is, far and away, more difficult than it sounds.
The second half of the concert, however, brought a real unexpected delight. Here the choir sank its teeth into new territory, tackling a major standard work in the choral repertoire: the Requiem Mass by Gabriel Faure (1845-1924). Just the opportunity to hear such an amazing work performed locally is rare enough. But hearing it performed so well; with such skill, artistry and attention to detail; was a privilege and a pleasure.
This poignant funereal work is more often heard performed by a huge chorus and orchestra. Performing it with such a small group is fraught with peril. The textures can become so transparent that every minute imperfection is brutally laid bare to the audience. This poses a tremendous challenge for a small group like the Zephyrs. But they met that challenge head-on and came off conquerors.
The choir skillfully mixed all of the various brooding, dark colors that Faure employs in this solemn work without ever becoming murky or losing clarity. The images of rest and repose evoked by the Sanctus and the Agnus dei movements were tremendously effective. The violin solo in these two movements, played by Kristi Dalley, gently summoned images of pastoral peace and repose. The indispensable organ accompaniment by Sherrie Whitney was bold at times, gentle at others, but never overbearing.
The Pie Jesu movement, sung by soprano soloist Joy Bischoff, was deeply moving. In this ancient prayer imploring Christ to grant peace and rest to the remembered dead, Bischoff’s simple but luminous sound provided a warm consolation as a sweet centerpiece to this solemn work.
Lund directed the group with a clear vision for the work. Though the colors were dark and the mood sober, the music never descended into anguish or hopeless grief. Rather Lund kept the focus on the hope of eternal rest and peace that is the more compelling theme of this masterwork.
See the full Zephyr Singers and Consort article.
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One Comment so far...
Roy Bischoff Says:
26 March 2009 at 7:59 pm.
I put the part of the article that talks about Joy in bold print so you can find it. Joy doesn’t like to brag about her musical accomplishments so I have to. She is an amazing singer with a rich full voice and a light and controlled vibrato (she doesn’t like to do opera style). She enjoys singing 1st soprano but is also capable of singing low alto and has been a member of several elite choirs in college. Joey also has a wonderful voice and sang the tenor solo in the first movement and did very well (he is also quite the piano player). At some point in time Roy II, Jenny, Joey, Joy and I have all sung with the Zephyr singers. We have also done musical numbers as a family in church. Besides singing, Joy also enjoys composing (she has written two complete musical plays and numerous other songs), arranging and conducting music.
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