Key Chorale collaborates with varied musical partners in new season
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Key Chorale continues to expand its collaborations with other local arts and cultural groups as it prepares for its 38th season with 11 concert programs, including new editions of Cirque des Voix and the continuation of its American Roots series.
The organization, which returned to live performances last year with a season it called “Renaissance,” has dubbed the upcoming year of performances “Artistry Without Boundaries.”
“These collaborations allow us to do concerts and events that are beyond what each organization could do separately,” he said about the partnerships with a varied assortment of arts groups, from Sarasota Ballet to Circus Sarasota, Venice Symphony to Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.
Arts Newsletter: Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday
Van Wezel’s future: Leaders answer your questions about new Sarasota Performing Arts Center project
A musical 2022-23: Music director’s death leads to changes in Sarasota Orchestra season
Caulkins said the season’s 11 different programs show the growth of Key Chorale.
“When I started 16 years ago, we did two shows a year,” he said. “Now, we have at least one show every month. It’s become a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle because so many groups wanted to collaborate and I hate to say no.”
The partnerships bring new audiences to the different organizations. “When we did our first collaboration with the Westcoast Black Theatre, there was almost no overlap with the audience. Now I think there is some crossover.”
The collaboration with The Sarasota Ballet and its Studio Company is creating new work for both groups.
“There is so little choral-orchestral music done with ballet and we’ve really created these completely new works that didn’t exist before,” Caulkins said.
This year, on Nov. 27, that partnership will include Daniel Jordan, concertmaster of the Sarasota Orchestra, sitarist Kanada Narahari and the Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and Trainees to perform works by British composer James Whitbourn and American composer and conductor Jake Runestad that incorporate texts of luminaries and mystics woven through Indian soundscapes. That concert also includes “The Ballad of the Brown King,” a rarely heard 1954 cantata by Margaret Bonds, one of the nation’s greatest female Black composers.
The piece was composed to texts by Langston Hughes in classical, jazz, gospel and calypso styles. Caulkins said it tells the story of the journey to Bethlehem through the eyes of Balthazar, the King of Macedonia and one of the three magi.
The programs will feature a world of music, with pieces by Vaughan Williams, Verdi, Mozart, Faure, Whitacre and more, and a salute to the folk-rock trio Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The season opens Sept. 24 with “Equinox, a Celtic Celebration,” featuring tenor Brad Diamond and Foley’s All-Star Irish Band and the chorus performing, jigs, reels, folk songs and choral music.
Changing leaders: Sarasota theater company fires artistic director after only seven months
New director: Professor of acting named new leader of FSU/Asolo Conservatory
On Oct. 2, the Key Chorale Chamber Singers and Booker High VPA Choir join together with Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota for a program featuring violinist Alexander Markov performing classical favorites and his own composition “Caesar,” for electric violin, organ, choir, percussion, rhythm section and orchestral musicians.
Key Chorale reunites for two distinct programs with The Venice Symphony, led by music director Troy Quinn. “A Holiday Season Spectacular,” Dec. 16 and 17, will include traditional carols and pieces from “The Nutcracker Suite,” “A Nightmare Before Christmas” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Then on Feb. 3 and 4, the Key Chorale Women’s Ensemble will join with The Venice Symphony for “Cinematic Romance,” a program featuring romantic songs from such films as “Casablanca,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Gone with the Wind.” Violinist Sandy Cameron will be the guest soloist.
On Feb. 10 and 11, the full chorus, orchestra and soloists will present Vaughan Williams’ masterwork “A Sea Symphony.”
Caulkins said it was one of the first large-scale symphonies to incorporate a choir throughout and will feature solos by baritone Jamal Sarikoki and soprano Suzanne Karpov. Each program will include a special conversation and presentation by staff at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium discussing the organization’s sea research.
Caulkins will lead what he describes as an interactive exploration of choral “Miniature Masterpieces” on Jan. 21 and 22. All of the selections, by such composers as Verdi, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Hogan, Whitacre, Williams and others, are eight minutes or less. It will feature the Chamber Singers.
“We will talk about why they are masterpieces. We want to bring people along and give them more of an experience, not just having them sit in the hall listening,” he said.
The Key Chorale Women’s Ensemble performs with The Venice Symphony Feb. 3 and 4 for a romantic concert of songs from movies, including “Gone with the Wind,” Romeo and Juliet” and “Casablanca.” Violinist Sandy Cameron will be the guest soloist.
For the 12th year, Key Chorale will join with the Circus Arts Conservatory and a 40-piece orchestra for Cirque des Voix, which features choral and orchestral music accompanying a variety of circus acts under the Circus Sarasota big top.
Jim Shirley: Sarasota Arts Alliance leader to retire after 13 years
Contemporary classical music: ensemblenewSRQ plans two premieres and honors music legends in new season
The 30-year musical history of Crosby, Stills & Nash will be featured in this year’s “American Roots: CSN” concert, continuing an annual series of concerts exploring American music. The Key Chorale Chamber Singers will be joined by the Lubben Brothers, an acoustic folk group made up of brothers, Michael, Tom and Joshua.
The Westcoast troupe joins the Key Chorale on May 8 for “Grace The Spirit of Aretha,” featuring music by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. It marks the first time that the full chorus will perform with artists from WBTT.
And the season ends with more than 200 singers of all ages, from high school students to seniors, joining in May 15 for the annual Tomorrow’s Voices Today, High School Choir Festival.
The organization also has planned numerous special events and continues its outreach with such programs as the Off-Key Chorale, for those living with Parkinson’s and Where are My Keys Chorale for those dealing with memory loss.
Concerts will be held in a variety of venues during the season.
Subscriptions are now available and single tickets go on sale Sept. 1. For more information: 941-552-8768; keychorale.org
Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota’s Key Chorale builds season around collaborations
