Monday, October 16th, 2017
Cordier Auditorium
Scott Humphries, Conductor
Ashokan Farewell | Jay Unger | |||
Elizabeth Smith, violin Scott Humphries, piano |
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Tara, A Short Tone Poem for Orchestra from Gone with the Wind |
Max Steiner (arr. Frank Campbell-Watson) |
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Point Lookout (A Fantasy on Civil War Songs) | Brian Balmages | |||
A Moment for Peace | Brian Balmages | |||
Intermission | ||||
A Family Portrait | Debra Lynn | |||
I. The Threads that were Spun --
chorus |
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Judy Marlett, mezzo-soprano Daniel Belcher, baritone Letter Readers: Andrew Chinworth, Kira Hawkins, Olliver Pettit with Manchester University Chamber Singers Dr. Debra Lynn, conductor |
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This performance of A Family Portrait was recorded for broadcast on PBS39 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The recording can be watched online on Vimeo. |
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The Adams Program Notes by James R. C. Adams |
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Ashokan Farewell |
Jay Unger (b. 1946) |
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The Ashokan Farewell, written in 1982, was made popular by Ken Burns, the documentary maker, who used it in two of his films, the most notable of which was his series on the Civil War. It is a waltz, played regularly as the "good night" piece at the annual Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp at the Ashokan Center in upstate New York, run by the composer and his wife, Molly Mason. Unger writes that when the annual Fiddle and Dance Camp series ended, he was left with "a sense of loss and longing," and that mood is evident in the music. It has been performed in many different instrumental combinations, but the violin always dominates as a fiddle should in such folk-like music. Today, we hear it as a duet, with the violin accompanied by the piano. |
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Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind |
Max Steiner (1888-1971) |
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Max Steiner was an Austrian-born American composer whose work changed the character of film music. With the advent of sound-movies, the addition of background music was a logical step, but initially it was used sparingly. Directors were afraid it would distract the audience. Then standard classical music began to be used because it was often royalty-free and, therefore, cheap. Max Steiner was instrumental in changing that viewpoint. Steiner believed that each character should have a theme. That principle also meant that his film scores would be longer than most. Among his most successful compositions are the scores for King Kong, Now Voyager, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Casablanca, The Fountainhead, Sergeant York, The Adventures of Don Juan, and The Searchers. No doubt, his most famous score was for Gone with the Wind, a film directed by David O. Selznick, for whom Steiner worked on many films. Selznick wanted him to use existing classical music, with perhaps a few of his own themes, for two reasons. It would be cheaper and it would be faster. Selznick gave Steiner only three months to complete the score. Steiner insisted on writing original music for the entire film, which lasted almost three hours. It was the longest film score written at that time. What's more, Steiner completed scores for twelve other films that year! During his career, he composed over three hundred film scores. He was nominated for twenty-four Academy Awards, winning three. The score contained sixteen main themes, of which Tara's Theme is the best-known. |
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Point Lookout (A Fantasy on Civil War Songs) |
Brian Balmages (b. 1975) |
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Brian Balmages is a versatile man ... a composer, conductor, arranger, and performer. He graduated with a B.A. in music from James Madison University in Virginia, and received his Master's Degree from the University of Miami in Florida. He specializes in wind instruments, particularly brass, and enjoys working with school orchestras, for whom he has produced many age-appropriate works. He has played with professional symphony orchestras, and his music has been performed by many important orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, and the Manchester Symphony. As a conductor, he has worked mostly with bands, especially with regional band clinics, such as the Midwest Clinic, the Western International Band Clinic, the College Band Directors Eastern Regional Conference, and others. The work we are to hear today is a medley of songs related to the Civil War. The title refers to the Point Lookout State Park in Maryland, which held a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. It was the largest such camp in the country, holding more than 50,000 Confederate soldiers at one time. Almost four thousand of the prisoners died in that camp. Their names are found on a bronze plaque at the foot of an obelisk commemorating that event. A United States flag flies near the monument, but a Confederate flag flies just outside the gate. Civil War songs heard in this fantasy include The Battle Cry of Freedom, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again. The re-union of the country is symbolized at the end by a full rendering of America the Beautiful, bits of which we have been hearing throughout the medley. |
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A Moment for Peace |
Brian Balmages (b. 1975) |
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For biographical information about Brian Balmages, I'll refer you to the notes I've written for Point Lookout, the other Balmages work being performed in this concert. Balmages is a prolific composer of music for student ensembles. He is very concerned with writing for student groups, and his scores are graded in terms of difficulty. A Moment for Peace has been performed in numerous versions for varying groups of performers, depending on grade level. Balmages thinks of himself as an "organic" composer (which, to me, means that he is alive, and carbon-based!), but he describes himself as a composer who doesn't believe that a piece of music written, say, or the violin, could easily be re-scored for the trumpet. When he writes for one instrument, he thinks of its particular sonic characteristics and takes advantage of those. As a painter, I can make the analogy that some scenes will seem to be suited for watercolor, while others would work better as oil paintings. I think that sort of distinction is what Balmages thinks of as "organic." Each performer has a moment suited especially to the character of his or her instrument. It will be obvious that Balmages' A Moment for Peace has a melancholic element. It was said to have been inspired by Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, which is quite sobering. In this music, Balmages recognizes the tragedy and chaos of the world, but seeks to provide a calm and reassuring optimism, most notably referred to in the rising crescendo about five minutes through the eight-minute piece. The work is in theme-and-variations form, based on a five-note theme. |
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A Family Portrait Program Notes by Debra Lynn |
Debra Lynn (b. 1963) |
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This piece was commissioned by the family of mezzo-soprano, Judy Sadler Marlett. It was inspired by a collection of letters written during the years surrounding the Civil War in the U.S. (mid-late 19th Century). Of all the letters sent to me, I decided to focus this composition on letters written by three main characters: Tyler, Lanie, and Percy Houghtaling. One of the things I love most about composing vocal music is the element of text. Poems have a clearly defined meter, but the texts for this composition are excerpted from letters, so there is less in the way of a prescribed rhythm to the words. I chose to set multiple letters by each character to establish recurring themes and show how their writing evolved through time, due to their changing circumstances. Given the rich body of American folk music and hymn tunes from the time, it made sense to derive the themes for each character from this beloved repertoire. An excerpt from Walt Whitman's To Think of Time seemed a perfect text to serve as bookends for the entire work.
Tyler's Letters The chorus also layers in other folk-songs in each subsequent letter setting. "Tenting Tonight" was very popular during the Civil War and is introduced in the second letter setting. It describes conditions at a military camp. Each verse becomes more despairing than the previous until the final chorus text becomes "dying tonight." The chorus sings the words "dying tonight" in the third letter setting while "Taps" is heard in the distance. The third letter setting is definitely the most heart-wrenching. It retains the previous folk-songs, but adds to them "The Vacant Chair" (a favorite of Abraham Lincoln) sung by a family mourning the loss of their war dead. This tune, also referenced by Tyler in his letters, appears at first in a minor key, played by the clarinet solo, then in its original major mode, sung by the chorus. Tyler's words, always sung by the soloist, function more like a descant above the folk-song tunes. This indicates the conflict within Tyler -- torn between his longing for home and his duty as a Union soldier. Fortunately, Tyler survived the Civil War and returned home to marry and raise a family. Tyler was Judy Marlett's great-great-grandfather.
Lanie's Letters About half of the first letter, from Lanie to her sister Etta, describes an incident in which a friend was accosted by a group of young people at a dance. Therefore, the solo themes are derived from a couple of contrasting folk tunes that would likely have been played at a dance during that era -- "Turkey in the Straw" and "Sweet Betsy from Pike." The orchestra plays those songs as a fitting soundtrack for the events being described in Lanie's letter. The accosting adolescents are characterized by members of the chorus and the woodwind section, who shout lines of text, censored by the brass. The second letter, to another sister, Altha, is similar in tone and spirit. Lanie is writing in the morning (before her young son Percy is awake), therefore the tune "My Lord What a Morning" is incorporated. She describes attending a Children's Day event (these were popular at that time), which spurred a lot of bickering by its planners, not the least of which included having the children march to a waltz. The tune "My Lord What a Morning" is then transformed into a comical waltz to help the listener visualize the incident. The children's song "Old Molly Hare" propels most of the orchestral material in this movement. Lanie's final letter, addressed to Etta, is a sad occasion. Lanie was writing from her deathbed, realizing she would not be able to see Etta again. Gone are the witty "asides." All Lanie had strength to write were expressions of thankfulness and peace. It's an entirely different side of Lanie, but she leaves no doubt about her faith in God and her love for her family. The "Sweet Bye and Bye" tune appears in this letter setting rather prominently. Lanie was Judy Marlett's great-grandmother.
Percy's Letters Percy's second letter was written when he was a young man, and it is addressed to his step-sister, Esther, to whom he had just become engaged. This letter, scored for baritone solo, is evidence that Percy inherited some of his mother's tender, yet humorous, disposition. He tells Esther that, even though they grew up in the same household, they should pretend they just met -- to keep it "more romantic." He also hints that he hopes she doesn't want a diamond engagement ring, because that would bankrupt him to the point where he wouldn't be able to buy them any bedroom furniture. This is the only letter set as a duet or an actual conversation. Since no surviving reply letter from Esther exists, I formed her answer to Percy from a popular love song from the time period, "Come dearest, the daylight is gone."
Note of Thanks |
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Manchester Symphony Orchestra Personnel |
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Violin I Elizabeth Smith, Concertmaster Kayla Michaels, Student concertmaster +^ Rachel Felver Kristin Westover Pablo Vasquez Ilona Orban Violin II Joyce Dubach * Hailey Schneider + Paula Merriman Alexandria Roskos +^ Wendy Kleintank Pryce Whisenhunt +^ Lachlan Sharp +^ Linda Kummernuss Viola Julie Sadler * Olivia Jenks +^ Margaret Sklenar Josie Burton Colleen Phillips Liisa Wiljer Cello Robert Lynn * Wallace Dubach Daniel Kubischta +^ Zoe Gowens-Evans +^ Anna Wright +^ Monique Hochstetler +^ Bass Darrel Fiene * Katie Huddleston Rod Sroufe Piccolo/Flute Kathy Davis * Kathy Urbani Laura Stepanovich +^ Oboe George Donner * Nyssa Tierney |
Clarinet Lila D. Hammer * Mark Huntington Cathy Huber Bass Clariner Mark Huntington Bassoon Erich Zummack * Freddie Lapierre +^ Horn Christen Adler * Jamie Weidner Matt Weidner Laura Dickey +^ Trumpet Steven Hammer * Mykayla Neilson Trombone Jon Hartman * Katrina Murray +^ Dakota Brown Tuba Nathan Crain Timpani Drew Cox Percussion David Robbins * Joel Alexander +^ Mason McBride + Zarek Taylor Keyboard Pamela Haynes * Denotes principal + Denotes MU student ^ Denotes Keister Scholarship recipient ** Denotes assistant principal |
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Choral Personnel |
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Sopranos WHS - Maren Andrews NHS - Kaitlyn Arbuckle NHS - Destiny Baugher MSC - Christine Beery WHS - Jenna Bleile WHS - Rachel Boyle MSC - Erin Brock FHS - Kodi Carpenter NHS - Lyndsey Carter MU - Kayla Carver WHS - Daniela Cervantes NHS - Kennedy Chamberlain NHS - Emily Clendenon MU - Hayley Cochran WHS - Chloe Damron NHS - Brionna Davidson WHS - Sierra Davis NHS - Courtney Dillingham MU - Courtney Douglas NHS - Nikita Dunn MSC - Beverly Eikenberry FHS - Cheyene Emmons FHS - Halee Fisher NHS - Jasmine Fisher NHS - Cassie French MSC - Kathy Fry-Miller WHS - Mikayla Galbraith NHS - Brittin Golliher NHS - Hannah Griffith WHS - Madison Hales WHS - Mackenzie Hamilton MU - McKenzie Hare WHS - Kyleigh Herring NHS - Adrianna Hershberger WHS - Chloe Hoskins WHS - Lauren Housel NHS - Kayleigh Huss WHS - Olivia James FHS - Kandy Jensen MSC - Angelina Jung MU - Madi Kaylor MU - Sarah Kerkes MU - Shannon Lee MU - Sierra Leyman WHS - Sophia Long NHS - Maddie Lloyd MU - Emily Lynn WHS - Megan McKean NHS - Destiny McKinney FHS - Katherine Meyer-Reed FHS - Kiley Miller WHS - Macy Miller NHS - Emily Miner NHS - Shayna Mogan WHS - Natalie Moore MU - Brooke Mosbaugh FHS - Hailey Mullins FHS - Katy Myer-Reed MSC - Judy Myers-Walls NHS - Madison Nevil WHS - Cassidy Neubaum WHS - Lori Pennington WHS - Meredith Phipps NHS - Kassidy Powell NHS - Erin Probstle FHS - Kate Reese MSC - Tina Riemann NHS - Chey Ruff WHS - Sophia Schlitt FHS - Sarah Shank FHS - Hannah Shetler NHS - Trinity Shockome NHS - Desirea Shrock WHS - Madisen Smith MSC - Carol Streator FHS - Jamie Tarman MSC - Sabina Thomas NHS - Jamie Vance NHS - Athena Varner WHS - Anna Wainscott NHS - Hallie Zolman Tenors FHS - Nathan Apple MU - Bryan Bathke NHS - Jacob Clark FHS - Deron Corbin NHS - Kenzie Easterday FHS - Donovan Edwards WHS - Joshua Fisher MSC - Paul Fry-Miller FHS - Riah Haarer WHS - Gordon Horton MU - Ben Johnson WHS - Damian Jordon FHSD - Benjamin Kambs FHS - Wade Kammerdiener FHS - Dylan Kaufman FHS - Brendon Klase FHS - Jackson Landes MU - Clayton Marcum MU - Mason McBride FHS - Bentley Miller NHS - Devin Melson WHS - Leytan Perry NHS - Ellie Proebstle WHS - Zane Reed WHS - William Robison WHS - Matthew Shapiro NHS - Dylan Smith MU - Jake Svay FHS - Clayton Thomas FHS - Bryce Willard MU - Preston Wright |
Altos WHS - Emily Albright WHS - Michele Apeland WHS - Cassandra Ashenfelter MU - Berklee Blackman NHS - Danielle Bumbaugh NHS - Brittany Burnworth NHS - Cassidy CArter WHS - Yvonne Castillo WHS - Madison Chew WHS - Emily Cole WHS - Kaitlyn Dailey WHS - Ellen Davenport MU - Mallory Fletcher NHS - Siarah France MSC - Sandy Funk MSH - Katherine Haff NHS - Addison Harner WHS - Annalise Harstine WHS - Ashlynn Hepler WHS - Lei Hlavaty-Cox FHS - Sidney Hochstedler NHS - Lexi Hodges MSC - Pat Hoover WHS - Ivy House WHS - Madison Howard FHS - Gabi Khailo FHS - Abbey Kidd NHS - Bianca Kinzie NHS - Mariah Kirtlan WHS - Katie Lauck WHS - Alisson Layne NHS - Madison Lester NHS - Sydney Lester MU - Madie Livinghouse WHS - Alyssa Madden MU - Kayla Maynard NHS - Ashly McDonald FHS - Nicole Miller WHS - NaevEnya Moore FHS - Samanta Moreno MU - Haley Neilson MU - Emma Nickel WHS - Emily Oler FHS - Maggie Otis WHS - Megan Ousley MU - Katie Peden NHS - Katy Pefley NHS - Alina Reed WHS - Rachel Smith FHS - Jade Sparkman MU - Emma Stefanatos MU - Laura Stepanovich MSC - Joy Stifler MSC - Laura Stone WHS - Anna Sullivan WHS - Bri Tran MSC - Janina Traxler NHS - Mamie Vance FHS - Cami VanVynckt NHS - Arlana Varner FHS - Maddie Wampler WHS - Kara Weeks MSC - Marie Willoughby WHS - Katrielle Wood FHS - Tamika Yoder NHS - Alexis Zahler Basses MU - Daniel Baker WHS - Conner Bale FHS - Chase Blucker MU - Alvara Castillo MUF - Alan Chambers FHS - Jediah Corbin FHS - Seth Corbin NHS - Michael Fort FHS - Cade Gall WHS - Payton Green MSC - Matthew Grothouse WHSD - Thomas Hall FHS - Aiden Hochstetler FHS - Tim Hostetler FHS - Nick Huber MUF - Scott Humphries NHS - Jason Kinsey WHS - Kyle Kuhn NHS - Paul LaBonte MU - Freddie Lapierre FHS - Zac Maierle FHS - Craig Martin FHS - Derek Martin FHS - Wyatt McCoy FHS - Skyler Mullet NHSD - Mark Nevil NHS - Jeremy Okuly FHS - Alex Ortiz WHS - Patrick Priest WHS - Avery Remecaldo WHS - Kyle Rickert NHS - Braden Ripplinger MSC - Samuel Rowland MSC - Michael Rueff MSC - Hamilton SAdler WHS - Dominic Smith WHS - Adam Stewart WHS - Ethan Thompson MSC - Orion Toepfer MU - Anthony Vega FHS - Ethan Wessler MU - Rohan Willoughby FHS - Marco Zamora |
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FHS - Fairfield High School Benjamin Kambs, director Larry Becker, pianist NHS - Northfield High School Mark Nevil, director WHS - Warsaw High School Thomas Hall, director MU - Manchester University MUF - Manchester University Faculty MSC - Manchester Symphony Chorus Debra Lynn, director Alan Chambers and Elizabeth Smith, pianists |
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![]() Debra holds a Doctor of Arts in Music degree with an emphasis in choral conducting and voice performance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior degrees from Truman State University and William Jewell College include emphases in choral conducting, voice performance, and music education. She has worked with Metropolitan Opera singers Nicholas DiVirgilio and Mignon Dunn as opera chorus director for Illinois Opera Theatre, based at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Dr. Lynn has studied conducting under the tutelage of maestros Paul Vermel, Douglas Amman, Fred Stoltzfus, Paul Crabb, and Arnold Epley. As a composer, Dr. Lynn writes both instrumental and vocal music, and has received several commissions including Lily and Plowshares Foundation requests. She is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician for various composer forums, choral festivals, and voice and conducting master classes. She is married to cellist and tubist, Robert Lynn. They reside in North Manchester, Indiana, where they tag-team parent four daughters and four cats when they are not making or teaching music. |
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![]() He comes to North Manchester from Opera Philadelphia where he created the role of Inspector Kildare in the World Premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell's Elizabeth Cree. Later this season he returns to Houston Grand Opera as James "Dad" Addison Mills III in the World Premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek's The House Without a Christmas Tree, and Utah Opera as Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. He debuts as the Street Singer and Tiger Brown in The Threepenny Opera and Boston Lysic Opera and as the Captain in Hans Werner Henze's The Bassarids for his first performances in Madrid. Last season, he returned to Opera Philadelphia as Ping in Turandot, Lyric Opera of Kansas City for his role debut as Owen Hart in Dead Man Walking, Utah Opera as Brian Castner in The Long Walk, Chautauqua Opera as Orfeo in the Resphigi version of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, and made house debuts at Michigan Opera Threatre as Father Palmer in Silent Night and Atlanta Opera for performances of Ping in Turandot. He also debuted with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal for concerts and a recording of Bill in Bernstein's A Quiet Place with Kent Nagano. It will be released in a future season by Decca. As a graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, he has returned for numerous roles including his role debut as Billy Budd, Papageno, Schaunard in La Bohème, Monteverdi's Orfeo and Mercutio. At HGO, he also performed roles in A Little Night Music,Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and Arabella. Mr. Belcher is one of the premiere interpreters of Rossini performing today, and he is closely associated with the roles of Dandini in La Cenerentola, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Taddeo in L'Italiana in Algeri. He has performed Dandini with San Francisco Opera, Opera Colorado, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Company of Philadelphia, and Utah Opera; Figaro with Arizona Opera, Portland Opera, Lake George Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Florentine Opera and Utah Opera; and Taddeo with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Florentine Opera, and Utah Opera. Mr. Belcher holds a Bachelor of Arts in voice performance from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and a Master of Music from the Julliard School of Music in New York. He is a recipient of Le Cercle International des Amis et Mécènes du Châtelet Award (International Circle of Friends and Patrons of Théatre du Châtelet, CIAM) for his acclaimed performance of Prior Walter in Angels in America. He also received a Robert Jacobson Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation for his work with Wolf Trap Opera, and the Sullivan Foundation Award. He received the Apprentice Artist Award from the Santa Fe Opera and the Young Artist Award and Outstanding Studio Artist Award from the Central City Opera. |
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![]() Dr. Marlett continued her education by attending Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. After completing a Master of Music in Music Education, she taught public school in both urban and rural New York state. She taught music in Greece and Watkins Glen, New York, before beginning doctoral studies. A Doctor of Arts degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, was awarded to Dr. Marlett upon completion of her dissertation Musicianship, Longevity, Career Choices: Marilyn Horne as a Model of Vocal Success. One highlight of her research was an interview of Ms. Horne in December, 1999. In 1996, Dr. Marlett accepted a position at Northwest Nazarene University as a professor of voice and choral music. During her tenure at NNU, Marlett has conducted every choir in the music department, and is currently the director of NNU's premier women's choir, Bella Voce. Her job has expanded over the years to include direction of the music education program, conducting, and supervision of student teachers. She has appeared in numerous recitals and concerts as a professional soloist and has performed many roles in opera, including Rosina in the world-premiere performance of Thomas Pasatieri's Signor Deluso; La Principessa, Suor Angelica; Suziki, Madama Butterly; Ruth, Pirates of Penzance; and, most recently, Marta, in Gounod's Faust. Dr. Marlett has also been a soloist in oratorios, including Messiah, Bach's B Minor Mass, and the Mozart and Rutter Requiems, and has also performed in Broadway shows including West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Oklahoma. Although Marlett is primarily a recitalist who recently produced and sang "Seasons of a Woman's Life," an evening of poetry and music featuring Frauenliebe und Leben, she also made her directing debut with NNU's production of Fiddler on the Roof. Marlett performed in the world premiere of Debra Lynn's A Family Portrait, with Grammy award-winning baritone, Daniel Belcher. The oratorio is a work for mezzo and baritone soloists, choir, and orchestra, with a libretto compiled by Lynn from letters written by Marlett's ancestors and American folk songs. The work was premiered on the Northwest Nazarene University campus in November, 2013. Outside of music, Marlett is an avid reader and passionate cook who enjoys crocheting and scrapbooking. She loves to spend time at home and traveling with her husband and two boys. |
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