Gay Men's Chorus Chimes in with Handbells in Holiday Concert

by Michael Anthony, Star Tribune, Published December 11, 2003

You'll hear an occasional bell in just about any Christmas concert, but the 140-voice Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus is expanding on that idea for its current Christmas offering, featuring special arrangements for bell-ringers and male chorus in a program titled "Bells: A Tintinnabulation of Song."

It's possible, of course, to overdo this sort of thing. Constant bell-ringing can make one's teeth rattle and suggest that maybe somewhere there's a burning building to attend to. Even the droll Stan Hill, the chorus's director, told the audience at Minneapolis' Ted Mann Concert Hall last weekend, "I've had bells ringing in my head for about three weeks."

Hill's program, however, was just about right. The dozen or so members of the Bells of the Lakes Handbell Choir, who had been engaged for the program, are a skilled bunch. The arrangements made relatively good use of bells -- not just for punctuation and color, but also for often quite sophisticated harmonic support in brief but effective numbers such as "Christmas Day" by Gustave Holst and "New Year Carol," Britten's arrangement of a medieval carol.

William Mathis, the Bells' artistic director, conducted one of the numbers in the first half, and then a group of chorus members who have studied bell-ringing took over in the second half.

Hill, who signed on as artistic director in 2000, has obviously made impressive strides with this chorus. His manner at the podium is clear and precise, and the singing is both disciplined and resonant, even though a few of the numbers would have profited from a deeper, richer bass sound. Nevertheless, Hill puts great value on dynamic variety, which is all to the good.

Words come through with special clarity, and the singers look as if they're actually having fun singing -- a rare quality in a chorus. This is a chorus that is probably ready to be challenged with even more difficult material.

The smaller ensemble, Outloud, a 12-member jazz chorus led by Robert Schlidt, made a good impression, too. This is tricky music -- call it the Hi-los Times Three -- and it requires a good ear. It can safely be reported that the singing on this occasion was better than the choreography. Soprano Lola Watson contributed an amusing burlesque of coloratura singing in "Variations on Jingle Bells."

Concert Tickets are now available for purchase online!