Though a few months have passed, the March 14th Saturday evening concert by the Orlando Chorale hasn't left me. Gregory Ruffer again prepared a really enjoyable evening that really pushed the ensemble. Ten pieces were performed, all of them from modern times - and TWO of them were world premieres. Mr. Ruffer - may the universe shine upon you and make you happy! How many ensembles are willing to do two world premieres in a single evening full of recent work?

One really emerged as brilliant and powerful: "High Flight" by Christopher Marshall. Mr. Marshall is fairly new to the Orlando area, hailing from New Zealand, as Composer in Residence at the University of Central Florida. The poem, "High Flight" is a well known American poem by a pilot about the spirit and joy of flight. The golden tone of alto saxophonist George Weremchuk against the chorus was gorgeous in the large resonant church. Marshall crafted the music to treat the sax and choir as different entities heading for the same goal. The sax spoke in sunfilled flowing phrases like John Magee's feelings, as if responding to the sung text of the chorus. As the chorus built in intensity and tessitura, the saxophone became more and more energetic and free, eventually bursting into graceful and beautiful dives and spiraling climbs. The work ending upon both chorus and saxophone simultaneously reaching a joyful climax. A lovely spiritual work.