Composer Franz Schubert had a lot going on his life when he was 19. He had been rejected by the girl he loved. His voice had cracked and he no longer could sing in the boy’s choir. And he was teaching, a job he did not want to do.
Any one of those traumas could have helped inspire the daring
harmonies in his two symphonies, “Magnificat in C” and “Mass in G,” Lee Mathews said.
Mathews is music director and conductor of the Everett Chorale, which will present these two pieces from this renowned composer in the second concert of its 45th season.
The performance will be Sunday at the Everett Performing Arts Center. The concert, “Isn’t it Romantic,” ties Schubert’s works with modern-day love songs such as “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” and “For Once in My Life,” a Stevie Wonder song.
The first half of the program will be dedicated to the Schubert pieces, which will be presented with backup from the 20-piece Choral Arts Orchestra made up of local musicians from the Everett Symphony, Everett Philharmonic and other groups, Mathews said.
The chorale will also be joined by four Seattle vocalists, featuring soprano Linda Tsatsanis.
“Linda Tsatsanis has a gorgeous voice and because Schubert wrote lovely melodies and the soprano gets to sing the melodies, she gets to shine,” Mathews said.
Tsatsanis will be joined by vocalists Kate Leen, a mezzo soprano, tenor Joel Cummings and baritone Craig Garretson.
The second half of the program will feature a group of timeless love song arrangements including “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing”, “For Once in My Life” and “Deep Purple.”
“These are all wonderful romantic pieces and I wanted to tie the classical with the more contemporary,” Mathews said.
Assistant director Steve Torrence will also conduct a medley of songs from the Broadway musical “Camelot,” such as “I Loved You Once in Silence” and “If Ever I Would Leave You.”
There are no sing-alongs during this concert, but Mathews agreed that some in the audience might, at times, have trouble restraining themselves.
“You might hum along,” Mathews said. “I will not discourage humming.”
“Isn’t in Romantic” starts at 3 p.m. Sunday at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett.
Tickets are $16 and $14. Call 425-257-8600 or 888-257-3722 or go to www.everettchorale.org.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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