ARS LIFTS “AMERICAN VOICES” IN CELEBRATION OF THE NATION’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Tucson, AZ — In this landmark year, commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Arizona Repertory Singers (ARS) join the festivities with a musical declaration of their own. Telling the stories of our country through song, their spring concert, American Voices, assembles some of the most renowned composers from across genres and U.S. history in a program sure to engage, enthrall, and illuminate.

Honoring a distinctly American form, ARS will perform several spirituals, both traditional and contemporary: the rhythmically vivacious “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel”; William Dawson’s joyful “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit”; and Moses Hogan’s urgent and insistent “I’m Gonna Sing ‘Til the Spirit Moves in My Heart.” Driven by the lower voices and foot-tapping tempos, all are hymns of hope and faith, resilience and freedom.

Moving through time, notable 20th-century selections convey consummately American perspectives and aspirations. Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow,” reconfigured in rich jazz harmonies by Russ Robinson, urges listeners to dare to dream and reach for the sky. A paean of appreciation and humility, Rene Clausen’s modern take on “Simple Gifts” imparts energizing complexity to the familiar Shaker standard. And “Zion’s Walls,” written by one of the most defining and prolific of mid-century composers, Aaron Copland, and updated by Glenn Koponen, invites all to come together in common cause and community.

Audiences are also sure to recognize the pop selections of the program, each rendered in lovely choral versions. So well-known is Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a moving testament to the bonds of friendship, that many listeners will recall the words (or even the chords). “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel addresses the nature of love—its vulnerabilities and bittersweetness—in touching fashion. Kirby Shaw provides arrangements for both. Another beautiful ballad, “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds and arranged in eight parts by Jon Clements, reflects on the gratitude and joy of finding one’s beloved in the whirlwind of life—what if the two had never met?

Some of the more recent 21st-century compositions explore the dark and light sides of romantic love and include: Eric Whitacre’s “A Boy and a Girl,” a timeless ode to love and longing; “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg about overcoming heartache; and Shawn Kirchner’s modern arrangement of a 19th-century tune, “Unclouded Day” (lyrics and music by J.K. Alwood) that celebrates hope and possibility. For pure enjoyment, ARS will sing “Reel à Bouche” by Malcolm Daglish, a lively, lilting piece for higher voices, accompanied by music director Ryan Phillips on hammered dulcimer.

Though the word “semiquincentennial” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, the Arizona Repertory Singers indeed keep our 250th anniversary celebration rolling. With verve and reverence, consideration and contemplation, American Voices is a musical time capsule of the American experiment—always in progress, never relenting, tackling the challenges and obstacles, paving the way for a bright and brighter future.

CONCERT SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 18
3:00 pm
Christ Church United Methodist, 666 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson

Sunday, April 19
3:00 pm
Christ Church United Methodist, 666 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson

Sunday, April 26
4:00 pm
St. Mark Catholic Church, 2727 W. Tangerine Road, Oro Valley

Tickets are available in advance at arsingers.org. Prices are $22 in advance and $25 at the door. Students are admitted free with ID.

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Founded in 1984, the Arizona Repertory Singers is an ensemble of nearly 50 singers from greater Tucson. Over the decades, the choir has developed an extensive musical archive and prides itself on presenting high-quality performances of both standard repertoire and new music. Its singers, selected through a rigorous audition process, represent a variety of work life careers in business, education, engineering, information technology, law, medicine, social service, science, and the arts. For more details, see arsingers.org.