Recent Berkshire Lyric Events

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What the Critics Said about our June 8 Masterworks Concert at Ozawa Hall

In the last of their 12 concert season at Ozawa Hall, Berkshire Lyric Chorus transcended amateur singing levels, delivering an overall evening of well balanced performances equal to the many professional choruses I’ve heard in my lifetime. The second half of their June 8th concert introduced Morton Laurdisen’s ‘’Lux Aeterna’’ in what can only be described as magnificent from beginning to end. Their singing honored the composer’s wish to ‘’get into a certain, deep,  personal space…reflect on the words….almost like a meditational state.’’ It had that effect on me and those close to me. The Schubert  Mass in G that followed was almost anti-climactic, but again the chorus rose to the challenge delivering a nicely phrased performance. The soloists, soprano, Erin Nafziger ; tenor, Brendan Buckley and bass John Demler were very good. The first part of the evening was like a song recital from Scubert’s 600 plus output, first using the Blafield Children’s Chorus in two songs, ‘Die Forelle’ & ‘ Litanel’ , sung with delicacy and pure , pure rounded sweet tones. Next the Tenors and Basses sang ‘Widerspruch’ ; ‘Die Nacht’ which was particularly beautiful in the sensitive way they sang it and Standchen with the lovely Marjorie Dix, mezzo soloist at her very best. The Sopranos and Altos of the Chorus then sang  ‘Coronach’ and the 23rd Psalm. Their balance and their singing were exquisite, every note caressed beautifully with ‘cathedral choirboy’ head tones from the sopranos that long remain in memory. Pianist and accompanist, Noah Palmer, had just the right  touch in the first half of the program. The Lyric Orchestra of 29 players for the Lauridsen and Schubert Mass were positively superb. The whole evening was under the masterful control of their wonderful Artistic Director, Maestro Jack Brown, who is to be congratulated for the high performance level now achieved.

Rex Hearn, Berkshire Record

Rex Hearn founded the Berkshire Opera Company, 1985 to 2008.

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Thank You to all who made the June 8

Schubert/ Lauridsen Spring Masterworks Concert a wonderful success

2 Great Composers

Franz Schubert

who composed the Mass in G and the several shorter works that we performed

Morten Lauridsen

who composed Lux Aeterna and

Sure on This Shining Night

​100 singers of

The Berkshire Lyric Chorus

Taconic High School Honors Chorus

30 professional musicians of

The Lyric Orchestra

4 wonderful vocal soloists

Erin Nafziger

Marjorie Dix

Brendan Buckley

John Demler

30 young singers from

The Blafield Childen's Chorus

1 guest pianist

Noah Palmer

2 commited choral directors

Jack Brown

Jessica Passetto

18 Benefactors and Patrons

who support Berkshire Lyric with gifts of over $500 a year

1 great public classical radio station

WMHT-FM 89.1, who have recorded the concert for broadcast

NEPR Broadcast Story aired April 25 telling Berkshire Lyric story.

New England Public Radio has recently has put together a feature story on Berkshire Lyric. It was broadcast over the NEPR network on April 25, airing both on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Broadcast journalist Nancy Cohen visited us during an April rehearsal and interviewed director Jack Brown and several chorus members for this story about what makes a great, multifaceted community chorus tick. It has been archived on their website at www.nepr.net. Enjoy!

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Acoustic Test Drive of Tanglewood's New Linde Center

On January 27, The Berkshire Lyric Chorus was invited by the BSO to make an acoustic test drive of the brand new Linde Center on the grounds of Tanglewood. We were the first people to have a chance to sing in this amazingly beautiful hall that will open to the public this June. Instead of having our regular Monday rehearsal in Pittsfield, we had a "field trip" to just across the field from our regular spring concert venue of Seiji Ozawa Hall. This amazing space can be acoustically tuned to the music at hand, and we enjoyed singing Schubert, Morton Lauridson and a swinging version of "Moonglow" with our great Joe Rose on their big Steinway. We learned a great deal from working with their acoustician from Kierkegaard Associates. Much fun for all to enjoy this gorgeous new music resource for the Berkshires. Bravo BSO!                                           

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