Harlem Chamber players offered a rare heartfelt performance of R. Nathaniel Dett’s 1937 piece “The Or Order of Moses” at Riverside Church on Friday, as part of a celebration of a The centenary of the Harlem Renaissance was delayed by the pandemic.
Held to coincide with the weekend of June 12, the event resembles a large community gathering, as if a sample of city residents stepped off the subway and headed to the same location. New Yorkers of all ages and races, including a crying baby or two, filled the benches. Some wear casual clothes, others wear picnic shorts. The only thing stifling about the evening was the weather outside.
When the concert fell behind schedule, Terrance McKnight, host of WQXR and art consultant to the band, was present with the MC. Note that the performance was being recorded for his radio station. Then, he encouraged the audience to make some noise: “What does the Sixteenth Anniversary in New York City sound like? ‘ In response: jubilant cheers and applause.
That energy went on to become a vibrant performance of “Raise All Vocals and Sing,” arranged for the evening conductor’s chorus and soprano soloist (a hard-to-hear Janinah Burnett), Damien Sneed. Known as the Black National Anthem, it brought the congregation to its feet. Sneed’s harmony has made it a clear reflection of the discord of the struggle – a reminder that it’s been two years since the pro-George Floyd protests swept the globe and a year since the 16th. June, an annual Observation of Emancipation dating back to 1866, was consecrated as a federal holiday.
The centerpiece of the evening, “The Or Order of Moses,” tells the story of Exodus: Moses, inspired by God’s call, overcame his hesitations and led the Israelites. Israel came out of Egypt with her sister Miriam.
Ingenious discovery of souls into the oratorio structure typical of soloists and choirs recounts a biblical story with the orchestra. In a letter around the time of his debut, he wrote of the synergy between folk and biblical lyrics, calling it “striking” and “natural.”
The track also sheds light on musical styles. The emotional restraint of the soloists’ parts matches the solemn theme, and when their voices intermingle, the lines of movement are perhaps too neat. But the orchestra acknowledges richer, romantic influences, and a call and response with chorus gives the music a swing of spirituality.
At the heart of the structure is a specific spirit, “Down, Moses,” and Dett’s swaggering fugue in its tune honors its long history. Harriet Tubman sang the promise of deliverance from oppression on the Underground Railroad, and Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson popularized it across an isolated nation.
At Riverside Church, the bass of the Chorale Le Chateau strongly fixed the player and the altars gave it clarity. The tenors and sopranos steer clear of fast-moving harmonies, reflecting the timidity common to all chordists when they don’t have a clear melody to sing.
Soprano Chauncey Parker (Moses) raised his voice and popped out impressive high notes. Soprano Brandie Sutton (Miriam) performed her music with a confident personality, resembling the style of the legendary evening giver, Jessye Norman. Soprano Kenneth Overton (The Word and Voice of God) sang with authority, and soprano Krysty Swann (Voice of Israel) provided a flash of light in the taxing medley.
In her opening remarks, Liz Player, executive and artistic director of the Harlem Chamber Players, noted that “The Or Order of Moses” is the group’s biggest ever work. It sometimes manifests itself in carefully paced and uncertain coordination.
But the moment shined. As the story unfolds, moving from Moses’ self-doubt to his affirmation of purpose, so does the music: A lonely cello (movingly played) Wayne Smith) begins the piece, and an orchestra in full chime ends it, with Parker and Sutton declaring their lines overhead as the choir accompanies them with long, sustained notes. The effect is very brilliant.
June 13, McKnight asserts, is “a celebration of freedom for all Americans,” and in those final moments, when music showers the diverse gathering in its glory, there is Looks like he was right.
