Randolph Singers’ Spring Concert Will Feature Two Major Works

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The Randolph Singers, directed by Larry Hamberlin of Rochester, will present their spring concert Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph.

The 70 members of the Singers come from a number of central Vermont towns, including Randolph, Brookfield, Braintree, Rochester, Sharon, Tunbridge and Washington. The member who travels the farthest, comes all the way from Cabot! They rehearse weekly during the fall and winter months and present concerts in December and April.

The program for the April 5 concert consists of two major works. The Singers performance of the "Mass in G Major" by Franz Schubert, will be accompanied by a string orchestra of area musicians, and "The Chichester Psalms" by Leonard Bernstein, will be accompanied by piano and percussion.

Hamberlin notes that the Bernstein piece was written directly after he completed "West Side Story" and features the same jazzy rhythms as in the Broadway classic.

"I think it’s also interesting to point out that this work was written during the Vietnam War era and is considered to be his personal response to the war," Hamberlin added. "One of the Biblical psalms he chose to interpret was the 23^rd Psalm. He puts that together in counterpoint with Psalm 2, which asks ‘why do the nations rage together?’ Unfortunately, it’s turned out to be a very timely program."

Tickets for the concert will be sold at the door.

By Martha Slater