GALESBURG -- The central Illinois classical music spotlight illuminated Galesburg on May 16 with an incredibly beautiful presentation of Brahms' German Requiem at the Orpheum Theater.
The event featured the Galesburg Community Chorus and the Knox College Choir with a large orchestra. Laura Lane of Knox College and Nova Singers fame directed the requiem. Soloists were Christine Steyer, soprano, and baritone Stephen Swanson, both professional opera singers with rich, powerful voices that filled the auditorium.
The setting, the 900-seat, historic Orpheum Theater could not have been more perfect for the requiem. The theater, intimate, perfectly designed with two balconies, has terrific acoustics throughout. The entire performance was done without any type of amplification, because none was needed. This is likely the style and type of theater this piece was written for.
The music is full of excitement and complexities, beautiful melodies and harmonies. The most famous of its seven sections is number four, in English, "How lovely is thy dwelling places." Every section was performed with perfect timing and sound, a tremendous achievement for amateur choral groups.
This concert, sung in German in a historic venue, could have taken place somewhere in Europe where audiences would have paid a premium to see it. Instead it was offered deep in the Midwest at a modest price, a top quality event, breathtaking in its perfection and beauty.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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