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Barbara Rose Shuler: Henry = Mollicone's=20 groundbreaking "Beatitude Mass" to be performed at the = Golden=20 State Theatre in = Monterey

The Monterey County = Herald

Article Last = Updated: 04/24/2008=20 02:28:37 AM PDT

Click photo to = enlarge

Composer=20 Henry Mollicone=C3=95s groundbreaking =C3=92Beatitude = Mass=C3=93 will be=20 performed Friday night at the Golden State Theatre in=20 Monterey.

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An = inspiring and=20 musically splendid happening takes place this Friday = evening=20 when Henry Mollicone's groundbreaking "Beatitude Mass" = is=20 presented at the Golden State Theatre.=20

Saratoga resident Mollicone =E2=80=94 who has = several operas,=20 including the popular "Face on the Barroom Floor" = =E2=80=94 developed=20 the Mass in collaboration with a group of colleagues = who=20 shared his vision for creating a powerful piece = dedicated to=20 bringing the plight of the homeless to light.=20

Leroy Kromm, who has been serving as the choral = director=20 for the Monterey Symphony since 2000, realized the = importance=20 of the project the moment he heard about it from = Mollicone,=20 his friend.=20

He pledged his full support to the undertaking and=20 conducted the world premiere of the Mass and most of = its=20 performances to date.=20

Kromm, who also conducts the San Jose Symphonic = Choir,=20 teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory and sings=20 professionally himself, describes the Mass as = musically=20 resembling the Italian operas of Puccini and Verdi = with=20 harmonic juxtapositions that reflect the struggles of = the=20 homeless to find comfort in a culture that = marginalizes them.=20

The "Beatitude Mass" is unique as a new work in = that it=20 combines the true voices of the modern homeless = population=20 with traditional liturgical Latin texts.=20

A dramatic and emotional score for chorus, soloists = and=20 orchestra, the English texts are based on a = distillation of=20 many interviews that Mollicone and his collaborator = Father Jon=20

Pedigo personally conducted with many homeless=20 individuals.=20

"I think Henry was the major researcher in this = project,"=20 says Kromm. "He wanted to see what it was like to live = hand to=20 mouth on the streets with the idea of creating a work = of music=20 that was a compilation of the stories these people = told in=20 order to present it in an artistic form."=20

Mollicone turned to another good friend and = colleague in=20 East Coast librettist William Luce for the English = text.=20

Kromm says Luce created a simple setting that = combines the=20 Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew with the stories = of the=20 homeless.=20

The Mass features two soloists, Adam and Evelyn, = sung by=20 soprano Nancy Wait Kromm and baritone Paul Murray.=20

"The beauty of it is that the music is just = stunning," says=20 Kromm. "It is clearly an inspired work. You can hear = the hand=20 of God in this work. I, for one, feel that this piece = is going=20 to be a very important moment in music history."=20

Mollicone brilliantly and generously stipulates = that all=20 proceeds from performances or recordings of the = "Beatitude=20 Mass" must go to people in need.=20

The Golden State performance of the Mass will be = dedicated=20 to Shelter Outreach Plus. Celebrating its 30th = anniversary,=20 the Monterey County nonprofit provides homeless = programs and=20 assistance to victims of domestic violence.=20

The concert Friday evening will begin with a = performance by=20 the wonderful Palo Alto organist James Welch, who has = an=20 enthusiastic following in this region.=20

Mollicone will be lending his keyboard artistry to = the=20 instrumental ensemble, which plays the chamber version = of the=20 Mass.=20

The combined choruses will number more than 100 = singers.=20 And there will be an opportunity to learn more about = Shelter=20 Outreach Plus and the homeless programs in our = community.=20

The city of Monterey has provided a grant for this = concert.=20 Generous donations of time and money are also being = given by=20 Warren Dewey of the Golden State Theatre.=20

To secure your tickets, it is recommended that you = call as=20 soon as possible. There will be open seating and the = program=20 will run about an hour and 15 minutes.=20

Ensemble Monterey|=20

Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra keeps its = tradition of=20 combining forces with the celebrated regional vocal = ensemble,=20 Cantiamo! for its season finale.=20

The two groups will present "The Ecstasies Above," = a=20 concert of masterworks for string orchestra and = chorus.=20

The featured composition will be the West Coast = premiere of=20 a work by Tarik O'Regan that gives the program its = title, "The=20 Ecstasies Above," based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem. = It=20 created an immediate sensation when it premiered last = year at=20 Yale.=20

The concert also includes John Corigliano's "Fern = Hill," a=20 beautifully lyrical setting of the Dylan Thomas poem, = Carl=20 Nielsen's "Little Suite for Strings" and Cecil = Effinger's=20 "Four Pastorales," featuring oboist Angie Burtz.=20

The concert will be conducted by John Anderson, = with=20 special guest conductor Cheryl Anderson, one of this = year's=20 Gail Rich Award winners.=20

"The Ecstasies Above" will be presented at 8 p.m. = Saturday,=20 April 26, at Monterey's Golden State Theatre.=20

The Santa Cruz performance will take place at 7 = p.m.=20 Sunday, April 27, at the First Congregational Church.=20

"Insights from the Conductor," a free talk and = audience=20 reception, is presented one hour before each concert. = For=20 ticket information call 333-1283, or go online at http://www.ensemblemonterey.org= /.=20

Youth Music Monterey|=20

The season finale for Youth Music Monterey's Youth = and=20 Honors Orchestras takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, April = 27, at=20 Sherwood Hall in Salinas.=20

The program, called "All Together Now," features = music of=20 Pachelbel, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Rimsky-Korsakov and = more.=20

The orchestras are conducted by John Larry Granger = and=20 include more than 130 young musicians from 36 schools=20 throughout the greater Monterey Peninsula area.=20

Tickets range from $5 to $30 and are available at = the door,=20 at The Bookmark in Pacific Grove or by calling = 375-1992.=20 Online, go to www.ticketguys.com/YMM.GO.!= =20

CONCERT =C2=B7What: Henry Mollicone's "Beatitude Mass = for the=20 Homeless" with The Monterey Symphony Chorus = =C2=B7Where: Golden=20 State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey =C2=B7When: = 7:30 p.m.=20 Friday, April 25; doors open at 6 p.m. =C2=B7Tickets: = $15 general,=20 $10 student, available by calling 384-3388; all = proceeds=20 benefit homeless programs and services = =C2=B7Information: Online at=20 www.golden statetheatre.com

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