Sierra Master Chorale Reprises "The Armed Man"

Over the weekend of May 11-13, Davis' Vocal Art Ensemble gave three performances of an outstanding concert.  The feedback they got on that effort encouraged them to add another performance of the same concert 4 weeks later on June 9 (see article below, "How About an Extra Concert?").  Director Tracia Barbieri reports that, though she could have hoped for better publicity and a larger audience, she considers the experiment a success.

It's an issue that gives choruses something to think about.  So much effort goes into preparing for a series of concerts, and typically they take place over a single weekend -- two at most -- and then it's over, and the chorus looks ahead to the next concert series (or a needed break).  But it doesn't allow time for a buzz over the success to develop.  Even in the Internet age, word of a great concert doesn't spread fast enough.  Reviews don't get published in the media because they don't matter:  by the time a review would come out, the concert series would be over, and there would be nothing for the public to act on.

Yet committing to repeating a concert weeks or months after its first performance is no small decision.  The director will worry that choristers might lose their edge and forget what they worked so hard to perfect.  Arrangements for a venue can be tricky, especially if you wait to decide on extra performances until after the first run.  And publicity is an ever-present challenge.

These challenges notwithstanding, another local chorus is going down this path.  Back in May, the Sierra Master Chorale gave two performances of Karl Jenkins' "The Armed Man:  A Mass for Peace."  I thought it was a brilliant concert, and you can read my review at this link.  They sold out their Sunday afternoon performance, and nearly sold out the large Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grass Valley on the previous Thursday evening.

Now they've decided to reprise this concert on Thursday evening, September 27.  You can find the details at this link in their website.  It's a bold move, with just 7 weeks of lead time and a large venue and numerous fixed expenses.  But at the end of September, there is no competition from other choral performances, and the concert itself is a proven winner.  Furthermore, I understand that chorus members themselves are excited about the possibility of performing "The Armed Man" once more.

I have a friend who made the long drive to the church in Grass Valley on that Sunday in May, parked a half-mile away, and found no tickets left when he got to the door.  He'll be there on September 27, and so I hope, will a number of other friends, to whom I described this performance after it was over, and who wished they could have heard it.  It's called "buzz," and choruses need to find better ways to get it working in their favor.