One of Consort’s most notable attributes is that from the very beginning, we have drawn from our own members for solo parts. Because we have so many talented soloists we have been able to spread the solos around.
Selma Ehrlich was our first soloist. In 1994, Consort’s first concert, she sang the soprano solo in Francis Poulenc’s Tristis Est Anima Mea. Over our 26 years we have featured 41 different soloists, singing a total of 222 solos!
Our final miniseries celebrates these wonderful soloists. Although we will not be able to present all of them, some have already been featured in previous emails. We hope you enjoy these samples over the next few days.
We begin with Haydn’s “Theresienmesse.” The third movement (as indicated in our program for the 2003 concert), “Gratias,” is opened by these soloists:
Ruthann Lovetang: The solos begin with Ruthann, our Consort Board President. She joined Consort in 2003, and the “Gratias” solo that she sings was her second of 16 solos. Her first solo was just a few minutes earlier in the opening movement of “Theresienmesse,” “Kyrie” (with Marty Friesen, Michael Petersen, and Jim Kamphoefner).
Marty Friesen: Marty takes over next. One of the founding members of Consort, she also served many years as our treasurer, and was the original creator of Consort’s website, running it from 2001 to 2016. She is also our second-most frequent soloist (22 times) beginning with the soprano solo in Debussy’s “Yver, vous n’estes qu’un villian” in Opus Two, 1995 (with Jerry Seward, John Gibb, and Marty Eschoff).
David Irvine: David follows Marty. A Consort member since 2000, he has served as an associate director for many years. David has also performed 16 solos, with his first being in a double trio for Pergolesi’s “Missa Romana,” in 2001. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a recording of that concert. Today’s “Gratias” is the earliest recording we have of one of David’s solos. His next solo was in Handel’s “Jubilate 3. Be ye Sure,” in 2004 (in a duet with Ruthann Lovetang).
Michael Peterson: Michael completes the quartet. A member since 1998, he did his first solo that same year in Handel’s “Dixit Dominus,” movement IV, “Dominus a dextris tuis” (with Selma Ehrlich, Marty Friesen, Marilyn Davis, and John Griffin). Since then he has been our most frequent soloist, with a total of 32 solos!
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Pater omnipotens, Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, agnus Dei, filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis!
Suscipe deprecationem nostram, qui sedes ad dexteram Patris. Miserere nobis.
We give thanks to Thee, we praise Thee for Thy glory. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father. Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of the Father. Lord God, lamb of God, son of the Father. Thou who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou who takes away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou who art seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.