Celebration - Kansas City Symphony Alliance

forward?Paul: I performed with the chorus many timesat the Lyric and attended both Symphony andLyric Opera performances there. I like theintimacy of The Lyric and the architecture.Acoustics were not always the best. However,we need to change and be in a state of the artfacility to take the KC performing arts to thenext level. I am thankful to the Kauffman andthe Helzberg families for their generous gift tothe community!Joe: I have three favorite memories from singingat the Lyric:The first... we taped a concert with BillMcLaughlin for his Saint Paul Sunday programon NPR, which was broadcast on Easter Sunday1989. For that show we had a soprano soloistfrom Dallas, TX by the name of Kay Paschalwho was gorgeous. She came out in a bluegown that plunged in the back and I thought theentire men’s section was gonna fall off the backof the risers (editor’s note: Kay Paschal is nowa professor of music at Georgia State Universitywhile maintaining her performance career).Second... the Lyric is a rabbit-warren ofhallways backstage and when we did aChristmas special with the King’s Singersfor PBS a friend and I were able to work ourway upstairs and off to the side of the house.Those areas are blocked off now, and are totallyinaccessible. But we were able to watch theKing’s Singers during the taping of their part ofthe show and it was amazing.Lastly...The very first time I was part of theChorus and we sang the Beethoven’s 9th wasat the Lyric. You know how that piece justpropels itself to the end and when the final notewas struck, a voice from way up in the balconyshouted, “BRAVO!” and the place just exploded!People leaped to their feet and “Bravos!” wereheard throughout the hall. It was exhilarating!And that will always be my favorite momentfrom singing at The Lyric.-- David Peironnet, editorThe Kansas City Symphony Chorus will join theKansas City Symphony on May 20/21/22 forperformances of Sergei Prokofiev’s AlexanderNevsky, and also Johannas Brahms’ Rhapsody forAlto, Male Chorus, & Orchestra which will featureSasha Cooke, mezzo soprano. Beethoven’s SymphonyNo. 1 is also on the program. Performances will beat the Lyric Theater on Friday & Saturday nightsat 8 PM; and at Yardley Hall on Sunday at 2 PM.Tickets are available from the Symphony’s boxoffice at 816/471-0400 or at www.kcsymphony.orgVolunteers who support America’s major orchestras will be comingto Kansas City in 2013. And, yes, they might take a train, they mighttake a plane, they might have to walk, but they’ll get here just the same.Kansas City will host the biennial meeting of the Association of MajorSymphony Orchestra Volunteers (AMSOV), a group supportingorchestras with “top tier budgets” and the consequent importance ofvolunteers in providing superlative concerts to their home cities.KCSA’s Mike Minor will be the Conference Chair, and KarenHardcastle will be the Conference Coordinator. In fact, the officiallogo for the conference was designed by Karen & Kirk Hardcastle soas to commemorate Kansas City and its fountains.The Symphony’s new home, the Kauffman Center for the PerformingArts will be a prime attraction to visitors from across the U. S. andCanada. This is significant in that it is the first time since the groupwas founded in 1937 that a national conference will have been heldin our city.Kansas City Symphony Alliance Newsletter May, 2011 Page 4