Some Rough Edges In Orchestra Debut

Sun., Feb. 27, 2000

Ann Le Bar Correspondent

Westminster Chamber Orchestra Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, Feb. 25, 26

The Westminster Chamber Orchestra invoked a rich ensemble of traditions in its debut concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.

The group is comprised of Spokane Symphony string and wind players, pianist Joseph Klice and conductor Dr. Stanley McDaniel.

The orchestra hopes to revive the role churches played as the generators of community musical life before the rise of the modern concert hall.

Their chosen venue, the Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, is a tradition in itself. The brick and granite edifice adjacent to the freeway houses a surprise - its original interior is wood and plaster and has the feel of those 19th century clapboard churches that adorn rural Washington.

Toward the end of the evening Friday, McDaniel used the example of Antonin Dvorak to explain the orchestra’s mission. Dvorak “lived a dream,” McDaniel said. “To bring beautiful music to the lives of others. And that’s our dream with this orchestra.”

This is promising material to work with, though the ensemble also has some obstacles to overcome.

Westminster Church as a performance space is both a blessing and a bear. It’s generously sized and yet intimate. Potentially, there is not a bad seat in the house. And boy, is there sound! A proverbial pin-drop in the sanctuary would overwhelm the background noise of Interstate 90.

On the other hand, volume can sometimes drown out nuance and subtlety. The group’s challenge will be to maximize the church’s brilliant aural possibilities while resisting the delicious temptation to just revel in the sounds of their individual instruments.

The highlights of Friday evening’s performance were the two pieces best-suited for a chamber orchestra of modern instruments. Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings are gems in their respective genres. The Westminster’s performance of Dvorak’s Serenade was especially delightful. Like the last movement of Symphony No. 29, the Serenade calls for the passion and spirit that the Westminster players have in abundance.

McDaniel opened the second half of the concert with a symphonic fanfare Handel composed for the entrance of the Queen of Sheba in Act III of his Oratorio, “Solomon.” This exuberant work is punctuated with duo passages for oboes played ably by Keith Thomas and Barbara Cantlon.

But the orchestra’s overall interpretation, like its rendition of Bach’s F Minor Clavier Concerto, fell somewhat short of the majesty and disciplined energy baroque music requires.

Joseph Klice’s often elegant playing in the Bach Concerto was doubly handicapped. For reasons of space, his piano stood behind the orchestra; for perfectly understandable yet regrettable reasons of funding, he played a modern piano rather than the clavier Bach originally wrote for.

The beauty of a chamber orchestra is that, as a precision instrument, it can render a wide range of genres and styles of music to perfection. Think of the venerable St. Paul Chamber Orchestra or the maverick, conductorless, Orpheus.

The Westminster Chamber Orchestra fills an important niche in Spokane’s music scene. We can look forward to more beautiful music to come.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.