'DukeEllington'sSacredConcert'marks50thanniversaryofaculturalmilestone

KerryLengel,TheRepublic|azcentral.com 11:36a.m.MSTNovember8,2016

Phoenix Chorale:Duke EllingtonsSacred Concert

When/where:3and7:30p.m.Saturday,Nov.12,atTrinityEpiscopal

Cathedral,100W.RooseveltSt.,

Phoenix.3p.m.Sunday,Nov.13,at

MesaCommunityCollegePerforming

ArtsCenter,1520S.Longmore.

Admission:$13$32.

Details:6022532224,phoenixchorale.org

(http://phoenixchorale.org).

ItwasoneofthoseGuessWhosComingtoDinnermoments.DukeEllington,jazzgiantandoneofthemostfamousblackentertainersintheworld,hadbeeninvitedtopresentAConcertofSacredMusicatGraceCathedralinSanFrancisco.Andtosome,thethoughtofbringingthesoundoftheCottonClubintoanEpiscopalchurchnottomentionthetapdanceramountedtoblasphemy.

Itwouldbeeasytochalkthisuptosimpleracism.Buttheeventwaspartofayearlongfestivaltoopenthenewcathedralin1965,andtheEllingtonbandwasnttheonlyunorthodoxchoiceofperformers.Earlierthatyear,ajazzmassbypianistVinceGuaraldi,anItalianAmerican,hadprompteddeaththreats,accordingtoa2015storybythepublicradiostationKQED.

ThesacredconcertincorporatedtraditionalchoralmusicaswellasAfricanAmericangospelandincludedamixofnewcompositionsandolderpiecessuchasComeSunday.Despitetheconsternationofmusicalconservatives,theeventwasimmediatelydeclaredatriumph.Ellingtontookthemusicontouraroundthecountry,andPhoenixsturncameonNov.10,1966,withapairofconcertsatTrinityEpiscopalCathedral.

ThedowntownchurchisnowthehomebaseofthePhoenixChorale,aninternationallyacclaimedvocalensembleledbymaestroCharlesBruffy.Theywillmarkthe50thanniversaryofEllingtonsappearancewithperformancesatTrinityonSaturday,Nov.12,andatMesaCommunityCollegeonSunday,Nov.13.

WhenIstartedwiththePhoenixChorale,itwasknownasthePhoenixBachChoirbackthen,andonthewallwasaposterthatwasadvertisingthesacredconcert,andIthought,Wow,whatacoolthingforthischurchtohavedonewaybackwhen,'"Buffysays."AndsoIkindofputthatonmybucketlist.

ItseemedlikeitwassofarinthefuturethatIdidntgiveitmuchthought,andhereweare17yearslater,anditstime.

BruffyputhistwochoirshealsoconductstheKansasCityChoraleinMissourionthemapbyessayingworksbycontemporarycomposersandbyrecordingexquisitelynuancedreadingsofclassicalrepertoiresuchasRachmaninoffsAllNightVigil,forwhichhewonhisthirdGrammyAwardearlierthisyear.

ButBruffyalsohastackledfolkmusic,fromAmericantoChinese,andhassungwithjazzchoirs.HiseclecticismreflectsEllingtonsfamousmaximthatthereareonlytwokindsofmusic:Goodmusic,andtheotherkind.

ThePhoenixChoralewillbejoinedbytheMCCPerformingArtsCenterJazzEnsemble,madeupmostlyoflocalproplayers,forDukeEllingtonsSacredConcert.TheselectionsdrawonthreedifferentprogramsthattheDukeassembledbetween1965and1973.TheseincludeacappellanumberstobesungjustasEllingtoncomposedthemaswellasnewarrangements.

ThescoreiskindofaninterestingcombinationofgenuineWesternclassicalmusicandjazzatthesametime,Bruffysays.Imsurenotknowingwhatkindofchoirhewasgoingtobeabletoworkwith,mostofthemusicwasoriginallywritteninunisonorinoctavesforthechoir.Butthisversionofitthatwearedoingisfully

(Photo:(APPhoto/Frings))

http://www.azcentral.com/staff/16941/kerry-lengel/http://phoenixchorale.org/

DukeEllington(Photo:Publicityphoto)

musicwasoriginallywritteninunisonorinoctavesforthechoir.Butthisversionofitthatwearedoingisfullyfleshedout,andithasallkindsofjazzchordsandinterestingjazzrhythms.

Itisnotatallarecreation.ItsacelebrationandanhonoringofDukeEllingtonandthehistorythatwehavewithAmericanjazz.

IfEllingtonssacredmusicwascontroversialinSanFranciscoahalfcenturyago,itshouldbenosurprisethatitwasinArizonatoo.Thisdespitethefactthattheprogramforthe1966concertlistsamongthepatronsoftheeventsuchlocalluminariesasSen.BarryGoldwaterandfuturegovernorJackWilliams.

RichardUsherwas16whenhisfather,theRightReverendBradburyUsher,deanofTrinityCathedral,invitedEllingtontoperform.PreviouslyfromDetroit,hehadledthecongregationforlessthantwoyearsandhadalreadyraisedeyebrowsbyspeakingoutoncivilrights.

Mydadwasprotectiveofconfidenceandthingsofthatnatureandcertainlynotbroadcastingsomeofthethingsthatpeoplesaid,becausehealwaysbelievedinpeoplesabilitytogrowandtogetbettervisionandappreciatethingsovertime,Ushersays.

ButwehadaveryprominentwomanwhowasthewifeofoneofthevestrymenwhohappenedtobefromtheSouthandwasnotinclinedtoacceptdiversity.AndshetoldmydadthathehadruinedherchurchexperiencethathehadletaNegrosinginherchurchandshewouldneverbeback.Thatwasntcommon,buttherewassomestress.Therewerepeoplewholeft.

However,whatbacklashtherewasdoesnotseemtohavebeenpublic.Afterall,thecivilrightsmovementhadjustscoredoneofitsbiggestvictorieswiththepassageoftheVotingRightsActof1965,andEllingtonwasahugestarwhoseorchestraperformedforaudiencesaroundtheworld.

TheconcertgotapositivereviewinthenextdaysArizonaRepublic.AndforUsher,itleftmemoriestolastalifetime.HehelpedsetupfortheperformanceandgottomeetEllingtonbeforetheshow.

#TBTCanyouspot'TheDuke'?At@azcathedralonNov12,1966hearinglocalbandPNutButter!Readmore>bit.ly/2ecWl3e4:39PM20Oct2016Scottsdale,AZ,UnitedStates

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Theconcertitselfwasadressyevent,hesays.Alotofbuilduptoit.Itwascertainlyextremelyimportanttomyfather,andhewasthekindofguywhowouldsweatthedetailsofthingsofthatnature.

Everybodywasmoved.Itwasaveryupliftingexperience.Myfatherwasextremelypleasedwithhowithadcomeoff.

Reachthereporteratkerry.lengel@arizonarepublic.com(mailto:kerry.lengel@arizonarepublic.com)or6024444896.

Phoenix Chorale: Duke Ellingtons Sacred Concert

When/where:3and7:30p.m.Saturday,Nov.12,atTrinityEpiscopalCathedral,100W.RooseveltSt.,Phoenix.3p.m.Sunday,Nov.13,atMesaCommunityCollegePerformingArtsCenter,1520S.Longmore.

Admission:$13$32.

Details:6022532224,phoenixchorale.org(http://phoenixchorale.org/).

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