Reviews

Logan Kenison, Baritone; Mary Dolch, Piano
July 17, 2024, Galilee Church Summer Music Series
Review by John Campbell

The week after his noon concert reviewed here, baritone Logan Kenison left the area of his birth and education and voice teacher Sondra Gelb to pursue a master's degree at Florida State University. His goal, to polish his vocal skills and learn more about singing, is a noble one. To share his notable accomplishments he opened with a set of five songs, Let Us Garlands Bring (1942) by English composer Gerald Finzi with text and poetry by William Shakespeare.

The first, Come Away Death, has the resigned sound of funeral chimes and is in sharp contrast to the evocation of Who is Silvia? which is all about newborn love. It is a lively tune with floated, long-held notes "...to Siliva let us sing. She excels each mortal thing upon dull earth. To her let us garlands bring."

Three, Fear no more the heat o' the Son, with a haunting melody encouraging a heart's response to being alive because we all eventually come to dust, was sung with gentle, unfolding energy.

O Mistress Mine is a happy ditty delivered with hand and arm gestures "present myrth hath present laughter, come kiss me . . .youth's a stuff will not endure."

The set was rounded out by It was a Lover and his Lass. The singer becomes a cocky, carefree lover, exuberant in springtime at the end of each of the four verses, for "Sweet lovers love the spring." Pianist Dolch was a perfect companion in every nuance of the Finzi.

Turning next to opera arias, we were captivated by Mr. Kenison's heartfelt energy as he sang Avant de quitter (Before leaving this place) from Charles Gounod's Faust (1859). The brother of Faust's Marguerite is off to war and celebrates the protective charm she has given him. In the singer's voice the peaks of passion were in the lines "My sister and I entrust" and "...if God calls me back, I will watch over you [from heaven]." Mr. Kenison was in character and gave it his all with a huge smile at the end.

O du, mein holder Abenstern (Oh you, my fair evening star) from Tannhäuser (1845) by Richard Wagner, was a total change in mood established by Ms. Dolch on the piano. The brooding "dusk covers the land like a premonition of death" gives way in the voice as the evening star appears. Kenison voiced the warmth in the text with deep wonderment.

Next came another aria, this one with Romantic music by Puccini, the lyrical Questo amor (This shameful love of mine), from his rarely performed opera Edgar (1889). The love of two brothers for the same woman leads to a duel. The baritone sings of his obsessive love that he now regrets but is still possessed by. He describes his all consuming love in this touching aria.

Mr. Kenison, in his most melodious speaking voice offered his farewell to Hampton Roads as he takes the next step in his career development. He left the next day for Florida.

His final gift was The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha (1965) by Mitch Leigh. His voice opened, blooming brilliantly on the words "to reach the unreachable star." We look forward to a future when Mr. Kenison will return as a local man who has conquered an expanded musical world.