Randal Turner takes on a role of biblical proportions

Randal Turner and the biblical Elijah

The Biblical figure Elijah was no slouch. After all, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was lofted into the sky in a whirlwind by a chariot and horses. The role of Mendelsohn's "Elijah" is also no slouch and it requires some lofty singing from the baritone.

On Friday, May 4, 2012 at 8:00 PM, you can hear Randal Turner take on the role at the Spring Music Festival in Greenwich, Connecticut. He'll be joined by sopranos Hanna Golodinskii and Carolyn Paulus, treble Katie Weatherseed, mezzo-soprano Linnea Conley and tenor Christopher Pfund. The First Church Festival Chorus and chamber orchestra will be led by Craig Scott Symons. The concert is free of charge, but a donation is strongly encouraged (or Elijah will bring fire down upon your head).

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings "It is enough" from "Elijah":  

The oratorio depicts various events in the life of the Biblical prophet Elijah, taken from the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings in the Old Testament. Mendelssohn made sure to include some of the grander episodes in Elijah's life, including the resurrection of a dead youth, the bringing of rain to parched Israel through Elijah's prayers, and the bodily ascension of Elijah on a fiery chariot into heaven. Perhaps the most dramatic episode is the "contest of the gods," in which Jehovah consumes an offered sacrifice in a column of fire, after a failed sequence of frantic prayers by the prophets of the god Baal.

For more information, visit the First Congregational Church of Greenwich website. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Barihunks Luncheon in New York City

Barihunks Luncheon in New York City

Barihunks hosted a luncheon for eight of the hottest singers in New York at Candle 79 today. From left to right are Michael Rice, Jonathan Estabrooks, Randal Turner, Christopher Temporelli, Michael Kelly, Malcolm Merriweather, Ricardo Rivera and Donovan Singletary.

Randal Turner had closed a successful run in Rufus Wainwright's the night before. His "mad scene" in Act 1 was a tour de force performance that will be long-remembered by opera aficionados. The Zurich-based singer will return to the U.S. in May to perform Mendelsohn's "Elijah" with the Spring Choral Festival in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Barihunks hamming it up before the group photo

Michael Rice has given up singing to work at an executive recruiting firm, support his wife Jennifer Rivera's skyrocketing career and devote time to his OperaNow! podcast. He taped some audio at the Barihunks luncheon for his next podcast, so make sure to tune in.

Jonathan Estabrooks is currently filming Schaunard in Puccini's La boheme. We'll have more details closer to the release date. Make sure to check out his vlog, "A Singer's Life." He also taped some footage at the luncheon so check him out on YouTube.

Christopher Temporelli & Donovan Singletary

Christopher Temporelli, who just wrapped up a run as the Judge in Philip Glass's Orphée with Virginia Opera, now heads to Korea for a recording project. Keep an eye out for additional release news on this site.

Michael Kelly just wrapped up another recital at Trinity Wall Street. We'll provide you with the stream as soon as it's available. You can watch his December 2010 recital HERE.

Malcolm Merriweather keeps a busy schedule around New York as a baritone, choirmaster, teacher and conductor with the New York Choral Society.

In March, Ricardo Rivera will perform in the Semi-Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In May, he will perform the title role in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" with the Mannes Opera and Orchestra.

From May 19-June 1, Donovan Singletary will perform Figaro in Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" at the Ft. Worth Opera Festival. In March and April, he can be seen as the Murderer in Verdi's "Macbeth" opposite barihunks Thomas Hampson and Gunther Groissböck.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Local Paper Heralds Return of Gregory Gerbrandt

Colorado native Gregory Gerbrandt is returning to his hometown of Greeley to star in two performances. The Greeley Tribune ran this feature on the emerging star in anticipation of his performance with the Greeley Chorale on April 3 and a performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Got Me Flowers" at the Greeley Congregational Church on April 10.

Gerbrandt recently wowed audiences at the Hawaii Opera with his intense portrayal of Enrico in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." In July, his recording of Kamran Ince's "The Judgment of Midas" will be released on Naxos.

The singer comes from great musical stock, as his father led the University of Northern Colorado opera program for 21 years. 

Here is an amateur video of him singing "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific.



Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Subscribe to Barihunks by Email

Tweet