By Daniel Buckwalter
Soft, warm and elegant sounds for the holiday season swept the cavernous and chilly sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Eugene over the weekend.
The occasion was the annual Candlelight Concert under the direction of Kelly Kuo, performed in Eugene by the Oregon Mozart Players on Dec. 16 and 17, and then in Roseburg on Dec. 18.
There was the majesty of Johann Sebastian Bach that included Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and the Brandenburg Concerto, plus assorted and pretty vignettes Bach composed that featured the string ensemble and principal oboist Cheryl Wefler.
Additionally, there was at the end of the evening traditional Christmas music with arrangements by the late Leroy Anderson, who composed light concert pieces in his day, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra.
And then there was the alphorn, an instrument I had known of but had never heard in performance until guest soloist Lydia Van Dreel — a University of Oregon instructor and member of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, among other ensembles — finessed her way onto the stage with the long (at least 12 feet) hollow tube with the conical bore, an upturned bell and a wooden mouthpiece similar in shape to the modern horn.
Listening to Van Dreel and the Oregon Mozart Players perform Leopold Mozart’s Sinfonia Pastorale in G Major, I could almost hear the hills come alive with the sound of music. In the first and third movements, especially, the breezy, dance-like melody of the string instruments was interrupted by bursts of throaty, triumphant interludes by Van Dreel.
It was beautiful — and fun to listen to — and I hope to hear the instrument more in the future.
Overall, it was a good Saturday night for the Oregon Mozart Players, a light, fun night with easy joy and with just a week to go before Christmas.
If you missed it, the Oregon Mozart Players return return to the stage March 2-5 with Ballet Fantastique to perform The Misadventures of Casanova, in the Hult Center’s Soreng Theater.
