Cedric Berry, Bass-Baritone in 'Music of the People: Songs of 19th Century America' Colburn School, L.A. Feb. 23

[Cedric Trenton Berry]

AfriClassical wrote of Cedric Berry most recently in December 2010, concerning a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, in which he had the role of King Balthazar. On Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 he will perform in the second of six presentations of “Music of the People” in 2011:

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

7:30 p.m.

Zipper Hall

Colburn School

200 S. Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Music of the People

a concert of 19th-century American folk songs,
spirituals and Hutchinson Family songs
conceived and produced by Karen Benjamin

Karen Benjamin, soprano

Cedric Berry, bass-baritone

Victoria Kirsch, pianist

Alan Chapman, bass and vocals

The songs may be spiritual, political, romantic…or just plain fun.

But all of them are American.

And what makes them so is not just the language and sensibility of their lyrics, but also the nature of their melodies, a nature that is inseparable from the rhythms and intonations of our spoken language.

You will hear the work of several arrangers, expressing their individual styles through matters of structure, choices of harmony, details of accompaniment.

But in each and every case the melody is as it has always been.

The melody is preserved. The melody is respected, as it must be, because while the words carry the literal message, it is in the melody that the soul of a song resides.

Comment by email:
Hi Bill: It's Karen Benjamin. This is terrific. I can't thank you enough. Perhaps you can make the performance. Best, Kb

Los Angeles Times: 'bass-baritone Cedric Berry (King Balthazar) performed solidly'

["Amahl and the Night Visitors" (Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times / December 16, 2010). Robin Buck, left, Cedric Berry, Casa Grant and Stephanie Hullar perform in Intimate Opera of Pasadena's production of "Amahl and the Night Visitors" at the Pasadena Playhouse on Thursday.]

On Dec. 18, 2010 AfriClassical posted: “Bass-Baritone Cedric Berry is King Balthazar in Intimate Opera Company production of 'Amahl & The Night Visitors.'” John Malveaux of http://www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this news to AfriClassical:

"Opera review: 'Amal and the Night Visitors' at the Pasadena Playhouse [Updated]

Los Angeles Times Blogs
December 17, 2010 | 2:00 pm
Richard S. Ginnell

“...'Amahl' made a near-ideal relaunching pad Thursday night for Intimate Opera of Pasadena (formerly known just as Intimate Opera), an outfit that has parked itself as the resident opera company in the Pasadena Playhouse as of this fall. The company aspires to be a regional force, and it is getting good help from the pros. Singer-turned-stage-director Stephanie Vlahos has become Intimate Opera’s artistic director.”

“Vlahos rounded up some fellow travelers from L.A. Opera’s ranks for the evening cast (the matinees feature a young second cast), starting with mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán’s multifaceted portrayal of Amahl’s mom (as the composer himself once said about Guzmán, she does look and act like a young widow 'who is starving'). Tenor Greg Fedderly broadly played the hard-of-hearing King Kaspar for laughs; baritone Robin Buck (King Melchior) and bass-baritone Cedric Berry (King Balthazar) performed solidly; and the excellent boy soprano Caleb Glickman was a delightful Amahl.”