Eaton singers conclude Perfect Pitch season

All good things come to an end, and the Richard Eaton Singers are concluding their 60th anniversary season Perfect Pitch with a grandiose biblical oratorio.

Of all George Friderich Handel’s oratorios, Israel in Egypt is second only to Messiah in drama and majesty. And it plays out in the acoustically perfect Winspear Centre on Sunday.

Although less well known than the celebrated Messiah, Israel in Egypt’s biblical text of Moses’ exodus from Egypt continues to have a devoted following. Much can be attributed to Handel’s inventive composition that evokes Egypt’s plagues of hailstones and lightning, buzzing locusts and leaping frogs. It’s an epic story completely suited to Handel’s genius for storytelling and drama.

Act one re-enacts the plagues visited upon the Egyptians for enslaving their Hebrew brethren followed by a retelling of the exodus. Act two recaptures the parting of the Red Sea resulting in the destruction of the Egyptian army.

Some critics have dubbed the oratorio “like a touch of god” and music director Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff appears to agree.

“As a baroque piece, it uses every expressive convention. Some interesting effects are dissonance and chromatic effects. It’s a very powerful piece and Handel uses every trick in the book,” says Ratzlaff.

The RES last performed Israel in Egypt in 1995. Although Ratzlaff prepared the composition, he did not conduct it.

“I knew early on I wanted another crack at it. The more I came back to it, the more I realized how fantastic it is.”

Accompanying the 115-member chorus is the 32-piece Alberta Baroque Ensemble. Featured soloists are sopranos Catherine Abele and Erika Vogel, alto Rebecca Claborn, tenor Timothy Shantz, and baritones Michael Kurschat and Mark Wilkinson.

Unlike many of Handel’s other oratorios, this pinnacle piece contains more choral movements than solo ones.

“Since this was the finale of our 60th season, I wanted to feature the choir. In fact, we have a double choir. Choir one is sopranos and altos and choir two is an antiphonal choir.”

St. Albert’s singing ambassadors include Stan Backs, Lori Giesbrecht, Klaus and Roswitha Knoefel, Jim McDonald, Mike Otto and Maryan Threndyle.

“The music has so many variations of expression. It is so powerful and in itself is a work of art. The music has its own logic and reason and you can’t take away its power.”