Too many in the Valley don't know what they missed when they missed 'Elijah'

Too many in the Valley don't know what they missed when they missed 'Elijah'
EDITOR:
Excuse me for saying this, but many people of the Mahoning Valley forewent an overwhelming musical experience of Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, an oratoria first presented in 1846. Please pardon my pride, but the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, under the leadership of its conductor Susan Davenny Wyner, pulled a "slam dunk" April 15.
For the uninitiated, Elijah, one of three major choral works written by Mendelssohn, follows the text from the Book of Kings, highlighting poignant moments extracted from the Old Testament narrative. This performance was almost the "performance that wasn't," due to financial constraints. To this end, gratitude is owed to both Susan Davenny Wyner and William Conti, president of the Board of Trustees of Stambaugh Auditorium for their Herculean efforts in bringing this concert to life.
Assisting the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra in this event were the combined choruses from the Dana School of Music and Kent State University, along with four soloists. The role of Elijah was sung by Brian Keith Johnson, a Warren native, who employed his thunderous baritone timbre with solemnity and conviction. Local favorites and Youngstown State University professors, mezzo-soprano Mary Alice Bright and lyric soprano Misook Yun, in their respective roles of Queen Jezebel and the Widow, sang with insight and passion. Timothy Culver, Kent State University Professor and tenor, proclaimed the roles of Obadiah, Master of the King's Palace and the Israelite King, Ahab, in honey-toned fashion.
All in all, the program came off with verve and panache, paying a real tribute to the choral literature of the Nineteenth Century. Musical values were adhered to and Susan Davenny Wyner was scrupulous in creating a performance of distinction, with chorus and orchestra in harmony and in balance. It was apparent that the assembled troops on the Stambaugh stage enjoyed themselves as much as their enthralled listeners.
What a gem of a performance.
STEWART I. MANDEL
Member, Board of Trustees
Warren Philharmonic Orchestra
The AmeriCorps tradition
EDITOR:
When President John F. Kennedy said in his inauguration speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," his words would live with my soul forever. However, it wasn't until September 2005 when I became an active member of AmeriCorps that I was able to truly put his words into action in my own life.
Being an AmeriCorps member for nearly two years has been challenging, inspiring, fulfilling, and exhilarating, depending on which service project we are discussing. We've been active participants in community projects such as the American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Banquet held at Lisbon Presbyterian Church, the Salem Soapbox Derby Race, Make a Difference Day at Pleasant View Nursing Home, to name a few. They have afforded me the chance to meet many more civic minded new people.
Sometimes our efforts were in the form of painting over graffiti on the Greenway Bike Trail, and cooking for a Youth Retreat at a local Baptist church, volunteering at Camp Frederick and Beaver Creek State Park. When someone asks, "What is AmeriCorps?" it's easy to answer. We are like the Peace Corps in our country, seeking to make our American communities smarter, healthier and safer, through our efforts at tutoring and volunteering to make a difference in our corner of the world.
SHIRLEY MONDAK
Negley