Russian State Chorus

On Friday evening, some 550 members of the McCook Concert Association filled the main floor and part of the balcony of the Fox Theater to hear a concert by the 45-voice Russian State Chorus, which was equally divided between men and women.

This was a concert which those people will never forget! I know, because some 60 years ago, I heard the "Don Cossacks," an all-male choir from Russia. They were magnificent; I often think of that evening with pleasure and appreciation for the family that invited me.

Dr. Batty speaks of the Don Cossacks singing for the McCook Concert Association more than 50 years ago.

The chorus was dressed very elegantly, with the men in tuxedos and the women in black gowns that reached the floor and were trimmed in gold.

The chorus sang without piano accompaniment on all but one number. The first half of the concert was made up of choral works by Russian composers including Bortnianski and Rachmaninov, and European composers including Verdi, Brahms, (Lullaby) Schubert (Ave Maria) and Saint Saens (Bolero).

Their tone ranged from a triple pianissimo, which I had to strain to hear, to a triple forte which filled the hall. It goes without saying that they did not use amplification; in fact, there was a PA system on the stage to be used for announcements -- which they asked to have removed!

Following the intermission, the program consisted of folk songs which spoke of their love of the land, the spirituality of Russia and freedom. They used a number of beautiful solo voices, both male and female, which added variety and interest to the program.

This was a very mature group, which ranged from a few in their 20s up to one tall, gaunt Basso with white hair and a deeply etched face, who appeared to be in his 70s.

The two greatest audience pleasers were "God Bless America" as the final number, and "America the Beautiful," with the audience joining in the singing of the second verse. It was quite an emotional experience, and now we can all say "I once sang with the Russian State Chorus."

We have had many great concerts, going back to the late 1930s, including Fred Warning and his Pennsylvanians, the Denver Symphony directed by Arthur Fiedler, and Victor Borge, so it is hard to say that this was the greatest, but it certainly ranks with a handful of the greatest concerts we have enjoyed.

The credit should go to our loyal subscribers from McCook and reaching out in all four directions, east to Arapahoe, south to Norton and oberlin, west to Benkelman and Imperial, and north to Hayes Center, Maywood and Curtis.