Spinet Recital Honors Late Accompanist
REDLANDS – Nearly 70 members and guests of The Spinet music organization gathered to hear mezzo-soprano Kate Butler present a recital May 27, at the home of Spinet members Robert and Donna West.
The event was a tribute to late Spinet member Lorene Forsyth, who last fall was scheduled to serve as Butler’s accompanist. The two women had rehearsed, and as the University of Redlands School of Music’s major accompanist, Forsyth kept a busy rehearsal schedule with UR students and her many professional music commitments until her rapid decline in health and hospitalization.
Butler noted her program featured some of the works Forsyth had especially enjoyed rehearsing. Accompanied at the piano by Barbara Mease, she sang three selections from Ravel’s “Cinq melodies populaires greques”; the “F nf Ophelia-Lieder” by Brahms newly adapted with cello accompaniment performed by Becky Long; and “Zwei Gesaenge” by Brahms.
The recital took a lighter, often humorous turn with songs by Reynaldo Hahn, William Bolcom and David Shire.
Butler, assistant professor of music at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, has soloed at the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival with the symphony.
Her solo concert appearances include the Brooklyn Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony, Columbus Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, the Juilliard Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Basel Chamber Orchestra at the Zurich Tonhalle, at Oxford and Cambridge universities, and at Carnegie Hall.
She was a Midwest regional winner for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and her professional opera career includes performances at Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, San Diego Opera, Indianapolis Opera and Cleveland Opera.
She was personally selected by composer Gian Carlo Menotti to portray the role of the Secretary in “The Consul” under his direction for productions at Chicago Opera Theatre, and opera houses in Palermo, Connecticut, Mississippi and at the Edinburgh Festival.
Barbara Mease is accompanist for the Community Chorus, the University Choir at the University of Redlands and the Calvary Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, and is founding member of the Raincross Chorale in Riverside and past accompanist for that group for several years. She received her bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Redlands.
Becky Long is a freelance cellist who has performed with eight symphonies in Southern California after holding positions with symphonies in New Jersey, Washington State and Portugal. Her bachelor of music education degree is from the University of Oregon and her master of music is from the University of Redlands. She plays regularly with in the Feast of Lights orchestra and with chamber music groups around the Inland Empire. She is a full-time general music teacher in the Redlands Unified School District, currently teaching at Smiley, Bryn Mawr and Franklin elementary schools.
Voted to active membership were singers Robert E. “Chris” Webb, Ronald Warnell and Paul Hodson. Also welcomed to associate membership was Helen Webb.
Spinet approved this year’s annual music support gifts of $250 each to the Redlands Community Music Association (Redlands Bowl) and to the Redlands Symphony Association, and $100 for the Youth Ensemble of Strings.
Jack Andriese was elected to a second year as president. Other officers are Irmengard Jennings, program vice president; Ted Parsons, vice president for venues; Nancy Spencer, secretary; Sue Lawrence, corresponding secretary; Doug Meltzer, treasurer; and Carol Robinson, parliamentarian. Directors are Jean Crocker, Peggy McMeans and Robert West.
Hosts assisting Robert West included David and Susan Lawrence as chairmen, Frank and Gwen Davis, Irmengard Jennings and Patty Williams.
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