Editor,

I want to say how much I was impressed by the concert given Sunday, March 22 by the Saratoga Orchestra and the Massed Choir of Whidbey Island. “Carmina Burana” was truly a thrill.

An important factor was the inclusion of so many young people both in the chorus and the orchestra. There is a special excitement when students are discovering and playing a masterpiece for the first time. I could see it in the faces of the young singers who were completely engaged in the music. This engagement added some electricity that one does not always find even in top professional orchestras. For me it was a deeply emotional experience.

I thought the conductor, Anna Edwards, did a superb job pulling it all together. She and the vocal coaches obviously taught the chorus well. I was struck by the clarity of Anna’s stick technique and the thorough preparation that made it all work.

The soloists were excellent. I was particularly happy with Karl Olsen. He is not only a fine singer but a good actor as well. My wife remarked that he could actually pronounce all those Latin words. His “Ego sum abbas” and the love song “Dies, nox et omnia” were a delight. It was also a thrill to hear Lisa Beritella belt out that high D! Voltaire Verzosa showed remarkable virtuosity as the roasting swan. I have never heard the role sung with such emotion.

All in all, it was a concert I will remember for a long time.

JOHN DAVID LAMB

Seattle