Arts & Life

Music Of Remembrance

Holocaust Memorial Center and Congregation Beth Ahm
host two performances of "Holocaust Cantata."

tion camps.
Although many of the songs were
written by Christian prisoners, some
ay Litt of West Bloomfield, presi-
have become folk-style songs in today's
dent of the Rackham Symphony
Israel. Kazimierz Wojtowicz, a prisoner
Choir, is one of the only Jewish
at Buchenwald, wrote 35 song texts and
singers in the 55-year-old musical organiza-
52 poems at the camp. Jewish composer
tion.
Gideon Klein was one of the few trained
"What I've always believed is that music
musicians whose works are in the canta-
transcends all cultural differences," he says.
ta. Klein was among those prisoners at
Over the years, Litt has performed with
the camp at Terezin, McCullough said,
the group in such diverse works as an
used by the Nazis to show the world
African Sanctus, a Creole Mass, a Requiem
Jews "were not mistreated."
Mass combining Jewish and Catholic tradi-
The cello is the only instrument other
Conductor Suzanne Mallare Acton, Cantor Daniel Gale, Soprano
tions and Carl Orff's aggressively pagan
than
the piano in the cantata. Its use
Elizabeth Parcells
Carmina Burana. Each year, the Rackham
was suggested by the lyrics "the cello
presents Too Hot Too Handel, a jazz version
plays a sad song," which open the poem
done from many mediums," Silverman said.
"Song of the Days."
of the classical composer's Christmas oratorio
"Music is a universal language. I'm certain it will
Messiah.
"Everything that's unspoken in the cantata is spo-
attract church groups and musicians as well as
ken by the cello," McCullough said.
On Sunday, March 13, the choir presents the
members of the Jewish community. I've heard from
Michigan premiere of Holocaust Cantata: Songs
Suzanne Mallare Acton, Rackham Choir conduc-
school music directors as well, people who are
tor, described the music of the Holocaust Cantata as
from the Camps, by Donald McCullough. Concert-
familiar with the choir and composer."
" very approachable."
goers can attend two performances at two different
Composer Donald McCullough, music director
"Most of the songs are in minor keys," she said.
venues: 2 p.m. at the Holocaust Memorial Center
of the Master Chorale of Washington D.C., is a
in Farmington Hills and 7 p.m. at Congregation
"Many are mournful, but beautiful."
widely performed composer who is very active with
Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield.
The cantata has no plot, she said, but the com-
educational programs for youth in the greater
poser did try to convey what life was like in the
The work is being presented in honor of the
Washington area.
camps. "Each of the songs and readings is a
60th anniversary of the liberation of the German
With bachelor's degrees in both organ and vocal
moment in time," she said.
concentration camps at Auschwitz.
performance from Stetson University and master's
The cantata's Beth Ahm performance is under-
Arranged from songs found by McCullough at
degrees in both sacred music and vocal perform-
written by the Walter and Regina Litt Family
the United States Holocaust Museum in
ance from Southern Methodist University, his
Washington, D.C., the 45-minute cantata is scored
Jewish Music Fund, founded by Walter Litt's par-
background is firmly linked with church music.
ents.
for mixed choir with soloists and readers.
"I'm not Jewish, but I'm not black either, and
"This concert is not going to be a 'downer,"' Litt
Joining the Rackham Symphony Choir will be
I've also written a dramatic work about the
said. "The message is that the human spirit can be
vocal soloists soprano Elizabeth Parcells, mezzo-
Underground Railroad," the composer said.
kept alive by artistic expression. Music can make a
soprano Rosalin Guastella and baritone Cantor
The Holocaust Cantata, like his 2003 cantata Let
living hell at least bearable."
Daniel Gale, of Temple Israel in Bay City. Cello
My People Go, is intended to reach larger audiences
In addition to performing with the choir, Litt
soloist will be Miriam Bolkosky, who performed at
through its musical integrity as well as its historical
will be one of the readers. "One of the narrations
the work's 1998 premiere at the John F. Kennedy
authenticity, he said.
I'm doing is about a group in the camp that smug-
Center for the Performing Arts in Washington,
"It bothers me that arts organizations, in the
gles wine off a train," he said. "They labeled it
D.C., and is featured on the work's CD. Jean
name of multiculturalism, hire a gospel choir and
vinegar, linked it up with pipes and rubber hoses,
Schneider is the program's pianist.
bring in inner-city kids, and then they say they've
and proceeded to get drunk."
The Detroit-area concerts will open with related
done their bit," the composer said. "There's no
The poem that goes with this story is titled
solo works performed by Cantor Gale and
chance that memory of the Holocaust will go away
Bolkosky.
"There's No Life Like Life in Auschwitz."
in the Jewish community. My intention is to tell
"For me, as one of the few Jews in the choir, one
"We're delighted and excited to be hosting this
the story in another way, for the entire community.
of [the cantata's] most uplifting values is to see
concert," said Selma Silverman, HMC administra-
"Most choral organizations are made up of peo-
folks who had little or no relationship with the
tor.
ple who come to choral singing from the church.
goings-on during the Holocaust gaining insights,"
It will be the first concert for the center, which
So it's been a great way to bridge the communi-
Litt said.
opened on June 27, 2004. The hall seats about
ties."
All songs are in English, he said, except for one
350, although risers for the choir may reduce the
McCullough found the poems that form the
that quotes the Polish national anthem, and the
number of seats in the audience.
basis for the cantata in the Aleksander Kulisiewicz
song Ani IVIdAmin (I Believe), which is sung in
. The center will be open only until 1 p.m. the day
collection in the Washington Holocaust Museum
Yiddish.
of the concert, Silverman said. Audience members
archives. Kulisiewicz, himself a survivor, had trav-
"It's really good music," he said, "and we are
are welcome to tour the exhibits after the concert,
eled about Europe during the postwar period col-
going to make sure every word will be in the pro-
at no extra charge.
lecting and preserving what he could of the music
gram, in English."
"Our mission is education, and education may be
that had emerged from the Holocaust concentra-

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Special to the Jewish News

R

3/10

2005

88