South Florida Classical Review

Davóne Tines performed his Recital No. 1: MASS with the New World Symphony Saturday night in Miami Beach.

Davóne Tines is a unique artist. A commanding bass-baritone with a charismatic stage presence, Tines’ vocal range veers from low notes that approach bass territory to high falsettos that suggest a countertenor. 

Tines’ voice would seem to easily encompass the operatic repertoire of Mozart and Verdi baritone roles but he has chosen to pursue his own artistic path. He has sung numerous opera and concert works by contemporary composers and has assembled his own concert presentations around thematic concepts. 

On Saturday night, he joined conductor Stéphane Denève and the New World Symphony for his Recital No. 1: MASS at New World Center. The 55-minute presentation is a recital program that mixes Caroline Shaw’s a cappella setting of the traditional Roman Catholic mass with Baroque arias and spirituals. Tines’ conception forms an intersection and confrontation between contemporary and historic sacred tradition. The result is never less than compelling.

Entering from the rear of the hall, down the raked isles to the stage, Tines intoned Sam Cooke’s” Lost and Lookin,” accompanied only by a bass and snare drum. He paired Shaw’s soulful setting of the “Kyrie” with Handel’s “Leave Me, Loathsome Light” from Semele. Tines sang the oratorio aria with deep emotion while maintaining a Baroque line. 

Singing in darkness with only a spotlight on him, Shaw’s “Agnus Dei” emerged in almost Judaic cantorial cadences. “Were You There” from Songs of Death by Tyshawn Sorey was a bleak evocation of the traditional text, buttressed by Tines’ wide dynamic range. Shaw’s brief “Credo” proclamation was followed by “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.  Tines shaped Bach’s eloquent melody with nobility and expressive warmth. Michael Schachter’s large ensemble orchestration, with horns and a full complement of winds, was decidedly non-Baroque but worked well in the context of Tines’ cycle.

Shaw’s “Gloria” emerged like a cry of joy. Indeed, the more one hears her work (whether choral, solo vocal or instrumental), Shaw seems like one of the most creative composers to emerge in recent years. Tines matched her version with the great singer-conductor-arranger Moses Hogan’s iteration of “Give Me Jesus,” sing in a classic spiritual of a gospel singer. Schachter’s arrangement appropriately featured jazzy riffs from the brass. 

Tines’ soft singing emblazoned the heart of Shaw’s haunting “Sanctus.” His own arrangement of “There is a Balm in Gilead” was almost Broadway-bound in splashy instrumental proclamation which was matched by the full throated fervor of his singing. 

For a joyous finale, Tines’ vocal inflection of “Let it Shine,” accompanied by percussion and the musicians’ snapping fingers formed a singular vision of the ‘Benedictus,” The vociferous projection of the swaying Ambassador Chorale of Florida Memorial University under Argarita Johnson-Palavicini added to the festive aura. Throughout Tines’ gripping presentation, Denève and the New World fellows were totally attuned to Tines’ shifts of mood, playing with vibrance and enthusiasm.

Repeated curtain calls, cheers and screams (from the musicians as well as audience), brought Tines back for an a cappella encore (as Denève sat, listening, on the podium). He related that in the Baptist Church of his youth in Virginia, singing classical works and more conservative sacred songs was not uncommon. Accordingly, he sang the bass recitative and “Ode to Joy” theme from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, first straightforwardly, then in a scat jazz manner. Tines followed this with a virile “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See.”

If Tines’ work was the main event of the evening, the concert’s first half was far from insignificant. Three violin fellows took turns for each movement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major. Denève’s Bach emphasized grace rather than the hard-driving impetus of many period performances. In the initial Allegro, the agility, lovely tone and spare vibrato of Hannah Corbett’s violin blended perfectly with the two solo flutes. With violinist Archer Brown and the ensemble fully attentive to Denève’s relaxed tempo, the Andante flowed with a natural pulse. The firm string projection, particularly of the three violas, and Deurim Jung’s rapid articulation brought the concerto to a snappy conclusion.

Michael Abels is a composer who freely mixes styles and genres. His Delights and Dances for large string ensemble and a quartet of soloists (in the manner of a Baroque concerto grosso) is a winning example of his wide- ranging compositional palette. 

From neo-classicism to minimalist riffs and country fiddling, his 14-minute creation delights the ear. Not merely a pops piece, Abels’ pastiche displays considerable mastery and ingenuity. Samantha Powell’s deep-toned cello, Joshua Thaver’s burnished viola and Marissa Weston and Jacob Buhler’s violin fireworks stood out in solo moments. Denève led with intense enthusiasm and the strings played at top energy. Abels was present to acknowledge the enthusiastic response.

The program will be repeated 2 p.m. Sunday at the New World Center in Miami Beach. nws.edu

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