Our concerts are recorded by Jack Tozzi. An accomplished musician and frequent soloist with HCS, Mr. Tozzi combines a deep understanding of the human voice with an audiophile's expertise to create truly extraordinary recordings. Mr. Tozzi is currently offering a two CD recording of our most recent concert, Bach's Mass in B minor. For more information, contact:
Hampshire Choral Society
PO Box 2156
Amherst, MA 01004-2156
Jack Tozzi has been creating CDs of our concerts for many years now, and we have taped concerts dating back even further. Please let us know if you are interested in a recording of any of our previous concerts; we'll see what we can do.
One CD that you're not likely to have heard was recorded in 2002, soon after the retirement of Beth Hart. A small group of us got together to record the Rules of Concert Dress, a series of pieces (re)written by past president Sarah Metcalf to comically exhort HCS to wear approprate outfits in performance. Beth Hart directed, and Mark Gionfriddo accompanied.
Here's Sarah's take on Vaughan William's Loch Lomond, featuring Mr. Tozzi's magnificent baritone.....
The lyrics:
By yon Fleet Bank and yon Iron Horse,
Where guitarists of varying skill strum,
We’ve met at First Churches suppressing all our R’s,
For the British, British songs of Vaughan Williams.
Oh, you sing the high notes and I’ll sing the low notes
And don’t end the cadence afore me,
Or sopranos and basses will never meet again
In the British, British songs of Vaughan Williams.
Do not come wearing green sleeves or crimson silk shoes,
To Saint Mary’s where ev’ry note still hums,
Nor deep in purple hue, for we cannot allow you
To look raffish for Rafe Vaughan Williams.
Oh, you sing the high notes and I’ll sing the low notes
And watch the director afore ye,
Or we and our good name will never meet again
If we bludgeon the songs of Vaughan Williams.
Wear your best black and white, wear expressions polite,
But the key to our gentrification,
Our most solemn request, without which we’ll seem undressed,
Is your best British pronunciation.
Oh, you sing the high notes, and I’ll sing the low notes,
With purest of vow’ls and no diphthongs,
For more artful arrangements we’ll never sing again,
Than the British songs of Vaughan Williams.
We also recorded this piece by Mark Gionfriddo, "After Strauss", featuring David Olsson, Judy Wardlaw, Sarah Clay, Brit Albritton, and, of course, Mr. Gionfriddo on piano...
If you're interested in this, or other archived recordings, let us know.