Submitted Photo/The Lafayette Daily Advertiser

High on the ceiling of the Vatican City's Sistine Chapel is a famous painting by Michelangelo, titled "The Creation." In it, God reaches out and just barely touches Adam's outstretched finger. To me, the genius that the artist put into that scene can justly be the symbol of the creative process that any artist in any discipline uses to bring his or her art to life. Anyone in that creative process is first touched by God who provides the spark that allows the flower to bloom.

On June 12, composer Paul Baker, conductor James Haygood, and the combined voices of Chorale Acadienne, University of Louisiana Children's Choir, the University of Louisiana Chorale and the choirs of Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Asbury United Methodist, St. Pius X, and Abbeville's St. Mary Magdalen completed an important phase of this process of creation when they performed Baker's "Requiem of Psalms." What is so important is that the performance venue was in one of the most prestigious and beautiful concert auditoriums in the world - New York's Carnegie Hall.

The afternoon's program included three separate performing groups singing in three completely different genres. First to perform was a combined chorus from groups that came from all points of the United States, including the Nicholls State University Concert Choir from Thibodaux. Conducted by Almeda Berkey, the choir sang a medley of six quintessentially American songs that was titled, "American Journey." The next group, made up of six choirs that came principally from Arizona and directed by John Massaro, performed Mozart's Requiem in Latin.

Then, there was Our chorus. Putting the cart before the horse, when they sang, even the normally non-plused Carnegie Hall resident musicians of the New England Symphonic Ensemble sat up a bit straighter. When the words of last line of the last movement, "Sing to the Lord, praise his name forever," concluded, all 2,700 people in the audience sprang to their feet and raised the Carnegie roof a couple of notches with their shouts and applause. To get an idea of the size of the audience, Erath has a population of a bit under 2,700. Imagine every man, woman, and bébé in Erath jumping up to join in a standing ovation. Whew! Much has been written in the past about the composition and quality of Baker's piece. They previously performed the work in both the Church of the Ascension and Angelle Hall. While each performance was excellent, the Requiem's debut at Ascension was probably better because of the adrenaline of the work's first presentation. As well as they performed, however, there was absolutely nothing in what they did that could match the quality of the Carnegie presentation. I firmly believe that there were two sparks that ignited the singers.

The first, as described by the real estate profession, was "Location, Location, Location." After all the practice, practice, practice was over, the adrenaline rush of mounting the Carnegie stage was probably one of the most significant rewards that the performers experienced. Looking out into the auditorium is an act of legacy; the musicians are able to enjoy the same view shared by over 100 years' worth of performers, ranging from Tchaikovsky to The Stones, from Copland to Calloway. That's some heady company!

Four horseshoe-shaped balconies extend over and around the first floor parquet. The stage itself is just as spectacular. The entire performing area, from the proscenium arch to the cyclorama is a study in ormolu and curves. The acoustics in the Stern Auditorium is so magnificent that the voices whispered, rolled, and thundered about the audience with equal clarity and brilliance. In the Hall's museum and on the walls throughout the building are photographs, as well as hand-written sheet music of the musical giants that preceded the Acadiana performance. To perform poorly would be to risk the wrath of Those Who Went Before.

The beautiful baritone solos that grace Baker's work were performed by Valentin Vasiliu, a singer of international reputation who is a native of Romania. He feels that "Requiem of Psalms" is a beautiful piece, one that is written to appeal to a wide range of expression. "It is a prayer, one that deals with mercy, joy, sadness and empathy. Its mood describes the way we approach everyday life." His major contribution to "Requiem" was to bring a realistic life to all the emotions expressed by the work. He is a performer as well as a singer.

After the performance, Lauren Baker, the composer's wife, gave her husband a T-shirt containing the words, "Ask me about my Carnegie Hall debut." Judging from the look in his eyes after the performance, it will be a long, long time before he takes the shirt off. His emotion was unanimously matched by his fellow choristers.

Several members of the group were determined to share their excitement with the world with their determination to appear on a national early morning talk show as they held a banner "Cajuns at Carnegie." Pride runs deep.

The second spark, one taken chapter and verse, from Michelangelo's painting, was surely the spark inspired by the Creator. No one could ever have performed with such majesty without the hand of God on their shoulder. The singers caught every aspect of Baker's layering of tone and theme with a kaleidoscope of emotions. There was no way that they could reach those heights by themselves.

"Requiem of Psalms" was relatively unknown outside the Lafayette area. With its Carnegie Hall debut, the work has taken a significant step and will undoubtedly rise to the level of
being a choral work of international renown.