Four and a half stars
Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral; April 19.

The ICO and ISC paired up for an evening of deeply emotive sacred work. Under the direction of ISC’s Artistic Director Dr. Eric Stark, these groups worked together as if such collaborations were a natural occurrence. Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata 106, Gotter Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, (God’s Time is the Best Time) is one of his earlier works, most likely written for a funeral. Soloists Kirsten Blaise, soprano, Daniel Blosser, tenor, Christopher Bolduc, bass-baritone, and Steven Rickards, countertenor were all fine soloists that did Bach’s words justice. Gabriel Faure’s Requiem, one of his most oft performed works, calls for a larger choir, and the Butler University Chorale and Choir joined forces with the ensemble. I am not a fan of the cathedral for vocal works; diction, even at its best, seems a lost cause there. Despite that, this group skillfully produced beautiful, and at times intensely personal, music. They certainly deserved the standing ovation they received.