Utah Heritage Choir presents annual spring concert
By Jim Coleman
The Southern Utah Heritage Choir will present its annual Spring Concert, “Be Thou My Vision,” featuring tenor soloist Jordan Bluth at the Cox Auditorium March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the DSU box office, online at heritagechoir.org, or from any choir member. The concert is under the direction of principal conductor Dr. Ken Peterson and artistic director and pianist Dr. Nancy Allred with organist Karen Cantera.
The choir will perform several glorious choral anthems, including “Be Thou My Vision” by John Leavitt, “And Can It Be” by Dan Forrest, “My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee” by Rob Gardner, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Mack Wilberg, and “The Alabaster Jar” by Craig Courtney, which will feature a beautiful cello solo performed by Dr. Ka-Wai Yu. In addition to accompanying the choir, organist Karen Lee will perform a spectacular solo, “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” arranged by Richard Elliott.
The Heritage Choir is pleased to welcome celebrated tenor soloist Jordan Bluth for this magnificent concert. Jordan will perform several audience favorites throughout the concert, including “Nella Fantasia,” “Time to Say Goodbye,” and “Bring Him Home.” The choir will also collaborate with Bluth in a wonderful arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee” for tenor soloist and men’s chorus as recorded by Vocal Point. This will be a concert for the history books!
Trained classically, Bluth has the range, technique, and power of an operatic tenor combined with a versatility that is rarely found among singers of his background. Be it jazz, pop, classical or Broadway, Bluth has an ability to change between musical styles with skill and ease while bringing pristine vocal clarity to every song he sings. Soaring, powerful vocals and full, classical-style orchestrations are a trademark of Bluth’s recordings, yet his musical sensitivity and vocal beauty shine just as brightly when coupled with smaller, more intimate orchestrations.
Bluth has been a recording artist since releasing his self-titled debut album in 2006, which has earned him multiple award nominations at the FCMA Pearl Awards. His versatility is on broad display as he skillfully sails through operatic and contemporary classical songs such as “Time to Say Goodbye” and “Nella Fantasia” while following them easily with jazz and pop standards like “You Don’t Know Me” and Billy Joel’s “Lullabye.”
Bluth received musical training at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2006. He has performed with many operatic and musical theater companies across the United States. Fans have also seen him in the regional tour of “The Forgotten Carols,” a production by award-winning writer and composer Michael McLean. He is frequently sought as a concert soloist, performing major oratorio works such as Handel’s “Messiah” and Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor as well as a guest artist with groups such as the Chautauqua Symphony, the Tempe Wind Ensemble, and the Millennial Choir and Orchestra. You can hear Bluth on recordings of other works such as “Lamb of God” and “The Price of Freedom,” which stem from frequent collaboration with charitable performing organization Spire Music. Bluth is an Arizona “nearly-native” where he lives with his family and sweats the summer out, like everyone else in Arizona, to make it to the incredible Phoenix winters.
Upcoming Heritage Choir performances for the 2018 season include the Southwest Choral Festival final concert with distinguished conductor Dr. Craig Jessop April 14 and the annual Flag Day Concert June 8 in the Cox Performing Arts Center with guest soloists Brandon and McKenzie Lee.
For further information, email jimc@erabrokers.com.
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